The Hill School

The Hill School (The Hill) is an American boarding school for boys and girls in grades nine through twelve. Founded in 1851, The Hill is located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about forty-five minutes north-west of Philadelphia.

The Hill is part of an organization known as The Ten Schools Admissions Organization. This organization was founded more than forty years ago on the basis of a number of common goals and traditions. Member schools include The Hill, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy, The Lawrenceville School, The Taft School, The Hotchkiss School, St. Paul's School, Loomis Chaffee, Phillips Exeter Academy, and Phillips Academy Andover.

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History

The Hill School was founded in 1851 by the Revered Matthew Meigs as "The Family Boarding School." The Hill was the first school in the country to have students live with faculty on the school's campus rather than in a boarding house nearby. At the conclusion of the American Civil War in 1865, The Hill adopted school colors of Blue and Grey to symbolize the re-unification of the United States. School alumni fought on both sides of the conflict.

For nearly its entire history The Hill has maintained 500 students per year from which the school song "A Thousand Hands" is drawn. The Hill was an all-boys institution until 1998. As of 2005, the ratio between boys and girls at the school is 60:40. The Hill continues to attract legacies, who make up roughly one-third of the student body.

Owing to its age, The Hill has a campus rich with historic architecture. The Hill's all wood-paneled Dining Hall houses a valuable collection of paintings by the famous American illustrator N.C. Wyeth, father of the notable American painter Andrew Wyeth. A photo of the Dining Hall interior is the cover of Tobias Wolff's novel, Old School.

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School Motto

"Whatsoever things are true." This excerpt from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians (Philippians 4:8) continues: "...whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report ...."

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School Traditions

  • Unlike many other boarding schools, The Hill continues to maintain its "jacket and tie" dress-code for students, requires all students to attend twice-weekly nondenominational chapel services, and participate in seated family-style meals with faculty in the dining hall.
  • Unlike other schools where students use grade terminology such as "Freshman" or "Sophomore", The Hill uses the traditional English term "forms":
    • Second Form = 8th Grade
    • Third Form = 9th Grade / Freshman
    • Fourth Form = 10th Grade / Sophomore
    • Fifth Form = 11th Grade / Junior
    • Sixth Form = 12th Grade / Senior

(Note: The Hill stopped enrolling Second Form students in 1998)

  • Students at the school enjoy competing in J-Ball, short for "Javelin Ball." J-Ball was created in 1955 by Sidney Wood, a fourth former who was also The Hill's tennis champion. Similar to baseball, J-Ball is played with a tennis ball and racquet, but only one player on the fielding team is allowed to use a glove.
  • After receiving their diplomas at graduation, Seniors jump into The Dell and swim out to the center fountain; this is the most attended part of the graduation ceremonies. The Dell is a small pond located near the ice hockey rink where the ceremony takes place.
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Athletics

The Hill competes in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League. The Hill's teams are called the "Blues" or the "Rams". The Hill's arch-rival is The Lawrenceville School of Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The rivalry is celebrated annually on the first or second weekend of November. The festivities alternate between the two schools each year, and it is the 5th oldest school rivalry,and 3rd oldest high-school rivalry, in the nation.

Besides Hill and Lawrenceville, other schools in the league are Hun School of Princeton in Princeton, New Jersey, Mercersburg Academy Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey, and Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey.

Some of the schools that The Hill also competes against include St. Andrew's in Middletown, Delaware, Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts; and Westminster School in Simsbury, Connecticut.

All students are required to participate at some level of athletics, whether it be at the varsity or intramural level. Interscholastic sports include cross country, football, field hockey, soccer, tennis, squash, water polo, swimming, basketball, ice hockey, wrestling, baseball, softball, lacrosse, track, and golf.

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Notable Alumni

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Years not listed

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Headmasters

  • David R. Dougherty, 1993-
  • Charles C. Watson, 1973-1993
  • Archibald R. Montgomery, 1968-1973
  • Edward (Ned) T. Hall, 1952-1968
  • James I. Wendell, 1928-1952
  • Boyd Edwards, 1922-1928
  • Dwight R. Meigs, 1914-1922
  • Alfred G. Rolfe, 1911-1914
  • John Meigs, 1876-1911
  • Matthew Meigs, 1851-1876
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Endowment

In 2005, The Hill's endowment totaled over US$100,000,000.

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External links