Tilton School
| Tilton School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
| , | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private coeducational secondary |
| Motto | Quanti est sapere ("How Valuable Is Wisdom") |
| Established | 1845 |
| Headmaster | James Clements |
| Grades | 9–12 and PG |
| Number of students | 250 |
| Campus | Rural |
| Mascot | Ram |
| Affiliation | Methodist |
| Website | www.tiltonschool.org |
Founded in 1845, Tilton School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school in Tilton, New Hampshire in the United States serving students from 9th to 12th grade and postgraduates. Tilton's student body of 230 consists of 50 day students and 180 boarding students from 22 states and 15 countries. The Student Assembly President for the 2007-2008 school year is Aidan McWhinney, a 2 year Senior at Tilton.
History
Tilton School was founded in 1845 as a secondary school for boys and girls. Both dormitory students and day students were accepted. About 76 boys and girls formed the first student body. Two buildings, a boarding house and a classroom building were built for the School in Northfield, New Hampshire, which is just across the Winnipesaukee River from the present campus. In the 1860s a fire burned part of the School and forced relocation across the river, to the present campus. Several brick buildings were erected, to be replaced in the 1880s by Knowles Hall.
In the early days, several different names were used for the School, each describing its function and, at times, its location. First, the School was called the New Hampshire Conference Seminary, because it was founded by Methodists, and its primary purpose was to train boys and girls for work in the Church. In 1852, "and Female College" was added to the already long name. College degrees were granted to women until 1903, when the name was changed to "Tilton Seminary." The present name, Tilton School, was adopted in 1923.
Over the years, Tilton School has served many purposes, which were always related to the needs of the times. It has been a co-educational boarding school, a boys' boarding school, a public school, a female college, a junior college, and a secondary school with both college and general courses. In 1939, Tilton ceased serving as the local high school and became strictly an independent boarding and day school for boys. In 1958, the "general diploma" was dropped and only college preparatory courses were offered. In 1970, Tilton once again became co-educational.
Campus
The school sits on 146 acres on a hill overlooking the village of Tilton. Campus is comprised of over 15 buildings including 5 residential dormitories, a multi-purpose athletics center, an in-door ice hockey arena, several academic buildings, a school chapel, library, and visual arts center.
Knowles Hall - The oldest building and the center of Tilton's campus for over 120 years, Knowles Hall houses over half of the student body.
Beaumont Hall - The upper floors of Beaumont Dormitory are the main residential rooms for 9th-grade boys. The ground floor houses the school's main dining room. It was built in 1909, when the current dining room replaced a smaller, wooden structure.
Tilton Hall and Daly Arts Center - Tilton Hall was originally built by Charles Tilton in 1861. Tilton School purchased the building 101 years later. Tilton Hall, or "the Mansion," currently houses the Lucian Hunt Library. In 1980, the attached carriage house was renovated to house the Helene Grant Daly Art Center.
Plimpton Hall - George L. Plimpton Hall, built in 1926, houses the majority of Tilton's classrooms, the Admission Office and the Administrative Offices.
Pfeiffer Hall - Constructed in 1938 and 1939, Pfeiffer Hall presently serves as a dormitory for 11th and 12th grade boys and also houses the school's Learning Center.
Moore Hall - Constructed in 1988, Moore Hall serves as a dormitory for 11th and 12th grade girls.
Hamilton Hall - Home to Tilton's Theater and Music departments, Hamilton Hall was originally the school gymnasium.
Smart Chapel - In 1965, the Fred Andrew Smart Chapel was transported to Tilton's campus from its original home in Canterbury, NH. The building serves as a school meeting place and also houses the World Languages and ESL classrooms.
Memorial Athletic & Recreational Center - The Memorial Gymnasium was built shortly after WWII to honor those who had served and died for their country. In 1998, the building was completely renovated and rededicated as the Memorial Athletic and Recreational Center (M.A.R.C.). The building contains three basketball courts, a climbing wall, a weight room, locker rooms, a training room, and a student center including a snack bar.
MacMorran Field House - Originally built in 1978, the John F. MacMorran Field House provided Tilton with its first indoor hockey arena. In 1999, Tilton completed a two million dollar renovation of the facility.
Notable Alumni
- John Perkins - Author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man (Berrett-Koehler, 2004)
- John Charles Daly - Host of the game show, "What's My Line?", reporter and news executive.
- Donald M. Murray - Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, columnist for The Boston Globe and Professor Emeritus of English at the University of New Hampshire.
- M. Emmet Walsh - Character actor who has appeared in dozens of films including: Slap Shot (1977), The Jerk (1979), Brubaker (1980), Blade Runner (1982), and Blood Simple (1984).
- John Discepolo - Sports Anchor, New York.
- Daniel Organ - Division III Hockey Player for Hobart
- Alex Contis - Division III Hockey Player for Hobart
- Quincey Pentrack - Founder of the Pretzel
- Ms. Smith - Founder of the Hug
References
Didsbury, Kendall. In the Shadow of the Clock Tower. Tilton School, 1988.