A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
Dear Friends,
Serving as the 45th Head of Germantown Academy is, without a doubt, the most significant professional honor of my life. I hope to use the occasion of this transition in our school’s story to celebrate, in a new way, GA’s extraordinary history of 257 years. How would you best recount the tale of a school which predates the founding of our own country? In a dream world, we would create a composite of the stories of generations of legendary faculty, dedicated staff, inspiring students and alumni/ae, transformational trustees and administrators, and committed parents who entrusted GA with the education of their most precious gifts. Our school’s mission certainly draws from the legacies of those who came before us, the traits and values they embodied, and how, together, over time, these became the essence and mission of the school.
A History of GA in 30 Objects offers fascinating glimpses into our school’s rich story. Thanks to the thoughtful, diligent work of School Archivist and Upper School History teacher Dr. Mark Rabuck ’86, we selected a wide array of disparate objects from GA’s own archival treasure trove to share with the community. Each constituency (grades, Houses, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, etc.) was then charged with ‘adopting’ one artifact which, when combined with twenty-nine other artifacts, would create an even richer tapestry of objects, highlighting moments great and small in our school’s history.
By retelling our beloved school’s story in a new way, I hope that our history will be accessible to Patriots young and old, and for generations to come. Sincere thanks to Dr. Rabuck, photographer Gabrielle Russomagno 1760, and publishers Carla Zighelboim and Audrey Schnur for the care they put into making this idea a reality. Please enjoy this quick expedition through some of our archival highlights as chosen by thirty groups of people who, through their passion and care, are together shaping the next great chapter of our school’s story. Best,
Rich Schellhas Head of School Germantown Academy
1968 Yearbook
1968 was a remarkable year in Germantown Academy history. It marked the graduation of the first class who spent their entire Upper School careers in Fort Washington. It also saw the first female and the first African-American graduates of the school.
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Why?
We chose this because we hope it represents the future for our kids enrolled here. We would like to see more “lifers,” as they have been termed, represented in the GA yearbooks going forward!
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Child Care Center
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Fabric for First GA Kilts
Co-education in the 1960s brought many changes to campus. The community had to come up with an appropriate uniform for girls in the Lower School. Several ideas were floated, but the school settled on this pattern, which was obtained from New York by the mother of former GA teacher Mr. Anthony N.B. Garvan, Jr. 1760.
Why?
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The kilt fabric is something that we see and wear every day. The kilt is worn in all three divisions and the threads of red, black, and blue unite us as a whole school. It is the fabric of our life!
Class of 2030
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
Printing Plates for Alma Mater
GA has had many school songs over the years, but none more enduring or memorable than the Alma Mater. Composed in 1910 by J. Heffenstein Mason, a member of the class of 1900, the song opens the school year at flag raising and closes it at the end of graduation ceremonies in June. The first copies of the Alma Mater were printed from these plates.
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Why?
The printing plate has a special place for us because we learn and sing the Alma Mater and we like it.
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Class of 2029
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Student Slate
Early records emphasize the frugality of teachers, Trustees, and students alike. Students were charged a “coal fee” to help heat the school in winter months. Slates like this provided a reusable surface for writing in the primary grades.
Why?
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We have slates and chalk in our classrooms today, but we don’t use them that often. We like knowing that it was something first graders would have used a long time ago.
Class of 2028
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
1931 Football
No tradition at GA is more beloved or enduring than GA-PC Day. Dating to 1886, the annual contest between Germantown Academy and Penn Charter is the oldest continuous high school athletic rivalry in the country. While the day comprises many sports today, in the early years, football was the only event. This ball commemorates GA’s 1931 victory, capping one of the team’s most successful seasons.
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Why?
We enjoy the spirit activities leading up to GA-PC Day. It was fun to learn that football was the only sport in 1886, and we look forward to discovering the years that the other sports became part of this special day!
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Class of 2027
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Wooden Spoon
In the 19th Century, seniors would gather for a “Class Dinner,” at which they would regale each other with speeches, songs, and jokes. Prizes were awarded for academic excellence, and one lucky student received a large wooden spoon. This spoon was a special prize awarded by seniors to the classmate who did the most to “nourish” other students through kindness and character.
Why?
We wondered why GA does not award the spoon anymore, and we thought we could investigate when this tradition ended.
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Class of 2026
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
Crown Finial of the Original Belfry
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This delicate iron object once sat atop the belfry of the original schoolhouse in Germantown. This finial was worked into the shape of a crown in honor of King George III, who had just become King of England (and the American Colonies) in 1760. The bell, which rested inside the belfry, sailed for the colonies aboard the tea ship Polly in 1774, arriving in Germantown only after the Revolutionary War ended.
Why?
We like the connection that the Crown Finial makes to the founding of our school, our country, and our current social studies curriculum about King George III of England.
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Class of 2025
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Key
The original schoolhouse in Germantown was the largest stone building in the community. As such, it was in demand not just as a place of education, but as a meeting place for civic and religious groups. Conflicts emerged over who had rights of access. Not surprisingly, locks were soon added to the schoolhouse, giving the headmaster final say in who could use the school.
Why?
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Class of 2024
It is like a key to a time machine, which helps us imagine and visualize the people and the school back then and make connections to today. As the quote by Marcus Garvey notes, “A people without knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.”
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
Inkwell
Only students in the primary grades would have used slates in the 18th and 19th century. Older students and teachers alike would have written in ink. Inkwells like these would have been common on student desks into the 20th century. Students were responsible for mixing their own ink; a surviving recipe lists pigments, alcohol, and water as ingredients.
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Why?
Learning the craft of writing is a hallmark of the GA education that begins in the Lower School. We can imagine that this inkwell was used by Lower School students on the Germantown campus as they learned to shape their thoughts into the written word.
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Lower School Faculty
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Lacrosse Stick
When girls first enrolled as full-time students in the Middle and Upper Schools in the early 1960s, there was some question about the degree to which they would participate in the aspects of school life that had been traditionally defined as “male.” Girls’ sports at GA started slowly, with only one sport per season open to girls (the first three were field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse). Other sports were added gradually until the number of sports available to boys and girls is roughly equal. This wooden lacrosse stick dates from the first girls’ teams fielded by GA.
Why?
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The lacrosse stick represents one of the many and more popular sports students can play in the Middle School.
Class of 2023
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
Telescope
One of the most unusual objects owned by Germantown Academy is the 18th century telescope, currently on display in the Goodman House. The engraving identifies its use by George Washington at the Battle of Germantown, when he used it to try to see British positions through the thick fog that morning. As late as the 1970s, GA students with an interest in astronomy were using it to study the heavens!
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Why?
The telescope well represents the school’s history and our connection to George Washington. We like that it was donated to the school so that students could use it in their studies. It’s an item from our past that allows for us to explore what surrounds us all.
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Class of 2022
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Indenture
The citizens of Germantown who gathered in the Green Tree Tavern in 1759 dreamt of creating a school for their children. That dream would need land and a schoolhouse in order to become a reality. The original trustees raised money through subscriptions and donations and purchased the property on what would become School House Lane. This handwritten document on parchment records that land transaction.
Why?
The indenture is cool in that it shows how old GA is. We like that it is the original deed and very historical.
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Class of 2021
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
Baseball Jersey
This baseball jersey was worn in the mid 1950s, when Phillies great Robin Roberts occasionally helped out with coaching. The heavy wool must have been particularly unpleasant to wear as spring turned into summer. GA teams played most of their games on the field behind the schoolhouse, and the pressures of sharing this space as the school grew in size was one factor that led to the move to Fort Washington.
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Why?
Over the years, GA has grown from fielding only a few athletic teams with limited space to play games and practice to the Middle School athletic program today that offers 21 different sports. Some of those teams will play on the new courts in the expanded Field House and the new, state-of-the-art Turf Field, an especially exciting addition for the Middle School baseball team. A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Middle School Faculty
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Virginia Day Remembrance Book
Full co-education in the Fall of 1965 meant that the school would have to adapt to the needs of female students. Virginia Day is an example of the kind of educator who led generations of girls through Germantown Academy, serving as an English teacher and as the school’s first Dean of Girls. This book, presented to her upon her retirement, attests to the esteem in which she was held by students and colleagues.
Why?
We are pleased to honor and celebrate a woman who was so influential at GA and this book is an historic representation of our two-part house name.
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Alcott Day House
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
DVD
Our school starred in a movie! Shortly after the Fort Washington campus was completed, Columbia Pictures thought that the campus would be an excellent stand-in for “St. Francis School for Boys” in the 1967 film Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows. Several GA students served as extras in the movie, which told the story of some nuns and school girls traveling cross country in a dilapidated bus. At the end of the sequence filmed at GA, part of McLean Hall blows up!
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Why?
We are proud of GA students’ eagerness to stand up and represent themselves, whether as cast members of outstanding musical and dramatic productions, in oral language competitions, as campus tour leaders, or as active participants in class discussions.
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Galloway House
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Field Day Photo
Perhaps no Lower School Tradition is more beloved or enduring than the annual Field Day, which pits Red against Blue in a festival of athletic competitions. The first Field Days appeared in Fort Washington immediately after the Lower School moved here in 1961. This photo, taken from McLean Hall, shows students participating in games on the quad while the athletic fields were still under construction. Red and Blue were duking it out before the Administration Building was even begun!
Why?
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Kershaw House
Just like Lower School Field Day, House Olympics has become a wonderful tradition that is celebrated each spring. Students from all seven houses compete in many different types of events, each earning points for their house. The winning house gets the Olympic House Trophy, which is displayed in the space of the winning house during the following year! A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
Osbourn Letter
Dr. Samuel Osbourn served as headmaster from 1915 to 1948. He helped to provide both academic rigor and a sense of community among students and alumni alike. During World War II, he corresponded regularly with members of the community who served their country. This letter describes the effect the war had on GA, with many teachers leaving to serve in the military and new job opportunities for women that lured workers away from GA.
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Why?
As members of Osbourn House, we are proud to continue Dr. Osbourn’s obvious care for the GA community at large. As members of GA, we strive to live the “compassionate in spirit” part of our mission as exemplified by Dr. Osbourn.
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Osbourn House
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Cannonball
In 1777, the Battle of Germantown was the largest engagement of the Revolutionary War. At the peak of the fighting, the two armies clashed less than a hundred yards from the GA schoolhouse, which the British used as a field hospital. This three-pound cannonball was found on campus, having been fired by the Continental Army through the British lines. The flattened side suggests that it impacted on the school itself.
Why?
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Roberts House
Whether it be a difficult calculus problem, an athletic opponent, a new song to memorize, or cannon shots exchanged between our namesake, the Patriots, and the British forces, we may feel as if we have many challenges every day. By persevering and keeping perspective, we can tackle these tasks while still remembering the people who came before us to make our school and our country what it is today. A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
Habitat for Humanity Shirt
Over the years, GA has increased its participation in community service activities across all three divisions, and today it is a major part of campus life. This T-shirt came from an event where GA students helped to build housing for the homeless in Philadelphia.
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Why?
Some of our proudest moments as a school are when students reach out beyond the classroom walls to extend a hand to improve the lives of others.
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Truesdell House
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Gavel from Washington Tree
During the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, George Washington relocated his government to Germantown. He stayed in the headmaster’s house and the Trustees offered him the schoolhouse as a place for his cabinet to meet. His adopted son, George Washington Parke Custis, then enrolled in the school. In gratitude, Washington planted a horse chestnut tree on campus which stood until it was felled in a storm in the 1930s. The Trustees then made this gavel from the wood of that tree and used it for many years to open their meetings.
Why?
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Washington House
GA’s long history is part of what makes it such a special school, and this gavel reminds us of GA’s connection to the first president of the United States, our House’s namesake.
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
Patriot Village Map
During the year in which the Alter and McNeil buildings were under construction, the Middle and Upper Schools relocated to five “learning cottages” located in the field behind the Lower School playground. Conditions were cozy, with most teachers sharing rooms, but students and teachers felt like members of a much tighter community as a result.
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Why?
A spirited year in our “learning cottages” serves as a not-so-distant reminder that it is not only the buildings that make the campus, but also the faculty and the students who breathe such life into our days.
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Upper School Faculty
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Shovel
Germantown Academy is constantly growing and changing, but rarely in such a dramatic way as the construction of the new Middle and Upper School buildings, begun in 2009. This shovel was used in the groundbreaking ceremony of the new building, an occasion for the entire community to celebrate as the school launched into the modern era.
Why?
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The shovel represents GA’s commitment to providing new opportunities for all students, including the most recent construction of the Field House addition and new Turf Field.
Staff
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
Reflections of an Old Schoolmaster
It’s hard to imagine GA without the innovations brought to it by Headmaster William Kershaw, who helmed the school between 1877 and 1915. Under his leadership, GA saw the addition of the InterAcademic Athletic League, the Belfry Club, the Academy Monthly, Ye Primer, and the school motto and seal. Kershaw firmly believed that true education developed body, mind, and moral character in balance. Enrollment tripled during the Kershaw years. On top of it all, students loved him for his gentle humor and his dedication to his students. Kershaw remained a part of the school community after he retired, and this pamphlet of his recollections was published in his honor in 1931.
Why?
We were inspired by Dr. Kershaw’s commitment during his tenure as Head of School to initiate so many of the programs that we consider as critical to our mission at GA — the development of the hearts and minds of our students. A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
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V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Administration
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Trowel
The “Miracle of Fort Washington” did not happen overnight. The decision to leave Germantown was not an easy one, rooted as the school was in over 200 years of tradition at the time. The promise of ample space in which to grow and easier access to the burgeoning population of Montgomery County proved persuasive, and in 1959, construction began on the Fort Washington campus. This ceremonial trowel was used to commemorate laying the foundation of McLean Hall. The two Lower School buildings, Leas Hall and McLean Hall, were the first to be completed, and students in that division began learning in Fort Washington in 1961, a year before they were followed by the Middle and Upper Schools.
Why?
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Board of Trustees
The trowel is a tangible reminder for future school leadership that our school celebrates 257 years due to the Board of Trustees’ bold decision to relocate the school from Germantown to Fort Washington. Over the years, the Board and the school leadership have continued to take important steps forward as stewards of our school and in support of our vision and mission.
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
1896 Yearbook
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First published in 1896, Ye Primer was one of the first school yearbooks published in the United States. For many years, it was simply a chronicle of the senior class, but it has since expanded to include almost every aspect of school life. Since the 1970s, seniors have been allowed to design and express themselves on their own pages.
Why?
This is a ‘keepsake’ that reminds us of the friendships we forge over our years at GA. In more recent years, seniors share their personal journeys, memories, and words of appreciation on their own page. Alumni need to continue to reflect on those journeys and share their thoughts, expertise, and energy with the school in order for GA to grow and improve. A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Alumni
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The Red Book
With the move to Fort Washington, the geographical distribution of GA students became much wider. In order to maintain a sense of community, the Mothers’ Committee (later to become the Parents’ Committee) published The Red Book, an annual guide to names, phone numbers, and addresses of all people associated with the school.
Why?
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The Red Book is a wonderful record of our community each year, listing each faculty, staff, and family member, as well as the terrific work of the Parents’ Committee and our many volunteers.
Parents’ Committee
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
Circular for the Year 1914-15
Everything a student needed to know about the school was published in this booklet from 1914. It contains a history of the school, a description of the curriculum (which stressed a balance of mental and physical development), and an overview of school life. Annual tuition is listed as between $75 and $200!
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Why?
The Circular outlines everything required for a student, and the Parents of Alumni are committed to taking the relationship one step further by continually enriching the community after graduation.
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Parents of Alumni
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History of Athletics
Germantown Academy is one of the charter members of the Inter-Academic Athletic League, one of the oldest scholastic sports leagues in the country. Nineteenth century educators believed that a healthy body was a necessary component of moral and intellectual growth, and they encouraged all students to participate in competitive sports. Many of GA’s most beloved traditions date to the early days of the Inter-Ac: the school flag, GA-PC Day, and running in the Penn Relays.
Why?
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1760
Athletics have been an important part of the GA experience by offering students the opportunity to play a sport, compete for their school, and learn many life skills. From the beginning, GA has embraced the teacher-coach model to lead students in their athletic endeavors, and we are proud that so many members of the Class of 1760 embody this!
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
School Seal
The first record of GA’s school seal and motto — “By Persevering We Shall See the Fruits” — appears in the records of Headmaster Kershaw shortly after he arrived in Germantown. He claims to have discovered the seal in the basement of a bank in Germantown, claiming that it was a century old. Whether or not the seal was authentic, Kershaw made it part of the school culture, repeatedly referring to it in his addresses to students even after his retirement.
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Why?
One of our favorite aspects of GA students is the resilience with which they strive to evolve in the classroom, on the playing fields, and upon the stage; the fruit borne of this persistence is all the sweeter for having shared the experience with them.
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
V{ÉáxÇ uç ‰ Heads of Schools
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250th Founding Anniversary
In the daily life of the school, it is easy to forget how old Germantown Academy really is. It is older than the United States itself. When the school was first founded, the French and Indian War was still raging and George III became King of England. The founders of GA were closer in time to Queen Elizabeth I, Michelangelo, and Martin Luther than they are to us. To celebrate the important milestone of the school’s 250th anniversary, GA held a gala with fireworks lighting the sky above the iconic Belfry.
Why?
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Head of School
GA’s sestercentennial, or 250th founding anniversary, happened to overlap with my very first year at the Academy. The gala to mark the occasion remains one of my favorite school events, especially the way the Field House was transformed into a magical space for just one festive evening, and the surprise fireworks at the end were breathtaking. I felt very fortunate that year not just to be at a school with such a remarkable history, but also to celebrate the final year in the ‘old’ building, to get to say a proper farewell to the former Middle and Upper Schools which had served us so well.
A HISTORY OF GA IN 30 OBJECTS
GERMANTOWN ACADEMY FOUNDED 1759
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