Knox School - Rose Leaves Yearbook (Nissequogue, NY)

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AT KNOX well as an advanced course of electives beyond high school. This ad- vanced course provides a curriculum equivalent to the freshman and sophomore years of college, or, if a girl desires, allows her to specialize in such fields as secretarial studies, music, fine arts or household arts. Girls who have completed the terminal course are now occupying positions of note and outstanding offices in Cooperstown, such as those of county offices, medical secretaries, and bank secretaries. During past years the Knox School has sent students to Mt. Holyoke, Smith, Vassar, Wellesley and other leading colleges and universities: also, to such junior colleges as Bradford, Centenary, Finch and Pine Manor. Many students have entered such vocational schools as Bouve-Boston School of Physical Education and Rhode Island School of Design. We, the class of '54, feel that some special tribute is due Mrs. Marie K. Harmon, who retired last year but who, previous to her retirement, was head of the English department of Knox for twenty-nine years. She was graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Syracuse University and is a learned Shakespeare Scholar. She was one of seven teachers in this country selected to compile lesson plans for the Atlantic Monthly educational department. Mrs. Harmon was a great teacher in every sense of the word and endeared herself to the hearts of all her students. They k11ew her as a constant source of inspiration and as a devoted friend and helper. r' Many of our Alumnae will remember with deep affection and appre- ciation Miss Mabel Whitman, who for over twenty years was the Director of' our Junior Departmentg Miss Elizabeth White now re- tired and living in Hartford, Connecticut, who guided our financial ship of state so ably including those hard depression yearsg, Miss Cornelia Dismukes one of America's great pianists and teachers, favorite student of Leschetizky, 11ow retired and living in Phila- delphia, Pennsylvaniag and many other outstanding teachers of the past a11d the present who have served The Knox School faithfully and loyally through the years. As the school has progressed, the need for a campus more readily accessible to students and visitors, and one which will be a permanent home for the school, became apparent. Accordingly, in August 1953 the alumnae and the Board of Trustees purchased a beautiful estate of sixty acres on Long Island Sound. We know that with the rich heritage and high principles which have been so much a part of the Knox ideal, Knox will continue to grow and will remain an Alma Mater which we are proud to call our own. 53

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FIFTY YEAR The Knox School was founded fifty years ago in 1904 at Briarcliff Manor, New York, by Mary Alice Knox, who had previously been head of tl1e Emma Willard School at Troy, New York. Upon the death of Miss Knox in 1911, Mrs. Louise Phillips Hough- ton took over the school. After the building at Briarcliff was destroyed by fire in February 1912, Mrs. Houghton incorporated thc school and moved it to Brookside Park, Tarrytown-on-Hudson, where the school steadily developed and within eight years outgrew the Tarrytown buildings. Mrs. Houghton was fortunate to find a spacious sun-filled building known as the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown, New York, and the school opened there in October 1920 with a greatly increased enroll- ment. During the past thirty years, more than three thousand students have received an important part of their education in the beautiful surroundings of the Leatherstocking country made famous by James Fenimore Cooper. Keeping pace with the changes in educational organization and control, The Knox School in 1924 was chartered as a non-profit educational institution governed by a Board of Trustees which always includes some alumnae. While the school was still at Tarrytown, Mrs. Houghton introduced such Knox traditions as our Senior Pledge, the Christmas Bevels, Carnival, the launching of the Senior Ship, and Lantern Nightg and it was through her inspiration that the Bose and White teams were initiated. All of these traditions are held close to the hearts of all those who have graduated from Knox and are memories to be cher- ished long after school-days are left behind. Knox is well known for its extensive sports curriculum and is justly proud of the fact that Knox was the first girls' school in the country to introduce skiing as a part of its sports program, also, it brought skiing to Cooperstown. In 1948 Mrs. Houghton retired and became President Emeritus, and Mrs. Alexander Stewart Phinney, Associate Principal was elected Principal and continues in that capacity. While isolation has its advantages, students should be kept in touch with the stream of modern thought in music, literature, art, science, national and world events, and politics. The Knox School has been able to do this over the years by bringing distinguished guests to the school. The aim of the school is to be college preparatory, although it offers a general course for those who do not wish to enter college as 52

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