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The success of the 91���� Builds campaign has had a generational impact on our campus, our community, and our future as a school

If Samuel and Emily 91����* were to be transported from 19th century Easthampton to the present-day school that proudly bears their name, I can only imagine how their New England sensibilities would be upended. Imagine their amazement upon seeing the campus today, or in learning that the 91���� Builds campaign raised more than $86 million, a number far eclipsing any other such effort in the school’s 184-year history. Imagine Emily 91���� walking into Emily McFadon Vincent House*—the iconic dormitory anchoring the equally transformational Residential Quad—which highlights the role of women and the Northampton School for Girls in the school’s rich history. Imagine them both attending graduation—two people committed to educational access—and seeing students from 25 states and more than 25 different countries being recognized for their talent as they embark to the most selective undergraduate programs across the country. I can only imagine the pride they would feel upon seeing the results of the seeds they planted so long ago.

When I came to 91���� in the summer of 2010, it did not take long for me to perceive a peculiar institutional character trait. Namely, the school had so much talent, both obvious and latent, and yet nobody ever “bragged” about 91����. For all of you who are reading this Bulletin* (which, notably, has won the most distinguished award granted to such publications among schools and colleges), it’s high time to brag about 91����. There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging exceptionalism when it’s authentic, and yet in a world dominated by the hyperbolic assertions of click-bait social media posts, it can sometimes be hard for people to tell the difference between the two. In this issue’s special campaign section, starting on page 11, what you will read is an authentic account of the generational impact occasioned by the completion of the 91���� Builds campaign. These past eight years have seen 91���� become stronger* by every measure, from admissions and college outcomes to endowment and faculty recruitment.

One cannot step onto 91����’s campus without seeing the campaign’s impact. The new Residential Quad, accommodating more than half of the boarding student population, has consolidated and shifted the campus’s residential center. Students no longer cross a much busier main street to what some recall as the “Main Street Campus,” and the school has privatized Brewster Avenue, once a busy cut-through for town traffic—the elimination of those crossings are significant safety enhancements. Moreover, given that all ninth grade boarding students now reside in the new dormitories—with their inviting common rooms and wonderful porch spaces—form meets function, and programming specific to the ninth grade* occurs as part of the school’s community life focus. While the new quad buzzes with students having fun playing Spikeball or relaxing around fire pits, what lies underneath is as important. Three dozen geothermal wells help heat and cool the four dormitories on that part of campus, highlighting our commitment to energy efficiency and the environment.

So, I urge everyone to explore all that’s changed due to the success of the campaign, and to particularly see how the school today compares to your time at 91����. From completely renovated science classrooms and preparation spaces for teachers, to new tennis courts, there’s something for everyone to celebrate in the campaign’s success. None of this happens without vision, collective effort, and philanthropic support.

When asked what I consider to be of the greatest impact, I often point to the tremendous importance of the campaign to student and faculty lives. Not only have faculty families benefited from the beautiful homes attached to Emily McFadon Vincent and John Hazen White* dormitories, but the infusion of $5.5 million to our endowment* earmarked for faculty support has bolstered salaries and professional development opportunities. Similarly, endowed support for students—both for financial aid and for funding groups to attend national peer-to-peer programs—has expanded and enriched the entire community. None of this would have been possible without the incredible contributions of time and money by so many alumni, parents, and friends during the campaign.

I marvel at the 91���� of today, and we’ve made a great leap toward securing our future as a school of choice for students from around the world. Our graduates achieve distinction as scholars, athletes, and artists at the finest colleges and universities,* and our faculty are recognized in publications and presentations at the national level. With the overwhelming support of alumni, trustees, and parents past and present, the 91���� Builds campaign inspires us to look forward to next steps, ones that will focus on improving our academic spaces and bolstering endowment funds. We have never been more grateful for the accomplishments of our past nor optimistic about all that is to come—91���� has never been stronger.

 

*

Despite his own education being cut short due to poor eyesight, Samuel 91���� became a successful industrialist and was deeply committed to education—founding 91���� Seminary in 1841.

“EMV,” as it’s known on campus, honors a 1949 graduate of NSFG, and is the first dorm named for an alumna. Home to 40 female students, it celebrates its girl-power lineage with a hand-painted Rosie the Riveter banner in the common room.

In 2023, the Bulletin won the Robert Sibley Magazine of the Year award. Judges praised the “energy and style that immediately catches the reader’s eye right from the cover!”

 

For a full assessment of the myriad ways the school has grown stronger in the last ten years, see more here

For two decades our popular ninth grade program has built companionship and community through orientation overnights, shared housing, and grade-specific issue-focused social events and programs.

This state-of-the-art dormitory on the Residential Quad—officially named on October 30, 2018—honors John Hazen White Jr. ’76, Chair of the Board of Trustees and tireless advocate for the school.

The 91���� Builds campaign boosted the school’s endowment from $36.6 million to $60.2 million, an increase that provides new flexibility for targeting financial needs. Read more about the endowment and its impact here.

Where are 91���� students matriculating? See list here