John Burroughs School
Encyclopedia
Founded in 1923, John Burroughs School (JBS) is a private, non-sectarian preparatory school
with nearly 600 students in grades 7-12. Its 47.5 acre (192,000 m²) campus is located in Ladue, Missouri
(USA), an affluent suburb of Saint Louis
. It is named for U.S. naturalist and philosopher John Burroughs
.
The school operates on a campus of 47.5 acres (192,225.9 m²). Facilities include a main classroom building, an auditorium, a library, a science building, a sports and performing arts center, and a fine arts facility. Burroughs also operates an outdoor education and biology facility in the Ozarks known as "Drey Land".
Keith E. Shahan announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2008-09 academic year after 23 years in the job.
The school announced in October 2008 that Shahan would be replaced on July 1, 2009, by Andy Abbott, an English teacher and the school's head of college counseling. Shahan now heads the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) (which accredits independent schools) in Chicago.
With a total student body of 600 students, each class contains about 100 students. Nearly all students go on to attend four-year colleges, including a substantial number to Ivy League
schools.JBS official site: Matriculation (Each Ivy League school accepted at least one member of the class of 2009.) The school has more than 6,200 living alumni. Admission is based on school records, recommendations, entrance examination results, and a personal interview. The primary admission level is grade seven, but applicants are considered for grades eight through 10 as openings permit.
In 2009, according to the school site, tuition and fees cost $20,400. The school budget was about $15.8 million, of which about 12 percent came from the endowment
and more than $1.8 million in gifts. The school disbursed $1.78 million in financial aid, allowing about 20 percent of the students to receive grants, loans, or both. From 1986 to 2008, the endowment rose from $7.5 million to almost $48 million. The school is accredited by the ISACS.
Since 1995, 4 of Missouri's 22 Presidential Scholars are John Burroughs graduates.
John Burroughs School ranks among the top high schools in the country concerning standardized testing. Twenty-four members of the Class of 2011 were named National Merit/Achievement Semifinalists, and another 17 received letters of commendation. For the past eight years, Burroughs has had the highest percentage of semifinalists in the State of Missouri. The median SAT scores for the Class of 2010 were 710 on math, 710 on writing and 680 on critical reading. The median ACT score for the Class of 2010 was 32, the highest median ACT score in the state of Missouri.
. John Burroughs also holds a cross-state rivalry with The Pembroke Hill School
in Kansas City
.
The Bombers football team has won the state championship eight times.
Former NFL quarterback Gus Frerotte
will be the head football coach, beginning in the 2011 season.
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
with nearly 600 students in grades 7-12. Its 47.5 acre (192,000 m²) campus is located in Ladue, Missouri
Ladue, Missouri
Ladue is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in central St. Louis County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 8,521....
(USA), an affluent suburb of Saint Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. It is named for U.S. naturalist and philosopher John Burroughs
John Burroughs
John Burroughs was an American naturalist and essayist important in the evolution of the U.S. conservation movement. According to biographers at the American Memory project at the Library of Congress,...
.
Overview
John Burroughs has long had a school philosophy of liberal and progressive education. It has been recognized as one of the nation's premier preparatory schools. The school ranks among the nation's top 50 in sending graduates to eight top universities, according to a December 2007 survey by the Wall Street Journal.The school operates on a campus of 47.5 acres (192,225.9 m²). Facilities include a main classroom building, an auditorium, a library, a science building, a sports and performing arts center, and a fine arts facility. Burroughs also operates an outdoor education and biology facility in the Ozarks known as "Drey Land".
Academics
The faculty includes about 80 full-time and 35 part-time members. In 2008, HeadmasterHead teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
Keith E. Shahan announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2008-09 academic year after 23 years in the job.
The school announced in October 2008 that Shahan would be replaced on July 1, 2009, by Andy Abbott, an English teacher and the school's head of college counseling. Shahan now heads the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) (which accredits independent schools) in Chicago.
With a total student body of 600 students, each class contains about 100 students. Nearly all students go on to attend four-year colleges, including a substantial number to Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
schools.JBS official site: Matriculation (Each Ivy League school accepted at least one member of the class of 2009.) The school has more than 6,200 living alumni. Admission is based on school records, recommendations, entrance examination results, and a personal interview. The primary admission level is grade seven, but applicants are considered for grades eight through 10 as openings permit.
In 2009, according to the school site, tuition and fees cost $20,400. The school budget was about $15.8 million, of which about 12 percent came from the endowment
Financial endowment
A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
and more than $1.8 million in gifts. The school disbursed $1.78 million in financial aid, allowing about 20 percent of the students to receive grants, loans, or both. From 1986 to 2008, the endowment rose from $7.5 million to almost $48 million. The school is accredited by the ISACS.
Since 1995, 4 of Missouri's 22 Presidential Scholars are John Burroughs graduates.
John Burroughs School ranks among the top high schools in the country concerning standardized testing. Twenty-four members of the Class of 2011 were named National Merit/Achievement Semifinalists, and another 17 received letters of commendation. For the past eight years, Burroughs has had the highest percentage of semifinalists in the State of Missouri. The median SAT scores for the Class of 2010 were 710 on math, 710 on writing and 680 on critical reading. The median ACT score for the Class of 2010 was 32, the highest median ACT score in the state of Missouri.
2009 Prom controversy
In April 2009, the school's junior class chose "The Seven Deadly Sins" as the prom theme and mailed an invitation that sported a pentagram and representations of each sin (including a buxom woman in a red dress labeled "Lust") and read, “Calling all Sinners - We request your presence in Hell - Let the sin begin - Continue the sin at JBS after Prom.” Headmaster Shahan and assistant headmaster Abbott issued apologies, but ultimately elected to support the students' decision, though limiting a number of aspects. Proms and after-parties are held on campus at Burroughs, and with adult supervision. A few recent prom themes have included James Bond, Candy Land, and Moulin Rouge. The prom went ahead as scheduled on April 4, 2009, to the distress of some in the Christian community. Shahan wrote, "The invitation was not carefully reviewed; it went out without authorization by school authorities....We apologize for this lack of oversight." He also wrote, "To those in the larger community, who do not know Burroughs well, please accept our apology for this incident and understand that this was a mistake from which we will grow." To the school newspaper, however, he expressed a slightly different sentiment: “My major feeling at the end," he said, "was relief that no [protestors] showed up and it was fun and everyone seemed to have a good time. It was a successful event for the school.”Athletics
The varsity sports teams are referred to as the "John Burroughs Bombers." The school colors are blue and gold. The school has an athletic rivalry with nearby Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day SchoolMary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School
Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School or "MICDS" is a secular, co-educational, private school for about 1,200 students in grades Junior Kindergarten through 12, separated into three different sections: JK-4th grade , 5th-8th grade , and 9th-12th grade . Its 100 acre campus is located...
. John Burroughs also holds a cross-state rivalry with The Pembroke Hill School
The Pembroke Hill School
The Pembroke Hill School is a nonsectarian, coeducational, private preparatory school for about 1,200 students in preschool through 12th grade, separated into four sections: preschool-2nd grade , 3rd-5th grade , 6th-8th grade , and 9th-12th grade...
in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
.
The Bombers football team has won the state championship eight times.
Former NFL quarterback Gus Frerotte
Gus Frerotte
Gustave Joseph "Gus" Frerotte is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tulsa....
will be the head football coach, beginning in the 2011 season.
Government and politics
- Todd AkinTodd AkinWilliam Todd Akin is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district includes the western St. Louis suburbs of Ballwin, Kirkwood, Chesterfield, Wildwood, Town and Country, and Des Peres located along Interstate 270 in West County and the...
: U.S. Congressman (R) for the 2nd District of Missouri (2001–present) - Laura Stith, 1971: Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court
- Katie Wheeler: New HampshireNew HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
state senator in the 1990s.
Journalism and literature
- Christine Bertelson, 1968: editorial page editor, St. Louis Post-DispatchSt. Louis Post-DispatchThe St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
newspaper.http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Bertelson_Christine_16298846.aspx - Martha GellhornMartha GellhornMartha Gellhorn was an American novelist, travel writer and journalist, considered by The London Daily Telegraph amongst others to be one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century. She reported on virtually every major world conflict that took place during her 60-year career...
, 1926: combat journalist, novelist, and Ernest Hemingway'sErnest HemingwayErnest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
third wife. He dedicated For Whom the Bell TollsFor Whom the Bell TollsFor Whom the Bell Tolls is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American in the International Brigades attached to a republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As an expert in the use of explosives, he is assigned to blow up a...
(1940) to her - Jane SmileyJane SmileyJane Smiley is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist.-Biography:Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, and graduated from John Burroughs School. She obtained an A.B. at Vassar College, then earned an M.F.A. and Ph.D. from the...
: Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning (1992) novelist, A Thousand AcresA Thousand AcresA Thousand Acres is a 1991 novel by American author Jane Smiley. It won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction in 1991 and was adapted to a 1997 film of the same name....
. - Mary WiltenburgMary WiltenburgMary Wiltenburg is an award-winning print and multimedia reporter based in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the author and producer of The Christian Science Monitor project "Little Bill Clinton: A School Year in the life of a New American," which industry watchers say "could change storytelling for...
, 1994: journalist, Little Bill ClintonLittle Bill Clinton"Little Bill Clinton: A School Year in the Life of a New American" is an , serial, narrative journalism project undertaken by The Christian Science Monitor in 2008-2009, as part of the 100-year-old newspaper's historic decision to abandon its daily print edition and shift its reporting energies...
project
Arts, sciences, and education
- William S. BurroughsWilliam S. BurroughsWilliam Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
(Class of 1931, did not graduate): novelist, Naked LunchNaked LunchNaked Lunch is a novel by William S. Burroughs originally published in 1959. The book is structured as a series of loosely-connected vignettes. Burroughs stated that the chapters are intended to be read in any order...
. - Edward T. Foote IIEdward T. Foote IIEdward Thaddeus “Tad” Foote II served as the fourth president of the University of Miami from 1981 through 2001.A graduate of John Burroughs School in St. Louis, Missouri, and Yale University, Foote served as dean of the law school at Washington University in St...
: president, University of MiamiUniversity of MiamiThe University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
(1981–2001) Dean of Washington University School of LawWashington University School of LawWashington University School of Law , is a private American law school located in St. Louis, Missouri. The law school is one of the seven graduate and undergraduate schools at Washington University in St. Louis....
(1973–1980); helped design St. Louis' desegregationDesegregationDesegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
plans. - Tom FriedmanTom Friedman (artist)Tom Friedman American conceptual sculptor known for his work employing everyday material, such as toothpicks or sugar cubes in intricate geometric arrangements. Friedman was born in St. Louis, Missouri and attended Washington University in St. Louis, receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic...
, 1984, conceptual artist - John HartfordJohn HartfordJohn Cowan Hartford was an American folk, country and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive knowledge of Mississippi River lore...
, 1968: GrammyGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning folk musician, Gentle On My Mind. - James PenistonJames PenistonJames Peniston is an American sculptor whose monumental bronze works include Gregor Mendel and Keys To Community .-Life:...
, 1992: sculptor. - Gordon Philpott, 1951: chief of surgery, Jewish Hospital in St. Louis; professor emeritus of surgery, Washington University School of MedicineWashington University School of MedicineWashington University School of Medicine , located in St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the graduate schools of Washington University in St. Louis. One of the top medical schools in the United States, it is currently ranked 4th for research according to U.S. News and World Report and has been listed...
. - Thomas H. StixThomas H. StixThomas Howard Stix was an American physicist. Stix performed seminal work in plasma physics, and wrote the first mathematical treatment of the field in 1962's The Theory of Plasma Waves....
, ca. 1942: PlasmaPlasma (physics)In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
physics pioneer, PrincetonPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
professor. - Andrew Volpe, 1998: guitarist and lead singer of St. Louis-based band LudoLudo (band)Ludo is an alternative rock band from St. Louis, Missouri. The band consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Andrew Volpe, lead guitarist/back up vocalist Tim Ferrell, moog/synth and back up vocalist Tim Convy, and drummer/back up vocalist Matt Palermo.-History:...
.
Sports and entertainment
- Sarah ClarkeSarah ClarkeSarah Clarke is an American actress, best known for her role as Nina Myers on 24, and also for her roles as Renée Dwyer, Bella Swan's mother, in the 2008 film Twilight as well as Erin McGuire on the short-lived TV show, Trust Me.-Early life:Clarke was born in St...
, 1989: actress, 24. - Heather GoldenhershHeather GoldenhershHeather Goldenhersh is an award-winning American actress. She has appeared on Broadway, on television, and in feature films....
, 1991: actress, Tony nominated (Featured Actress in a Play) for her role as Sister James in DoubtDoubt (play)Doubt: A Parable is a 2004 play by John Patrick Shanley. Originally staged off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club on November 23, 2004, the production transferred to the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway in March 2005 and closed on July 2, 2006 after 525 performances and 25 previews...
. - Jon Hamm, 1989: Golden Globe-winning actor; Mad MenMad MenMad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
. - Ellie KemperEllie KemperElizabeth Claire "Ellie" Kemper is an American actress, comedian and writer best known for her role as Erin Hannon in NBC's The Office.-Personal life:...
, 1998: actress, The Office (US). - David Lee (basketball)David Lee (basketball)David Lee is an American professional basketball player who is a power forward and center for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association . He played college basketball for the University of Florida and was selected by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2005 NBA...
, 1997 (left without graduating): NBA basketball player, currently with the Golden State WarriorsGolden State WarriorsThe Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. - John Stix, 1938: theatre-movie-television director (1959's The Great St. Louis Bank RobberyThe Great St. Louis Bank RobberyThe Great St. Louis Bank Robbery is a 1959 heist film shot in black and white. The noir film stars Steve McQueen as a college dropout hired to be the getaway driver in a bank robbery. The film is based on a 1953 bank robbery attempt of Southwest Bank in St. Louis. The film was shot on location in...
, 1983's Family Business), Juilliard professor, Actor's Studio member.http://www.bmcproject.org/Biographies/StixJohn/stixjohn.htm - Jay WilliamsonJay WilliamsonJustin Arch "Jay" Williamson IV is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.Williamson was born in St. Louis, Missouri...
: Professional golfer on the PGA TourPGA TourThe PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America... - Beau Willimon, 1995: writer theater/film/television
Philanthropy
- Leo DreyLeo DreyLeo A. Drey is a Missouri timber magnate, conservationist, and philanthropist.Born January 19, 1917, in St. Louis, Missouri, to a wealthy manufacturer of glassware, Drey began acquiring timberland in the Missouri Ozarks for reforestation and conservation in 1950...
, 1935: timber magnate, conservationist, philanthropist. Was Missouri's largest private landholder until 2004, when his $180 million gift of land to a conservation foundation made him the U.S.'s sixth-most generous benefactor. Leases land to JBS for outdoor educationOutdoor educationOutdoor education usually refers to organized learning that takes place in the outdoors. Outdoor education programs sometimes involve residential or journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous challenges in the form of outdoor activities such as hiking,...
.
Business
- Joe EdwardsJoe Edwards (St. Louis)Joe Edwards is a St. Louis, Missouri and University City, Missouri, businessman, community figure, and civic leader notable for his contributions to the Delmar Loop area of both cities...
, 1964: owner, Blueberry HillBlueberry Hill (restaurant)Blueberry Hill is a restaurant and bar located in the Delmar Loop neighborhood in University City, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Legendary performer Chuck Berry performs there for one hour on a single Wednesday each month, downstairs in the Duck Room....
and founder St. Louis Walk of FameSt. Louis Walk of FameThe St. Louis Walk of Fame honors well-known people from St. Louis, Missouri, who made contributions to culture of the United States. All inductees were either born in the Greater St. Louis area or spent their formative or creative years there...
. - Walter L. Metcalfe Jr., 1956: lawyer; former chairman of Bryan CaveBryan CaveBryan Cave LLP is an international law firm with twenty-one offices worldwide, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.- Overview :The international law firm Bryan Cave LLP dates back to 1873 in St. Louis. Founded in 1873 in St. Louis as King, Phillips and Stewart, the firm became Stewart, Bryan,...
; chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. LouisFederal Reserve BankThe twelve Federal Reserve Banks form a major part of the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States. The twelve federal reserve banks together divide the nation into twelve Federal Reserve Districts, the twelve banking districts created by the Federal Reserve Act of...
.http://jbnet.groupfusion.net/modules/news/group_pages.phtml?category_id=443&nid=1253 - Danny MeyerDanny MeyerDaniel "Danny" Meyer is a New York City restaurateur and the CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group .-Personal life:...
, 1976: NYC restaurateur; Union Square CafeUnion Square CafeUnion Square Café is an award-winning restaurant in New York City, owned by Danny Meyer, with chef Michael Romano. Opened in October 1985 by Danny Meyer and chef Ali Barker, it features American cuisine with Italian influences...
, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Smoke, The Modern, Shake ShackShake ShackShake Shack is a restaurant chain serving hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, milkshakes and similar foods. There are currently eleven restaurants within the chain, six in New York City. There are two more locations opening soon: one in Grand Central Terminal, and one in Downtown Brooklyn.The...
. - Andrew C. TaylorAndrew C. TaylorAndrew C. Taylor is a U.S. businessman. He is Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Enterprise Holdings. Andrew Taylor is the son of Jack C. Taylor, who founded Enterprise Rent-A-Car in 1957.-Early life and career:...
: CEO and chairman of Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company.
Military
- James H. HowardJames H. HowardJames Howell Howard was a general in the United States Air Force and the only fighter pilot in the European Theater of Operations in World War II to receive the Medal of Honor — the United States military's highest decoration...
: awarded Congressional Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
in 1944 - Roslyn L. Schulte, 2002. Killed in action on May 19, 2009; first female recipient of the National Intelligence Medal for Valor, awarded posthumously in 2010.
Faculty
- Marion Rombauer Becker: JBS art department director (1929–32) and co-author (with mother Irma S. Rombauer) of American cookbookCookbookA cookbook is a kitchen reference that typically contains a collection of recipes. Modern versions may also include colorful illustrations and advice on purchasing quality ingredients or making substitutions...
The Joy of CookingThe Joy of CookingJoy of Cooking, often known as "The Joy of Cooking" is one of the United States' most-published cookbooks, and has been in print continuously since 1936 and with more than 18 million copies sold. It was privately published in 1931 by Irma S. Rombauer, a homemaker in St. Louis, Missouri, who was...
(1936).
External links
- John Burroughs School website
- Aerial photo from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps