Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Lower Merion Township is a township in Montgomery County
, Pennsylvania
and part of the Pennsylvania Main Line
. As of the 2010 census, the township had a total population of 57,825. Lower Merion has the 5th highest
per-capita income and the 12th highest
median household income in the country with a population of 50,000 or more.
The name Merion originates with the north Welsh
district of Meirionnydd
in Gwynedd
. Meirionnydd is translated into Merioneth in the English language.
) by William Penn
. In 1713, Lower Merion was established as an independent Township with about 52 landholders and tenants. In 1900, the Township was incorporated as a Township of the First Class. Lower Merion is home to the oldest continuously used place of worship in the United States, the Merion Friends Meeting House, used continuously since 1695.
, the township has a total area of 23.9 square miles (61.8 km²), of which, 23.7 square miles (61.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.67%) is water.
The Township is bounded by the City of Philadelphia, the Boroughs of Conshohocken
and West Conshohocken
, and the Townships of Upper Merion
and Whitemarsh
in Montgomery County and by the Townships of Haverford
and Radnor
in Delaware County. The Borough of Narberth
, although a separate political entity of one-half square mile, is completely surrounded by the Township.
Forming the Township's eastern border is City (Line) Avenue (U.S. Route 1) separating it from the City of Philadelphia. Along City Ave, starting with the Schuylkill Expressway and continuing on to Lord & Taylor at Belmont Avenue in Bala Cynwyd, is what is known as the "Golden Mile" which also includes the radio and television studios of WCAU, the Exxon Building, the Fox Building and the Germantown Savings Bank Building. In back of these buildings are the One-Ninety-One Condominiums and the Bala Cynwyd Plazas.
The Township's northern border is along the Schuylkill River
which is paralleled by the Schuylkill Expressway
(I-76
), a limited access roadway that connects to Philadelphia and the Valley Forge Interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
. The famed Mid-County Interchange is located just outside the Township.
Other highways serving the Township are U.S. Route 30
and Pennsylvania Routes 23
and 320
.
Before European settlement, Lower Merion's dense forest was home to bears, cougars, wolves, rattlesnakes, otters, beavers, weasels, turkeys, grouses, woodland bison, trout, and bald eagles. When Europeans arrived, they began cutting down the forests, chasing away much of the wildlife. After World War Two, Lower Merion transformed from a farming township to a suburban one, and wildlife changed accordingly. Today, red foxes, white-footed mice, horned owls, skunks, raccoons, crayfish, songbirds, butterflies, and white-tailed deer populate the township.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 59,850 people, 22,868 households, and 15,024 families residing in the township. The population density
was 2,526.1 people per square mile (975.4/km²). There were 23,699 housing units at an average density of 1,000.3/sq mi (386.2/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 90.30% White, 4.50% African American, 0.08% Native American, 3.42% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races
and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population.
There were 22,868 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples
living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the township the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64 and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 83.5 males. For every 100 women aged 18 and over, there were 78.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $86,373 and the median income for a family was $115,694 (these figures had risen to $114,608 and $148,123 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Men had a median income of $77,692 versus $43,793 for women. The per capita income
for the township was $55,526. About 1.9% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
series of suburban communities, named after the "Main Line" railroad that runs through the township. Now known as the SEPTA
Paoli/Thorndale Line
, the rail line has station stops in Lower Merion in the following communities within the township:
The SEPTA
Cynwyd Line
, with weekday service, has stops at:
both in Bala Cynwyd
Other unincorporated communities in the township include Belmont Hills, General Wayne, Gladwyne
, Penn Valley
, and Penn Wynne
.
Pupils living in the Lower Merion Township attend schools in the Lower Merion School District
unless they go to a private school. The educational roots of the township stretch back to the Lower Merion Academy, one of the first public schools in the country.
There are six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. Students are split between the schools depending on location of residence.
Basketball star Kobe Bryant
attended Lower Merion High School
. He led the Aces to the state championship in 1996.
Producer Marshall Herskovitz
was also once a student at Lower Merion High School. Author Lisa Scottoline
graduated from Lower Merion High School
.
Ronald Reagan
's first secretary of state, Alexander Haig
, graduated from Lower Merion High School, as did Robert Fagles
. Lawrence Summers
, the former president of Harvard University and the 71st Secretary of the Treasury, graduated from Harriton High School
. Actor and Hip Hop artist Russell W. Howard attended Lower Merion High School
Actor David Boreanaz
attended Rosemont School of the Holy Child in the Rosemont
section of Lower Merion Township. His father, Dave Roberts, is a weatherman
for WPVI-TV
's Action News in Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania
.
. The school is adjacent to Rosemont College.
Other private schools in the area include: the Shipley School, the Baldwin School, Waldron Mercy Academy, the Haverford School, the Agnes Irwin School, the Friends Central School, the William Penn Charter School, Episcopal Academy (which relocated to Newtown Square in Fall 2008) and many other schools outside the area.
Bryn Mawr College
, Harcum College
, Rosemont College
, and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
are located in Lower Merion Township. The campus of Saint Joseph's University
straddles the city line between Lower Merion and Philadelphia while Haverford College
straddles the lines between Lower Merion and Haverford Townships.
In the case of Harriton High, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) believe that it constitutes an infringement, and filed an amicus brief in support of the victim.
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and part of the Pennsylvania Main Line
Pennsylvania Main Line
The Main Line is an unofficial historical and socio-cultural region of suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, comprising a collection of affluent towns built along the old Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad which ran northwest from downtown Philadelphia parallel to Lancaster Avenue , a road...
. As of the 2010 census, the township had a total population of 57,825. Lower Merion has the 5th highest
Highest-income places in the United States
-100 highest-income places with at least 1,000 households:This is a list of the 100 richest places in the United States with at least 1,000 households. This is the most common list used for referring to the richest communities in the country, as it eliminates any places with insignificant populations...
per-capita income and the 12th highest
Highest-income places in the United States
-100 highest-income places with at least 1,000 households:This is a list of the 100 richest places in the United States with at least 1,000 households. This is the most common list used for referring to the richest communities in the country, as it eliminates any places with insignificant populations...
median household income in the country with a population of 50,000 or more.
The name Merion originates with the north Welsh
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
district of Meirionnydd
Meirionnydd
Meirionnydd is a coastal and mountainous region of Wales. It has been a kingdom, a cantref, a district and, as Merionethshire, a county.-Kingdom:...
in Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
. Meirionnydd is translated into Merioneth in the English language.
History
Lower Merion Township was first settled in 1682 by Welsh Quakers who were granted a tract of land (the Welsh TractWelsh Tract
The Welsh Tract, also called the Welsh Barony, was a portion of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania settled largely by Welsh-speaking Quakers. It covers 40,000 acres to the west of Philadelphia...
) by William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
. In 1713, Lower Merion was established as an independent Township with about 52 landholders and tenants. In 1900, the Township was incorporated as a Township of the First Class. Lower Merion is home to the oldest continuously used place of worship in the United States, the Merion Friends Meeting House, used continuously since 1695.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the township has a total area of 23.9 square miles (61.8 km²), of which, 23.7 square miles (61.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.67%) is water.
The Township is bounded by the City of Philadelphia, the Boroughs of Conshohocken
Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Conshohocken is a borough on the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in suburban Philadelphia. Historically a large mill town and industrial and manufacturing center, after the decline of industry in recent years Conshohocken has developed into a center of riverfront commercial and...
and West Conshohocken
West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
West Conshohocken is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,462 in 1880; 2,482 in 1950; 1,516 in 1980; 1,294 in 1990; and 1,320 at the 2010 census....
, and the Townships of Upper Merion
Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Merion Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 28,395 at the 2010 census.Located from Philadelphia, it consists of the villages of King of Prussia, Swedeland, Swedesburg, Gulph Mills, and Wayne....
and Whitemarsh
Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania
Whitemarsh Township is a Home Rule Municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. However, it maintains its former classification of "Township" in its official name. The population was 17,349 at the 2010 census.-History:...
in Montgomery County and by the Townships of Haverford
Haverford Township, Pennsylvania
Haverford Township is a home rule township in Delaware County, near Philadelphia, in southeastern Pennsylvania, United States. It maintains its legal name as the Township of Haverford, presumably for historic reasons...
and Radnor
Radnor Township, Pennsylvania
Radnor Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 30,878. Radnor Township lies along the Main Line, a collection of highly affluent Philadelphia suburbs....
in Delaware County. The Borough of Narberth
Narberth, Pennsylvania
Narberth is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,282 at the 2010 census.-History:Narberth is located on a parcel of land originally deeded to Edward Rees , who arrived from Wales in 1682. A portion of this original tract became the farm of Edward R...
, although a separate political entity of one-half square mile, is completely surrounded by the Township.
Forming the Township's eastern border is City (Line) Avenue (U.S. Route 1) separating it from the City of Philadelphia. Along City Ave, starting with the Schuylkill Expressway and continuing on to Lord & Taylor at Belmont Avenue in Bala Cynwyd, is what is known as the "Golden Mile" which also includes the radio and television studios of WCAU, the Exxon Building, the Fox Building and the Germantown Savings Bank Building. In back of these buildings are the One-Ninety-One Condominiums and the Bala Cynwyd Plazas.
The Township's northern border is along the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
which is paralleled by the Schuylkill Expressway
Schuylkill Expressway
The Schuylkill Expressway , locally known as the Schuylkill, is a freeway through southwestern Montgomery County and the city of Philadelphia, and the easternmost segment of Interstate 76 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania...
(I-76
Interstate 76 (east)
Interstate 76 is an Interstate Highway in the United States, running 435 miles from an interchange with Interstate 71 west of Akron, Ohio, east to Interstate 295 near Camden, New Jersey....
), a limited access roadway that connects to Philadelphia and the Valley Forge Interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. The three sections of the turnpike system total . The main section extends from Ohio to New Jersey and is long...
. The famed Mid-County Interchange is located just outside the Township.
Other highways serving the Township are U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 is an east–west main route of the system of United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. It is the third longest U.S. route, after U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 6. The western end of the highway is at Astoria, Oregon; the...
and Pennsylvania Routes 23
Pennsylvania Route 23
Pennsylvania Route 23 is a state highway in southeastern Pennsylvania. The route begins at Pennsylvania Route 441 in Marietta and heads east to U.S. Route 1 in Philadelphia.-Marietta to Valley Forge:...
and 320
Pennsylvania Route 320
Pennsylvania Route 320 is a north–south state highway in southeastern Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the long route is at PA 291 in Chester...
.
Before European settlement, Lower Merion's dense forest was home to bears, cougars, wolves, rattlesnakes, otters, beavers, weasels, turkeys, grouses, woodland bison, trout, and bald eagles. When Europeans arrived, they began cutting down the forests, chasing away much of the wildlife. After World War Two, Lower Merion transformed from a farming township to a suburban one, and wildlife changed accordingly. Today, red foxes, white-footed mice, horned owls, skunks, raccoons, crayfish, songbirds, butterflies, and white-tailed deer populate the township.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, the township was 85.7% White, 5.6% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 6.0% Asian, and 1.9% were two or more races. 3.0% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/profile/PA.As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 59,850 people, 22,868 households, and 15,024 families residing in the township. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,526.1 people per square mile (975.4/km²). There were 23,699 housing units at an average density of 1,000.3/sq mi (386.2/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 90.30% White, 4.50% African American, 0.08% Native American, 3.42% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population.
There were 22,868 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the township the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64 and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 83.5 males. For every 100 women aged 18 and over, there were 78.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $86,373 and the median income for a family was $115,694 (these figures had risen to $114,608 and $148,123 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Men had a median income of $77,692 versus $43,793 for women. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the township was $55,526. About 1.9% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government and Politics
| Year | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
Democrat Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 29.1% 10,747 | 70.4% 26,006 |
| 2004 | 33.0% 11,990 | 66.7% 24,262 |
| 2000 | 32.0% 10,657 | 65.9% 21,946 |
| 1996 | 35.1% 10,774 | 59.1% 18,178 |
| 1992 | 35.6% 12,249 | 54.7% 18,814 |
Communities
Lower Merion Township is the heart of the affluent Pennsylvania Main LinePennsylvania Main Line
The Main Line is an unofficial historical and socio-cultural region of suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, comprising a collection of affluent towns built along the old Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad which ran northwest from downtown Philadelphia parallel to Lancaster Avenue , a road...
series of suburban communities, named after the "Main Line" railroad that runs through the township. Now known as the SEPTA
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is a metropolitan transportation authority that operates various forms of public transit—bus, subway and elevated rail, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolley bus—that serve 3.9 million people in and around Philadelphia,...
Paoli/Thorndale Line
Paoli/Thorndale Line
The Paoli/Thorndale Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia to Thorndale in Chester County.-Route:This branch utilizes one of the oldest sections of what is now Amtrak's Keystone Corridor, an electrified 104-mile two to four-track high-speed route between Harrisburg...
, the rail line has station stops in Lower Merion in the following communities within the township:
- Merion Station in MerionMerion, PennsylvaniaMerion Station is an unincorporated community in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is contiguous to Philadelphia and is also bordered by Wynnewood, Narberth, and Bala Cynwyd...
- Wynnewood Station in WynnewoodWynnewood, PennsylvaniaWynnewood, Pennsylvania is a suburban community located outside of Philadelphia in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania and Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, United States. Wynnewood was named in 1691 for Dr. Thomas Wynne, William Penn's physician and the first Speaker of the Pennsylvania General...
- Ardmore Station in ArdmoreArdmore, PennsylvaniaArdmore is a census-designated place in Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census...
- Haverford Station in HaverfordHaverford, PennsylvaniaHaverford is an unincorporated community located partially in Haverford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA, but primarily in Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, about west of Philadelphia. It is on the Main Line, which is known historically for its wealth. As of August 2009,...
- Bryn Mawr Station in Bryn MawrBryn Mawr, PennsylvaniaBryn Mawr from Welsh for "big hill") is a census-designated place in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia along Lancaster Avenue and the border with Delaware County...
- Rosemont Station in RosemontRosemont, PennsylvaniaRosemont is a community in Pennsylvania on the Pennsylvania Main Line lying partly in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania and partly in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.Part of the geographic area is served by the Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, ZIP code...
The SEPTA
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is a metropolitan transportation authority that operates various forms of public transit—bus, subway and elevated rail, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolley bus—that serve 3.9 million people in and around Philadelphia,...
Cynwyd Line
Cynwyd Line
The Cynwyd Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia to Cynwyd in Montgomery County.Originally known as the Ivy Ridge Branch, service was truncated on October 25, 1986 from Ivy Ridge to its current terminus at Cynwyd....
, with weekday service, has stops at:
- Bala StationBala (SEPTA station)Bala is a station along the SEPTA Cynwyd Line. The station, located near the intersection of Bala Avenue and City Avenue , includes a 76-space parking lot a the northwest corner of the City Avenue bridge over the railroad tracks....
- Cynwyd StationCynwyd (SEPTA station)Cynwyd is the last station along the Cynwyd Line, in Bala Cynwyd, Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, United States. The station, located at Conshohocken State Road and Bala Avenue, includes a 41-space parking lot....
both in Bala Cynwyd
Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Bala Cynwyd is a community in Lower Merion Township which is located on the Main Line in southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at US Route 1 . It was originally two separate towns, Bala and Cynwyd, but is commonly treated as a single community...
Other unincorporated communities in the township include Belmont Hills, General Wayne, Gladwyne
Gladwyne, Pennsylvania
Gladwyne is a suburban community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States along the Main Line. The population was 4,050 at the 2000 census...
, Penn Valley
Penn Valley, Pennsylvania
Penn Valley is a town in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. Penn Valley residents share a zip code with either Narberth or Wynnewood because the town does not have its own post office. However, Penn Valley is its own distinct community with its own civic association.-Notable residents:*M...
, and Penn Wynne
Penn Wynne, Pennsylvania
Penn Wynne is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Lower Merion Township, and the mailing address is Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. The population was 5,697 at the 2010 census. It is mainly a residential area...
.
Public schools
Lower Merion School District
Lower Merion School District, or LMSD, is a public school district located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The school district includes residents of both Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth. Established in 1836, LMSD is one of the oldest districts in Pennsylvania...
unless they go to a private school. The educational roots of the township stretch back to the Lower Merion Academy, one of the first public schools in the country.
There are six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. Students are split between the schools depending on location of residence.
Notable Graduates
Basketball star Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
attended Lower Merion High School
Lower Merion High School
Lower Merion High School, is an American public high school in Ardmore, a community on the Pennsylvania Main Line.It is the larger of the two high schools in Lower Merion School District, which serves both Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth. It was ranked among the top 60 U.S. high...
. He led the Aces to the state championship in 1996.
Producer Marshall Herskovitz
Marshall Herskovitz
Marshall Schreiber Herskovitz is an American film director, writer and producer, and currently the President Emeritus of the Producers Guild of America. Among his productions are Traffic, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, and I Am Sam. Herskovitz has directed two feature films, Jack the Bear and...
was also once a student at Lower Merion High School. Author Lisa Scottoline
Lisa Scottoline
Lisa Scottoline is an American author of legal thrillers. Her novels have been translated into 25 languages.Scottoline was born in Philadelphia and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a degree in English. In 1981, she received a Juris Doctorate from the...
graduated from Lower Merion High School
Lower Merion High School
Lower Merion High School, is an American public high school in Ardmore, a community on the Pennsylvania Main Line.It is the larger of the two high schools in Lower Merion School District, which serves both Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth. It was ranked among the top 60 U.S. high...
.
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's first secretary of state, Alexander Haig
Alexander Haig
Alexander Meigs Haig, Jr. was a United States Army general who served as the United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan and White House Chief of Staff under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
, graduated from Lower Merion High School, as did Robert Fagles
Robert Fagles
Robert Fagles was an American professor, poet, and academic, best known for his many translations of ancient Greek classics, especially his acclaimed translations of the epic poems of Homer...
. Lawrence Summers
Lawrence Summers
Lawrence Henry Summers is an American economist. He served as the 71st United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1999 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He was Director of the White House United States National Economic Council for President Barack Obama until November 2010.Summers is the...
, the former president of Harvard University and the 71st Secretary of the Treasury, graduated from Harriton High School
Harriton High School
Harriton High School is a public secondary school located in Rosemont, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.Harriton is one of two high schools in Lower Merion School District; the other is Lower Merion High School. It used to be a comparatively small high school, containing 889...
. Actor and Hip Hop artist Russell W. Howard attended Lower Merion High School
Lower Merion High School
Lower Merion High School, is an American public high school in Ardmore, a community on the Pennsylvania Main Line.It is the larger of the two high schools in Lower Merion School District, which serves both Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth. It was ranked among the top 60 U.S. high...
Actor David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
attended Rosemont School of the Holy Child in the Rosemont
Rosemont, Pennsylvania
Rosemont is a community in Pennsylvania on the Pennsylvania Main Line lying partly in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania and partly in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.Part of the geographic area is served by the Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, ZIP code...
section of Lower Merion Township. His father, Dave Roberts, is a weatherman
Weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
for WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV, channel 6, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. WPVI has its studios located on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd, and its transmitter is located in the...
's Action News in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Private schools
Rosemont School of the Holy Child, located in Rosemont and in Lower Merion Township, is affiliated with but not governed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of PhiladelphiaRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The diocese was...
. The school is adjacent to Rosemont College.
Other private schools in the area include: the Shipley School, the Baldwin School, Waldron Mercy Academy, the Haverford School, the Agnes Irwin School, the Friends Central School, the William Penn Charter School, Episcopal Academy (which relocated to Newtown Square in Fall 2008) and many other schools outside the area.
Colleges and universities
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
, Harcum College
Harcum College
Harcum College is a two-year independent residential college located on Philadelphia’s Main Line in Bryn Mawr, PA. Harcum, “the College of Possibilities,” Philadelphia region's oldest independent, two-year college, was founded in Bryn Mawr, PA in 1915 by Edith Hatcher Harcum and her husband Marvin...
, Rosemont College
Rosemont College
Rosemont College is a coeducational college located in Rosemont in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. It was originally founded as a women's college. A Catholic college, it is operated by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus...
, and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary is the seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Named for Charles Borromeo, it is located in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania,...
are located in Lower Merion Township. The campus of Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint...
straddles the city line between Lower Merion and Philadelphia while Haverford College
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
straddles the lines between Lower Merion and Haverford Townships.
Notable people
- John DebellaJohn DebellaJohn DeBella is an American DJ in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 102.9 WMGK-FM. He was born in Queens, New York.-Career:Before arriving in Philadelphia, DeBella did a stint at WLIR-FM Garden City. In the early '80s he hosted The DeBella Travesty and helped to introduce the Dare to be Different new...
- Patti LabellePatti LaBellePatricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
- Jeffrey LurieJeffrey LurieJeffrey Lurie is a former Hollywood producer-turned National Football League team owner. Lurie bought the Philadelphia Eagles on May 6, 1994 from then-owner Norman Braman for $195 million...
- Garry Maddox
- Tim McCarverTim McCarverJames Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
- Shelly GrossShelly GrossSheldon Harvey "Shelly" Gross was an American producer and promoter of concerts and theatrical performances, who developed a number of venues in suburban areas outside major cities on the East Coast together with Lee Guber, bringing major stars and diverse entertainment options to local areas that...
, film producer - M. Night ShyamalanM. Night ShyamalanManoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan,known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Indian-born American screenwriter, film director, and producer known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that climax with a twist ending. He is also known for filming his movies in and around...
- Taylor BuchholzTaylor BuchholzTaylor Buchholz is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent.-Biography:...
- Kobe BryantKobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
- Teddy PendergrassTeddy PendergrassTheodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade...
- WWIIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
general Henry Arnold - Librarian of Congress James Hadley Billington
- former Harvard president Lawrence SummersLawrence SummersLawrence Henry Summers is an American economist. He served as the 71st United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1999 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He was Director of the White House United States National Economic Council for President Barack Obama until November 2010.Summers is the...
- newspaper tycoon/philanthropist Walter AnnenbergWalter AnnenbergWalter Hubert Annenberg was an American publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat.-Early life:Walter Annenberg was born to a Jewish family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 13, 1908. He was the son of Sarah and Moses "Moe" Annenberg, who published The Daily Racing Form and purchased The Philadelphia...
- fictional character Andrew Beckett, as portrayed by Tom Hanks in the movie PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia (film)Philadelphia is a 1993 American drama film that was one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to acknowledge HIV/AIDS, homosexuality and homophobia. It was written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Jonathan Demme. The film stars Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington...
, hailed from Lower Merion Township
School laptop webcam spying incident
In 2010, the township received national media attention when a student filed a lawsuit after a school administrator used the webcam of a school issued laptop to spy on the student while the student was in his home. See Robbins v. Lower Merion School District for more information.In the case of Harriton High, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) believe that it constitutes an infringement, and filed an amicus brief in support of the victim.