Milton Hershey School
Encyclopedia
The Milton Hershey School is a private
philanthropic (pre-K through 12) boarding school
in Hershey, Pennsylvania
. Originally named the Hershey Industrial School, the institution was founded and funded by chocolate industrialist Milton Snavely Hershey and his wife, Catherine Sweeney Hershey. The school was originally established for impoverished, healthy, Caucasian
, male orphans, while today it serves students of various backgrounds. The Milton Hershey School Trust, which funds the school, owns controlling interest in The Hershey Company
and owns the Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company (HERCO
) which oversees many of the area hotels along with a theme park called Hersheypark
. With over six billion dollars in assets, the Milton Hershey School is one of the wealthiest schools in the world. The school is overseen by a Board of Managers.
The school currently serves 1,818 students, and plans to grow to 2,100 students by 2013. A member of CORE: Coalition for Residential Education, it is the largest residential education
program in the US.
Fifteen years younger than her husband, Catherine Hershey developed an undiagnosable illness circa 1901, and was increasingly sickly for years. Hershey’s father, Henry, had been highly intelligent, but not too realistic; his get-rich schemes never worked too well. Hershey did not cope well with the instability; he had attended seven different schools, yet never made it into the fifth grade, so when Kitty was unable to bear children, the Hersheys decided to give needy kids the kind of upbringing he never had. Milton and Catherine Hershey established a home and a school for “poor, healthy white, male orphans between the ages of 8 through 18 years of age.”
On November 15, 1909, Hershey signed over the 486 acres (2 km²) farm where he had been born, complete with livestock, to start the school. In 1910, Nelson (age 6), and his brother Irvin (age 4) were the first to arrive. Their father, who had worked as a polisher in a Mount Joy
foundry, had died after a long illness, and their mother couldn’t support six children by taking in laundry. Their brother William, 2, was too young to be admitted for two more years. Another pair of brothers, sons of an Evangelical church’s pastor, arrived a few days later. The first class consisted of 10 students, and by 1914, there were 40 boys enrolled in the school.
While Hershey consulted with experts on managing the school, he used three guiding principles to ensure the students had a good education, a sense of stability and security: every graduate should have a vocation, every student should learn love of God and man, and every student should benefit from wholesome responsibility. The vocational education program started with a woodworking shop, where the boys made their own beds and chests. Although Hershey was nonsectarian, claiming the "Silver Rule
" as his religion, Sunday school was held regularly at the home. Starting in March 1929, the boys got the responsibility of doing daily chores in the dairy barns.
After Kitty’s death in 1915, Hershey gave his entire personal fortune - thousands of acres of land, and controlling interest in the company, worth US$60 million - to the school. He continued to be involved in the school’s operations until his 1945 death.
The organizational papers were modified in 1933, allowing the school to accept older students, and again in 1951 to change the name of the school from the “Hershey Industrial School” to the “Milton Hershey School.” In 1968, the school was racially integrated, although it wasn’t until 1970 that the organizational papers allowed that, and another modification 1976 allowed female students, who started arriving in 1977.
In 1989, the school stopped requiring students to milk cows twice daily, reflecting a changed focus from vocational to college preparatory education, but students were still required to perform chores.
The school gives preference to students from Pennsylvania
, and especially to students from Dauphin
, Lancaster
, and Lebanon
counties. Tri-county students account for 28% of the student body, with another 49% coming from elsewhere in Pennsylvania. The remaining 23% of the student body comes from 34 other states and from the District of Columbia.
, the student population of the school is 1,818. Girls outnumber boys 945 to 873. The students are 46% Caucasian, 30% African American
, 11% Hispanic, 1% Asian, less than 1% Native American and 12% other. Approximately 47% of the students have siblings who also attend MHS.
A married houseparent couple with child care experience provides full-time supervision for each residence, caring for 9 to 13 children of the same gender, and about the same age. A student will share his (or her) bedrooms with one or two other students.
As of August 2007, all senior students will live in the Transitional Living program, which places 4 students in an apartment, five apartments in a building, and two coordinators to oversee their actions. The program exists as a college-prep movement, in response to polls of MHS alumni which showed that many alumni felt unprepared for college. The TL program is notably more relaxed than the student homes, with fewer restrictions and rules. TL students do, however, shop for their own food with a $70.00 budget per week. They are also expected to keep their apartments and rooms clean, as well as biweekly chores around the building. As of August 2006, only 40 seniors are in the program (20 boys and 20 girls). They were chosen via lottery.
Students are "plainly, neatly, and comfortably clothed, without distinctive dress". Students wear a uniform of "coordinated clothing" to classes and other designated School functions. School policies say students may have a limited amount of approved leisure and dress wear, and if the student's family or sponsor cannot buy it, the school will.
Each child is encouraged to explore belief in God and in prayer, although the school is non-sectarian. By school policy, students are required to attend a weekly Judeo-Christian chapel service on Sunday mornings.
Student homes, academic buildings, and other facilities are mostly located within rough walking distance of one another. The centerpiece of the campus is Founders Hall with an auditorium seating 2700.
In September 2007, the School opened its Springboard Academy, a program geared toward new incoming sixth and seventh graders, to help with transition into the core program. In 2008, the program changed from sixth and seventh graders to eighth graders. Springboard Academy is housed on its own campus, where about 84 students live in cottage-like dormitories. This program features a non-traditional curriculum, where reading and math skills are taught in an experientially based setting.
Students are also encouraged to participate in activities as students at Milton Hershey School. They are active in a wide range of activities such as visual and performing arts, athletics, student government association, mentoring/tutoring, and work-based learning.
Milton Hershey School has seen recent success in such activities such as track and field, boys' basketball, boys' wrestling, and field hockey. The school's athletic teams participate interscholastically in District 3's Mid-Penn Conference.
because the Milton Hershey School Trust owns controlling interest in the company.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
philanthropic (pre-K through 12) boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
in Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey is a census-designated place in Derry Township, Dauphin County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The community is located 14 miles east of Harrisburg and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hershey has no legal status as an incorporated municipality...
. Originally named the Hershey Industrial School, the institution was founded and funded by chocolate industrialist Milton Snavely Hershey and his wife, Catherine Sweeney Hershey. The school was originally established for impoverished, healthy, Caucasian
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
, male orphans, while today it serves students of various backgrounds. The Milton Hershey School Trust, which funds the school, owns controlling interest in The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company, known until April 2005 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Its headquarters are in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hershey's Chocolate World. It was founded by Milton S...
and owns the Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company (HERCO
Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company
Hershey Entertainment and Resorts , also known as "HERCO", is a privately owned company of the Hershey Trust Company.- History :The company was originally founded by Milton S...
) which oversees many of the area hotels along with a theme park called Hersheypark
Hersheypark
Hersheypark is an amusement park located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, near the Hershey Chocolate Factory.Hersheypark was opened on April 24, 1907 as a leisure park for the employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company, an American confectionery company. Later, the company decided to open the park to the...
. With over six billion dollars in assets, the Milton Hershey School is one of the wealthiest schools in the world. The school is overseen by a Board of Managers.
The school currently serves 1,818 students, and plans to grow to 2,100 students by 2013. A member of CORE: Coalition for Residential Education, it is the largest residential education
Residential education
Residential Education, broadly defined, is a pre-college education provided in an environment where students both live and learn outside of their family homes. Varied forms of residential education have been in existence in the United States since before the nation's founding...
program in the US.
History of the school
“It was Kitty's idea,” Milton Hershey always said when he spoke of the Hershey Industrial School. “If we had helped a hundred children it would have all been worthwhile.”Fifteen years younger than her husband, Catherine Hershey developed an undiagnosable illness circa 1901, and was increasingly sickly for years. Hershey’s father, Henry, had been highly intelligent, but not too realistic; his get-rich schemes never worked too well. Hershey did not cope well with the instability; he had attended seven different schools, yet never made it into the fifth grade, so when Kitty was unable to bear children, the Hersheys decided to give needy kids the kind of upbringing he never had. Milton and Catherine Hershey established a home and a school for “poor, healthy white, male orphans between the ages of 8 through 18 years of age.”
On November 15, 1909, Hershey signed over the 486 acres (2 km²) farm where he had been born, complete with livestock, to start the school. In 1910, Nelson (age 6), and his brother Irvin (age 4) were the first to arrive. Their father, who had worked as a polisher in a Mount Joy
Mount Joy, Pennsylvania
Mount Joy is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,765 at the 2000 census.-Name and origin:Mount Joy is often named in lists of "delightfully-named towns" in Pennsylvania Dutchland, along with Intercourse, Blue Ball, PenisPallooza, Amish Land, Dick-in-Hand...
foundry, had died after a long illness, and their mother couldn’t support six children by taking in laundry. Their brother William, 2, was too young to be admitted for two more years. Another pair of brothers, sons of an Evangelical church’s pastor, arrived a few days later. The first class consisted of 10 students, and by 1914, there were 40 boys enrolled in the school.
While Hershey consulted with experts on managing the school, he used three guiding principles to ensure the students had a good education, a sense of stability and security: every graduate should have a vocation, every student should learn love of God and man, and every student should benefit from wholesome responsibility. The vocational education program started with a woodworking shop, where the boys made their own beds and chests. Although Hershey was nonsectarian, claiming the "Silver Rule
Silver rule
The Silver Rule, "Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you", is a standard of behaviour found in the writings of amongst others Hillel the Elder. It is related to the ethical principle of the Golden Rule....
" as his religion, Sunday school was held regularly at the home. Starting in March 1929, the boys got the responsibility of doing daily chores in the dairy barns.
After Kitty’s death in 1915, Hershey gave his entire personal fortune - thousands of acres of land, and controlling interest in the company, worth US$60 million - to the school. He continued to be involved in the school’s operations until his 1945 death.
The organizational papers were modified in 1933, allowing the school to accept older students, and again in 1951 to change the name of the school from the “Hershey Industrial School” to the “Milton Hershey School.” In 1968, the school was racially integrated, although it wasn’t until 1970 that the organizational papers allowed that, and another modification 1976 allowed female students, who started arriving in 1977.
In 1989, the school stopped requiring students to milk cows twice daily, reflecting a changed focus from vocational to college preparatory education, but students were still required to perform chores.
Students and student life
Admissions are based on five major admissions criteria: (1) Age, (2) Financial Need, (3) Social Need, (4) Potential To Learn, and (5) Geographic Preference.The school gives preference to students from 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 especially to students from Dauphin
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
, Lancaster
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
, and Lebanon
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile...
counties. Tri-county students account for 28% of the student body, with another 49% coming from elsewhere in Pennsylvania. The remaining 23% of the student body comes from 34 other states and from the District of Columbia.
, the student population of the school is 1,818. Girls outnumber boys 945 to 873. The students are 46% Caucasian, 30% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 11% Hispanic, 1% Asian, less than 1% Native American and 12% other. Approximately 47% of the students have siblings who also attend MHS.
A married houseparent couple with child care experience provides full-time supervision for each residence, caring for 9 to 13 children of the same gender, and about the same age. A student will share his (or her) bedrooms with one or two other students.
As of August 2007, all senior students will live in the Transitional Living program, which places 4 students in an apartment, five apartments in a building, and two coordinators to oversee their actions. The program exists as a college-prep movement, in response to polls of MHS alumni which showed that many alumni felt unprepared for college. The TL program is notably more relaxed than the student homes, with fewer restrictions and rules. TL students do, however, shop for their own food with a $70.00 budget per week. They are also expected to keep their apartments and rooms clean, as well as biweekly chores around the building. As of August 2006, only 40 seniors are in the program (20 boys and 20 girls). They were chosen via lottery.
Students are "plainly, neatly, and comfortably clothed, without distinctive dress". Students wear a uniform of "coordinated clothing" to classes and other designated School functions. School policies say students may have a limited amount of approved leisure and dress wear, and if the student's family or sponsor cannot buy it, the school will.
Each child is encouraged to explore belief in God and in prayer, although the school is non-sectarian. By school policy, students are required to attend a weekly Judeo-Christian chapel service on Sunday mornings.
Student homes, academic buildings, and other facilities are mostly located within rough walking distance of one another. The centerpiece of the campus is Founders Hall with an auditorium seating 2700.
In September 2007, the School opened its Springboard Academy, a program geared toward new incoming sixth and seventh graders, to help with transition into the core program. In 2008, the program changed from sixth and seventh graders to eighth graders. Springboard Academy is housed on its own campus, where about 84 students live in cottage-like dormitories. This program features a non-traditional curriculum, where reading and math skills are taught in an experientially based setting.
Students are also encouraged to participate in activities as students at Milton Hershey School. They are active in a wide range of activities such as visual and performing arts, athletics, student government association, mentoring/tutoring, and work-based learning.
Milton Hershey School has seen recent success in such activities such as track and field, boys' basketball, boys' wrestling, and field hockey. The school's athletic teams participate interscholastically in District 3's Mid-Penn Conference.
Controversy surrounding denial of admission for HIV positive honors student
In December 2011, Milton Hershey School found itself in the midst of controversy after allegedly denying admission to an honors student based solely on the fact that he was HIV positive. In a lawsuit filed against the school on behalf of the unnamed boy, the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania claimed the school violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is claimed that school officials said the boy was denied admission to protect other students.. This has led some to call for a boycott of The Hershey CompanyThe Hershey Company
The Hershey Company, known until April 2005 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Its headquarters are in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hershey's Chocolate World. It was founded by Milton S...
because the Milton Hershey School Trust owns controlling interest in the company.
Notable alumni
- Nellie KingNellie KingNelson Joseph "Nellie" King was an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and later a member of the Pirates' radio announcing team with Bob Prince.-Baseball career:...
, a former major league pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, graduated from the school in 1946. - Joe SenserJoe SenserJoseph Michael Senser is a former professional American football player. A 6'4", 240 lbs. tight end from West Chester University, Senser was selected in the 6th round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He ranks 3rd in Vikings history among tight ends for catches , touchdowns and...
, a former NFL star tight-end for the Minnesota Vikings, graduated from the school in 1974. - Mary Trinh Pentel, M.D., dermatologist and president of Southside Dermatology, Jacksonville, FL, graduated in 1986
- Gerry P.H. Ballough, Ph. D., neuroscientist and full professor of biology, LaSalle University, graduated 1976
- Mike Kenna, founder and CEO of Printery Communications, Port Townsend, WA, graduated 1970
- Lt. Gen. Richard Zilmer, Deputy Commandant, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps, graduated 1970
- Michael J San Filippo (aka Michael Sanford), who prosecuted numerous terrorists in Florida, graduated in 1978.
External links
- themilt.com Social networking & forums for Milton Hershey School alumni & friends. Where it is said "Once a Milt always a Milt." guilty by association.
- Milton Hershey School and Milton Hershey the Man – Unofficial website with historical information about the school and Milton Hershey.