Jump to content

John Burroughs School

Coordinates: 38°38′40″N 90°22′12″W / 38.64444°N 90.36991°W / 38.64444; -90.36991
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Burroughs School
Address
Map
755 South Price Road

,
63124

United States
Information
TypePrivate college-preparatory school
Religious affiliation(s)Nonsectarian[1]
Established1923; 101 years ago (1923)
Head of schoolAndy Abbott
Teaching staff116.0 (FTE) (2019–20)[1]
Grades712
GenderCo-ed
Enrollment639 (2019–20)[1]
Student to teacher ratio5.5 (2019–20)[1]
Campus size49 acres (200,000 m2)[3]
Campus typeSuburban[1]
Color(s)Blue & Gold
MascotBombers
RivalMary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School
Endowment$70M[2]
Tuition$31,240 (2021–22)[3]
AffiliationNational Association of Independent Schools[1]
Websitewww.jburroughs.org Edit this at Wikidata

John Burroughs School (JBS) is a private, non-sectarian college-preparatory school with 631 students in grades 712. Its 49-acre (200,000 m2) campus[3] is located in Ladue, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Founded in 1923, it is named for U.S. naturalist and philosopher John Burroughs.

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.[4] In 2007, the Wall Street Journal ranked it among the top 50 schools in sending graduates to eight top universities.[4]

As of 2020, the faculty includes 96 full-time and 32 part-time members. Since 2009, the Head of School has been Andy Abbott, formerly an English teacher and the school's head of college counseling. He replaced Keith Shahan, who served as headmaster for 23 years.[5]

History

[edit]

In 1922, a group of St. Louisans announced their intention to open a private school in a suburb of St. Louis. "This school is being established to meet a very definite demand for another country day school, and is an outgrowth of a condition whereby existing schools are unable to accept all pupils applying for entrance," the St. Louis Star and Times reported.[6]

In "executive charge" of the campaign to build the school was Edna Fischel Gellhorn, a co-founder of the League of Women Voters.[7] The 18-acre site, located on the streetcar line from Clayton, was purchased for $18,000 ($320,000 today[8]) and the initial campus buildings, including a gymnasium, were built for $180,000.[9] Tuition was $500 per year, with scholarships available to up to 10 percent of students.[9]

Classes began on Oct. 2, 1923, ahead of a formal cornerstone-laying ceremony the following week.[9] The gym was completed in December at a cost of $38,000; the main speaker at its dedication ceremony was Branch Rickey, manager of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.[10]

The school's founders wrote, "Burroughs was established upon the conviction that each child has latent possibilities of power, and that it is the chief purpose of the school to cooperate with parents in discovering, fostering and developing that power so that in adulthood he shall make his contribution to the improvement of human society. The child's mind is not a tablet to be written upon or a cistern to be filled, but a living, growing entity to be guided, developed, trained and inspired."[5]

In the 1930s, JBS participated in the Eight-Year Study, an experiment that tested how American progressive secondary schools would prepare their students for college when released from the curricular restrictions of college admissions requirements.[11]

In April 2020, the school received $2.5 million in federally backed small business loans as part of the Paycheck Protection Program. The school received scrutiny over this loan, which was meant to protect small and private businesses, and returned the money to the Treasury Department the following month.[12][13][14][15]

The school is fundraising to raise its endowment to $100 million by June 2026.[2]

Extracurricular activities

[edit]

Athletics

[edit]

The Bombers football team won the state championship in Division 2A in 1975, 1980 (tie), 1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1995 (tie) and 2001; and won the 3A title in 2015. As of 2020, former NFL kicker Neil Rackers is an assistant coach.[16] Former NFL quarterback Gus Frerotte was head football coach from 2011 to 2013.[16][17] In 2016, the program was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.[18]

In 2023, John Burroughs' varsity baseball team won the state championship.[19]

Notable alumni

[edit]

Arts, sciences, and education

[edit]

Business

[edit]

Government and politics

[edit]

Journalism and literature

[edit]

Military

[edit]

Philanthropy

[edit]
  • Leo Drey, 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.[39] Leased land to JBS for outdoor education for one dollar a year.[40]

Sports

[edit]

Faculty

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for JOHN BURROUGHS SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Endowment & Scholarships". John Burroughs School. John Burroughs School. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "JBS @ A Glance - John Burroughs School". John Burroughs School. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020 – via www.jburroughs.org.
  4. ^ a b "WSJ.com". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2007-12-28. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  5. ^ a b "Legacy of Leadership - John Burroughs School". www.jburroughs.org. Archived from the original on 2020-09-19. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  6. ^ "Country Day School to Open Oct., 1923". The St. Louis Star and Times. 1922-11-16. p. 15. Archived from the original on 2023-11-01. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  7. ^ Martyn, Margeurite (1923-11-28). "Mrs. George Gellhorn Active in League of Women Voters". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 28. Archived from the original on 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  8. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c "Dedication Scene at New John Burroughs School". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 1923-10-13. p. 3. Archived from the original on 2023-10-14. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  10. ^ "New $38,000 Gym Opened at John Burroughs School". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. 1923-12-18. p. 12. Archived from the original on 2023-11-01. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  11. ^ Feldmann, Doug; Watson, Tim (2003-09-01). "The Eight-Year Study Revisted: John Burroughs School, St. Louis, Missouri". Educational Research Quarterly. 27 (1): 5. ISSN 0196-5042.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ Protess, Ben; McCabe, David (May 2020). "Think Twice, Mnuchin Tells Prep Schools Seeking Virus Loans". nytimes.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2020. John Burroughs School near St. Louis, which qualified for a $2.55 million loan, has an endowment of more than $50 million.
  13. ^ Protess, Ben; McCabe, David (29 April 2020). "Elite Prep Schools, Set Back by Virus, Face a Quandary on Federal Aid". nytimes.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2020. Mr. Abbott said the school planned to keep the money. The school needed the loan to support its operations, he said, and to avoid furloughs for its more than 200 employees and continue paying them benefits.
  14. ^ "John Burroughs School returns $2.55 million in federal coronavirus relief funds after national backlash", stltoday.com, archived from the original on 2020-05-09, retrieved 2020-05-06, Leaders at John Burroughs School have decided to return $2.55 million in federal coronavirus aid targeted for small businesses, a spokeswoman for the school said Tuesday.
  15. ^ Brown, Graham. "Checks and Unbalance". The World. Archived from the original on 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  16. ^ a b Latsch, Nate. "Frerotte leaving Burroughs, heading back to Pennsylvania". STLtoday.com. Archived from the original on 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  17. ^ Auten, Brett. "Frerotte named football coach at Burroughs; Small to retire". STLtoday.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  18. ^ "Hall of Fame announces Class of 2016". Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. 9 December 2015. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  19. ^ MSHSAA. "John Burroughs High School State Championships". www.mshsaa.org. Archived from the original on 2023-10-07. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  20. ^ Andrews, Lisa (February 21, 2011). "Actress and Screenwriter Puts Creve Coeur in the Spotlight". Patch Media. Archived from the original on January 8, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  21. ^ "St. Louis Hometown Stories: Ellie and Carrie Kemper, Actress/Writers". www.stlmag.com. 2012-02-24. Archived from the original on 2012-06-09. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  22. ^ Pennington, Gail (December 13, 2009). "From VP queen ...to 'The Office' John Burroughs graduate joins fellow St. Louisans Jenna Fischer and Phyllis Smith at Dunder Mifflin". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on May 3, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  23. ^ "John Burroughs School Alumni Awards". 2007-07-16. Archived from the original on 2007-07-16. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  24. ^ Rosenbaum, Jason (March 11, 2013). "On the trail: 'House of Cards' creator talks St. Louis life -- and power in politics". St. Louis Beacon. Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  25. ^ Toler, Lindsay (May 8, 2014). "Paul Rudd Once Tried to Steal Jon Hamm's Prom Date, So They Faced Off in Trivial Pursuit". Riverfront Times. Archived from the original on August 29, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  26. ^ "Actor Jon Hamm honored to get Cardinals bobblehead". ESPN.com. Associated Press. August 18, 2014. Archived from the original on January 8, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  27. ^ Pennington, Gail (November 3, 2013). "Burroughs grad Erinn Westbrook lives a dream on 'Glee'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  28. ^ Peterson, Deb (January 24, 2012). "Oscar nominee Beau Willimon grew up in St. Louis". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on February 8, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  29. ^ Friend, Tad (2016-10-03). "Sam Altman's Manifest Destiny". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  30. ^ "Joe Edwards". January 30, 2000. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2006.
  31. ^ Finn, Robin (2008-02-29). "Letting His Racing Colors Show". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  32. ^ "June 2019 Reporter". Issuu. Archived from the original on 2023-02-28. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  33. ^ "John Burroughs". Jbnet.groupfusion.net. Archived from the original on 2013-07-02. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
  34. ^ Burroughs Class of 66 Reunion Boasts Some Big Name Helpers
  35. ^ Eligon, John (August 21, 2012). "A Politician Whose Faith Is Central to His Persistence". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 8, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  36. ^ "Brittany Packnett '02". NEWS ARCHIVES. John Burroughs School. January 26, 2015. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  37. ^ "Judge Laura Denvir Stith". 2006-09-30. Archived from the original on 2006-09-30. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  38. ^ "ODNI POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDS 1ST LT. ROSLYN L. SCHULTE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE MEDAL FOR VALOR" (PDF). dni.gov. January 22, 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  39. ^ "The Ninth Annual Slate 60 - America's most generous philanthropists, and where they gave. By Jodie T. Allen". 2005-03-02. Archived from the original on 2005-03-02. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  40. ^ "Leo Drey dies; Missouri's largest private landowner until he gave it all away | Obituaries | stltoday.com". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 2021-10-12. Archived from the original on 2021-10-12. Retrieved 2023-11-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  41. ^ "David Lee retires from NBA to become startup investor". St. Louis Business Journal. November 29, 2017. Archived from the original on 2023-11-11. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
  42. ^ Auckley, Chris. "Brandon Miller turning pro, bound for LA-Coach Bobby Kersee". Milesplit.
  43. ^ "Falcons 2018 roster: Position-by-position breakdown for current 52 players". www.atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on 2018-09-04. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
  44. ^ Johnston, Roger (June 18, 1949). "Associated Press Newsfeature". Bakersfield Californian. Newspapers.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 8, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  45. ^ Huhn, Rick. "Dave Sisler". Society for American Baseball Research. Archived from the original on July 5, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  46. ^ Cool, Everett (June 21, 2014). "For Dodgers' Scott Van Slyke, a case of butterflies is a good thing". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  47. ^ Gurnick, Ken (January 31, 2012). "Van Slyke getting with the program". MLB.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  48. ^ Baer, Jim (July 10, 2007). "Jay Williamson: Professional golfer". St. Louis Magazine. Archived from the original on January 8, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  49. ^ Johnson, Julia M. (7 October 2019). "Homegrown: Ron Charles". Town&Style. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  50. ^ "10 Things You Might Not Know About Jon Hamm". 22 March 2012. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  51. ^ "St. Louis Hometown Stories: Jon Hamm, Actor". 24 February 2012. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  52. ^ "John L. Loos". Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, October 1, 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
[edit]

38°38′40″N 90°22′12″W / 38.64444°N 90.36991°W / 38.64444; -90.36991