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The information below is gathered from my prep school's alumni news from
about 4 years ago. The attribution can be made to bhorn@lawrenceville.org. For
the record I am a long-time NAVA member. I attended the Lawrenceville School, a
college preparatory school, or "prep" school, located in Lawrenceville New
Jersey USA, founded in 1810 - class of 1977.
Chris Sweet, 25 July
2016
The House System
The Lawrenceville House System is unique
among independent schools in America. Rooted in the centuries-old tradition of
British boarding schools, the Lawrenceville plan treats student housing as a
rich educational opportunity in itself.
Through a comprehensive
residential curriculum, students in each of the School's 20 houses are guided by
a team led by a resident housemaster. When parents wish to find out how their
children are doing, the Housemaster is the first person they call for answers.
Each Housemaster is supported by an assistant master, who also lives in the
House, and several other faculty members. These adults take part in all aspects
of House life from academic advising, to study hall supervision, to coaching
intramural teams. Their efforts are supported by carefully selected, extensively
trained Fifth Formers who reside in the Houses as prefects.
Each House
thus develops a distinct character, shaped by the personalities of its leaders.
As members of a small community with a large group of adults looking on,
students in each House enjoy a high level of attention and guidance, and a high
level of accountability and responsibility. Since Lawrenceville draws students
from around the world and every walk of life, each day brings lessons in
tolerance, cooperation, and leadership, through which House leaders influence
students, subtly and dramatically, by directive and example.
Each House
bears its own flag to which each student bears as strong allegiance as to the
School at large. Indeed, when our students say "my House," they often mean their
Lawrenceville experience. The contests between Lawrenceville Houses in
intramural tackle football date back to the origins of the game in this country
and are older than all but a handful of college rivalries. House traditions that
have developed over the years are carried on today, and House identity is
sustained through separate dining rooms in the Irwin Dining Center.
The
Houses of Lawrenceville are organized into three distinct student communities,
based on the conviction that adolescents of different degrees of maturity
require different degrees of freedom and supervision. Students in the Second
Form (ninth grade) live in one of the Lower School Houses. Students in the Third
and Fourth Form live in one of the Circle or Crescent Houses, while Fifth
Formers, with considerable independence, live in one of six Fifth Form Houses.
As students move from the Lower School to the Circle or Crescent to the Fifth
Form, they develop close associations with small groups of students their own
age.
The House System is one of the hallmarks of every student’s
Lawrenceville experience, and aside from a few historic sports rivalries,
perhaps nothing is more symbolic of the individual Houses than their House
flags. Just as each House has its own character and its own story, so, too, do
the House flags represent distinct bits of Lawrenceville history. With
significant help from The Lawrenceville Lexicon, we go behind the scenes of the
House flags in alphabetical order. Perry Ross and Cromwell will be combined with
Dawes, and Thomas and Davidson will be included with Raymond, but every other
House with a flag – all the Circle and Crescent Houses plus Reynolds – will be
highlighted individually.
Chris Sweet, 25 July 2016
It is likely that this reference is to water closets or privies for men and
women, as in the 19th century the crescent was the symbol for the Ladies' and
the circle was the symbol for the Men's much as the stick figures are used
today. The origin is probably from the respective grammatical genders of "Moon"
and "Sun".
Michael Halleran, 1 August 2016
image located by Chris Sweet, 25 July 2016
Dedicated in the fall of 2010, Carter House became Lawrenceville’s fifth
Crescent House. Its periwinkle-colored flag features two interlocking Cs,
symbolizing Carter House and the Carter family, anchored by a ruby-throated
hummingbird. Fifteen members of the Carter family have attended Lawrenceville
since the early 20th century, and the House was a gift from Tom ’70 and
Jeanie Carter P’01 ’05. The ruby-throated hummingbird spends its winters in
Central America and works its way through the Carter family’s home state of
Texas around mid-March on its way to New Jersey, where it arrives in early
April. CC is also the Roman numeral for 200, reflecting the fact that Carter
House opened in conjunction with Lawrenceville’s bicentennial.
Chris Sweet, 25 July 2016
image located by Chris Sweet, 25 July 2016
As
the first of the Circle Houses built at the “refounding” of The Lawrenceville
School in 1882, Cleve House boasts a distinctive flag recalling John Cleve
Green, one of the School’s original students and benefactor of the
Lawrenceville we know today. But that’s not Cleve’s only link with deep
L’ville tradition.
Let’s start with the flag, though. It’s green and
white, reflecting the colors of the Green family coat of arms, which is also
the source of the School motto, Virtus Semper Viridis, or “Virtue Always
Green.” Depicted in the flag’s crest are books, symbolizing scholarship;
crossed quills and keys, symbolizing composition and knowledge; and winged
feet, symbolizing athletic prowess. The messages have obviously worked: Cleve
has produced 15 Lawrenceville trustees and 15 School presidents.
The
House has a few traditions of its own as well. One holds that only Fifth
Formers are permitted to enter through the front door. Another is embodied in
its long-time housemaster, the late Science Master and Coach Marshall “Marsh”
H. Chambers H’62 P’77, who, with his wife Ginnie H'59 '61 '62 '89 P'77,
presided over Cleve for 37 years, from 1954 to 1990. Ginnie Chambers
continues to return to campus to host a Cleve House Coffee on the Saturday
morning of Alumni Weekend, held the first weekend in May.
Chris Sweet, 25 July 2016
image located by Chris Sweet, 25 July 2016
As one of two residences for the Second Form, Dawes incorporates Cromwell
and Perry Ross, the two Second Form girls’ Houses. All three entities –
Dawes, Cromwell and Perry Ross – proudly fly their own flags.
The
original Dawes House was a gift from General Charles G. Dawes P’09, vice
president of the United States under Coolidge, ambassador to the United
Kingdom from 1929 to 1932, and winner of a Nobel Peace Prize for the Dawes
Plan, which outlined a program of World War I reparations by Germany. The
gift was made in memory of Dawes’s son, Rufus ’09, who died in a boating
accident while attending Princeton. After the original House burned down in
1929, a new Dawes House became part of the Delano and Aldrich campus
surrounding the Bowl. The Dawes House flag is gold and maroon and displays
the lion rampant from the coat of arms of the Court of St. James, in honor of
Gen. Dawes’s service as ambassador.
Cromwell was named for James Henry
Roberts Cromwell ’15, an American diplomat and author who today is remembered
as much for his marital connections as his personal accomplishments.
Cromwell’s first wife was Delphine Dodge, only daughter of the auto magnate;
his second wife was Doris Duke; and his sister was the first wife of Gen.
Douglas MacArthur. Cromwell was a principal benefactor of Old Lower, which
was divided into four student Houses: Cromwell, Perry Ross, Thomas and
Davidson. The House flag is a triangular, swallow-tailed version of a yacht
club burgee, customarily flown by a commodore, reflecting Cromwell’s
membership in several yacht clubs and his diplomatic rank (FDR named him
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Canada). Its colors are
blue and gold, the colors of the Corinthian Yacht Club in Philadelphia and
the Cromwell coat of arms. The flag is adorned with a large “C.”
The
flag of Perry Ross, named for Perry Ross Rosenheim ’14, who died in 1919 from
wounds he received in World War I, symbolizes the district of Rosenheim in
southern Bavaria, Perry Ross’s ancestral home. The City of Rosenheim is at
the district’s center, and the city’s coat of arms, like the House flag, is
green and red with a red lion rampant.
Dawes’s male counterpart across
the Bowl, Raymond House, is the only other campus House with more than one flag.
Chris Sweet, 25 July 2016
image located by Chris Sweet, 26 July 2016
It has been said that Lawrenceville is the only prep school with its own
literature (The Lawrenceville Stories:
https://www.amazon.com/Lawrenceville-Stories-Touchstone-book/dp/0671642480/154-5005162-7713939?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0), but the Dickinson standard may be the only flag on campus with its own
history.
The red-and-white banner with the pen (writing/scholarship) and
sword (strength, courage); the inspirational motto "Princeps Exemplo," or
"Leadership by Example"; the date designation "1885," the year Dickinson
appeared on the Circle; and the giant "D" is actually a replacement created by
former housemaster Ted Graham H'66 '72 P'85 and the boys. According to Graham,
when he took over as housemaster in 1964, the original House flag had been
stolen by "pranksters." All he knew of it was its colors - red and white - and
that it was adorned with a big red "D." That sounded dull to Ted, his wife
Barbara H'72 P'85, and the students, so they set out to redesign it.
The
history of the House and the Grahams' history in it are well worth noting. Ted
and Barbara spent most of their Lawrenceville tenure in Dickinson over three
different residencies, beginning in 1964 and concluding in 2000. Known as "The
Pride of the Circle," the House was named in honor of John Cleve Green's
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cleve_Green) great-grandmother and her
father, Jonathan Dickinson, a co-founder of Princeton University and its first
president. As one of two "cooking Houses" at a time when meals were served in
individual House dining rooms, Dickinson was reputed to have the best food on
campus.
Chris Sweet, 26 July 2016
image located by Chris Sweet, 26 July 2016
Family names abound on the
Lawrenceville campus, and the Circle Houses bear some of the most historic among
these. Griswold, like Cleve, is closely tied to the School's original
benefactor, John Cleve Green, but Griswold takes it a step further. The House is
named for Green's wife, Sarah Helen Griswold, whose mother was a Woodhull, and
its flag is based on the Griswold family crest.
The House flag is red and
gold on a blue background. A stylized coat of arms incorporates a football, in
honor of Griswold's victories in House football, and a book to represent
scholarship.
Like its Circle neighbors, "Gris" has been graced by its
share of legendary masters as housemasters. Those in recent memory include
English Master Lewis Perry, Jr. H'52 P'65, History Master Norval Bacon H'49, and
History Master and legendary Coach Charles "Chuck" Weeden H'65 '92 P'77 '79 '87.
Chris Sweet, 26 July 2016
image located by Chris Sweet, 26 July 2016
Hamill
was the very first campus House, so it should come as no surprise that its flag
is equally original.
Built in 1814 to accommodate the growing number of
boarders, for a time Hamill was Lawrenceville, serving as dormitory,
administration building and classroom building all in one. Nameless during its
early decades, Hamill acquired its present identity in the mid-nineteenth
century, when the School was owned and led by Dr. Samuel McClintock Hamill,
Lawrenceville's third and longest-serving Head Master.
Hamill's nickname,
"Old Blue," reflects the dominant blue in its flag, which differs from other
Circle House flags in both shape and symbolism. For one thing, since Hamill
House predates the Green legacy, its flag contains no references to coats of
arms or members of the Green family, and its symbols, unlike most of the flags,
make no specific reference to books or scholarship. The polar star represents
the infinite possibilities of a goal pursued, while the horseshoe is the
standard heraldic symbol for luck, tenacity and perseverance - the keys to
attaining any goal. The date "1837" does not, in fact, mark the building's
construction, but rather the year Sam Hamill acquired the School.
Perhaps
most striking, however, is the flag's shape, unique among a collection of House
rectangles. Cut from an older pattern called a swallowtail with tongue, the
Hamill flag features a V-shaped cut to create two points - a swallowtail - which
are then intersected by a third point. A shape most often associated with battle
standards, its rationale is a mystery.
Hamillites: If you know why the
House flag resembles a battle flag, contact us at the email address above. Hint:
It has nothing to do with the yearly battle for the Crutch, which commenced
several years after House flags were introduced.
Chris Sweet, 26 July 2016
image located by Chris Sweet, 27 July 2016
With its blue and grey colors honoring the Scottish flag of its namesake,
John S. Kennedy, executor of the Green estate, and its polar stars rumored to be
copied from the Hamill flag, the Kennedy standard manages a nod to both
Lawrenceville's later "founders," who used the Green legacy to recast the School
in its present form, and its earlier identity as the Lawrenceville Classical and
Commercial High School under Head Master Sam Hamill.
As in other Circle
Houses, tradition reigns supreme in Kennedy House, and its most colorful
tradition surrounds the legendary House football rivalry between Kennedy and
Hamill. (It seems likely that the rumor of the copied stars may have its origins
here.) The annual "Crutch Game" between the two Houses began in 1947, the story
goes, when the over-eager Kennedy coach stepped onto the field and intercepted a
Hamill pass. He was summarily tackled and suffered a broken leg. Several weeks
later, when the teams met again for the final game of the season, the coach, now
on crutches, was bowled over by a play that spilled onto the sideline. One of
his wooden crutches was broken, and it henceforth became the prized trophy in a
final season game between Kennedy and Hamill.
The annual Crutch Game
continues to attract an enthusiastic crowd on both sides, complete with costumed
cheerleaders and the participants' House flags on display.
Chris Sweet, 27 July 2016
image located by Chris Sweet, 27 July 2016
The Kirby House flag
displays an almost exact replica of the Kirby family crest, honoring House
benefactor, the late Fred Kirby '38 GP'11 '12 '15, and the Kirby family. But,
lest the images of a bold knight and heraldic cross appear more suggestive of
the Circle than the Crescent, the girls seem to have added a bit of whimsy to
the traditional elephant topper.
Across cultures, the elephant is
associated with strength, honor, stability and patience, which explains its
position at the apex of the Kirby family coat of arms. In the most prominent
version of the crest, an elephant head is emerging from a crown. Fans will be
amused to note that the elephant head and crown on the Kirby House flag bear a
striking resemblance to those of Babar, the hero in a series of beloved
children's books about a wise and compassionate elephant king.
The girls
also added a message of their own to the crest, the Latin "Facta Non Verba," or
"Deeds, Not Words." This more formal variation of Nike's "Just Do It" tagline
has served the House well. In recent years, Kirby has won multiple House
Olympics and several times taken the Dresdner Cup, awarded annually to the
Crescent House with the best record in both House and interscholastic sports.
Chris Sweet, 27 July 2016
image located by Chris Sweet, 27 July 2016
At
least four decades of Lawrentians can tell you, even without looking, that the
McClellan House flag is distinguished by references to the late Bruce McClellan
H'57 '60 GP'10, English master from 1950 to 1986 and Head Master from 1959 until
his 1986 retirement.
Dr. McClellan was far and away the longest-serving
Lawrenceville Head Master in recent history, and the School's debt to his
service is demonstrated in the House and flag that honor him. A strong proponent
of coeducation who worked closely with the School's Board of Trustees to usher
in this fundamental change in the formerly all-male institution, Dr. McClellan's
efforts were acknowledged in the gift of Trustee Bert A. Getz '55 P'85 that
named one of the first girls' Crescent Houses for the recently retired Head
Master.
The House flag reinforces the tie between McClellan House and Dr.
McClellan. The flag's purple and yellow hues acknowledge the purple and gold
colors of Dr. McClellan's alma mater, Williams College. Its yellow thistle is a
nod to his Scottish heritage and also symbolizes hardiness and perseverance, two
qualities that were undoubtedly useful in nearly three decades as Head Master,
particularly during the 1960s and 1970s.
Chris Sweet, 27 July 2016
image located by Chris Sweet, 28 July 2016
Like Dawes, its mirror image across the Bowl, Raymond House encompasses two
Second Form Houses, and again like Dawes, each - Raymond, Thomas and Davidson -
has its own flag.
Raymond, also known as Raymond-Davis House, was built
in 1930 and named for Charles Henry Raymond, a recently retired member of the
faculty with a five-decade tenure in teaching and 37 years of service to
Lawrenceville. The House was built during an expansion of the School that came
to be known as the Delano and Aldrich Campus, after the architects, and included
the construction of the Fathers' Building, aka Pop Hall. Mr. Raymond was
housemaster of the original Davis House, which sits on the perimeter of the
Lawrenceville campus and is now privately owned. He also served as a master of
elocution, assistant Head Master and, briefly, as acting Head Master, and he is
credited with writing the first School song, In Olden Days. The Raymond House
flag is crimson and gray, reflecting Mr. Raymond's Harvard pedigree, and it
bears the image of the eagle that graces the building's exterior door, here a
symbol of community.
The Raymond eagle may be a bird of peace, but the
eagle displayed on the Thomas flag is anything but. Lieutenant Gerald Provost
Thomas '1915, killed in action during a World War I air battle, was awarded the
Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery on behalf of his fellow airmen. The
Thomas House flag, inspired by the insignia of Lt. Thomas' 17th Aero Squadron,
is blue and white and depicts an eagle, centered on a cross, swooping in for its
prey. The Latin word Unitas, or "unity," has been added.
The Davidson
flag appears to be an invention meant to honor Lieutenant Philip James Davidson
'1911, for whom the House is named. Lt. Davidson also was killed in action
during World War I, leading an attack on a German machine-gun nest. The House
flag is blue and white with a letter "D" in the center of a stylized crest.
Life at Lawrenceville was greatly influenced by the first World War:
Military drills were held twice weekly, and much of the Fifth Form was in
service overseas. Nearly 50 Lawrentians perished, and in 1924, Lawrenceville's
new Lower School residence was named the Alumni War Memorial Building. Later
known as "Old Lower," it was the precursor to both Dawes and Raymond.
Chris Sweet, 28 July 2016
image located by Chris Sweet, 28 July 2016
Reynolds is the only Fifth Form House with a flag, and if its flag makes you
think of aluminum foil, read on to find out why.
Reynolds House, built to
help accommodate the influx of girls following the advent of coeducation in
1987, was the generous gift of David P. Reynolds '34. At the time, Reynolds was
a Lawrenceville trustee and chairman emeritus of the family business, Reynolds
Metals Company, best known for an aluminum foil product so ubiquitous in
American households as to inspire the generic name "Reynolds wrap." The father
of three daughters who were not eligible to attend Lawrenceville, Reynolds' gift
may have been inspired in part by his niece, Nancy Martin Roberts '89, a member
of the first class of Fifth Form girls to live in the new Reynolds House.
The Reynolds flag was designed by then-housemaster Joanne Adams Rafferty
H'65 '81 '03 P'93 using the Reynolds company logo and colors, silver and royal
blue. It depicts a gladiator on horseback, wielding a sword and shield against
what appears to be a dragon. Its symbolism beyond its use as the Reynolds
company logo is unknown.
Chris Sweet, 28 July 2016
image located by Chris Sweet, 28 July 2016
Like many of the other House flags, the
Stanley House standard makes liberal use of a family crest, in this case the
coat of arms belonging to Ted Stanley '43 and his brother Tom '45, House
benefactors on behalf of the Stanley family. But again like many of its House
siblings, Stanley has imbued its flag with unique markings signifying its own
traditions.
The royal blue band that runs on a diagonal through the
flag, populated by a series of three stags' heads, is taken directly from the
Stanley family crest. The green background, a nod to School benefactor John
Cleve Green, embodies the now-traditional Stanley House green. At House sporting
events, the green-clad Stanley girls can be heard enthusiastically chanting the
House cheer, and House alumnae keep up with each other's activities through an
annual Stanley newsletter.
Chris Sweet, 28 July 2016
image located by Chris Sweet, 29 July 2016
No doubt many a Stephens girl has associated the name of the House with Jean
Stephens H'50 '59 '61 '64 '68 '89 P'78 GP'06, longtime advisor to Periwig and a
popular presence on campus. The House was given in honor of Jean and her late
husband, Dr. Wade Stephens '50 H'68 P'78, Classics master, Assistant Dean of
Faculty and Academic Dean, but its flag reflects the lifelong friendship between
Wade Stephens and his Lawrenceville classmate Artemis A.W. Joukowsky '50 P'80,
the House benefactor.
The flag's colors, red and black, are an obvious
nod to the Lawrenceville origins of their friendship, and the two symbols on the
flag reference the friends' respective roots. One, a lion rampant, is an English
symbol of heraldry, honoring Stephens' British heritage. The other is a
variation of the Maltese cross, the dominant figure in many Russian service
medals, and honors Joukowsky's Russian homeland.
Ultimately, what's best about Lawrenceville's residential life is recorded in
the Stephens House flag: a lasting friendship born here between classmates from
opposite sides of the globe. Every flag tells a story, and this one captures the
spirit of House life like no other.
Chris Sweet, 29 July 2016
image located by Chris Sweet, 29 July 2016
Shuttled to last place by the vagaries of
the alphabet, a consideration of the Woodhull House flag closes out our summer
series on House flags of The Lawrenceville School. It is a matter of fact and
School history that Woodhull House, nicknamed "the mighty Wood" by the boys, is
in truth a great survivor, and its endurance is symbolized in its flag.
Built in 1885 as one of the original Circle Houses, Woodhull House was named for
Henry Woodhull Green, brother of School benefactor John Cleve Green. The House
was destroyed by fire in 1892 but was completely rebuilt in the same year. As a
result, the House flag is black and gold with a phoenix in the center. The
phoenix is a mythical bird said to be perpetually reborn from the ashes of its
previous existence.
Like the other Circle Houses, Woodhull takes House
football as seriously as any interscholastic rivalry, and the annual battle
against Griswold for "the muffler" is an important part of Lawrenceville
athletic lore.
Chris Sweet, 29 July 2016