Loomis Chaffee School

The Loomis Chaffee School (Template:IPAc-en; LC or Loomis) is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, including postgraduate students, located in Windsor, Connecticut, seven miles north of Hartford. As of the 2024–2025 school year, 70 percent of Loomis Chaffee's 742 students reside on the school's Template:Convert campus and represent 51 foreign countries and 27 U.S. states; the remaining 30 percent are day students.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Founded in 1914, Loomis Chaffee is a member of the Ten Schools Admission Organization.

History

The school was chartered in 1874 as The Loomis Institute by five Loomis siblings, who were determined to turn tragedy into generosity after all of their own children died before the age of 21.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Open access</ref> The original 1640 Loomis Homestead was chosen as the site for the school, which opened in 1914.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The forty-year gap between chartering and the opening of the school was due to the estate of the Loomis siblings being reserved for the siblings' retirement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1910, John Mason Loomis's widow left over $1.1 million as an endowment to The Loomis Institute for charitable purposes.<ref name=together>Together We Served.com, Essay</ref> This donation allowed the school to remain tuition-free for its first four decades. The Loomis Institute was different from other New England preparatory schools: it had no religious affiliation, offered vocational training alongside college preparatory courses, and admitted both boys and girls.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref>

The Loomis Institute ended coeducation in 1926 when The Chaffee School was incorporated to educate girls on an adjacent campus. In 1970, the boys and girls schools merged to form The Loomis Chaffee School.<ref name=":1" /> Since then, the school has expanded its endowment, financial aid budget, faculty, and campus size.<ref name=":0" />

Overview

Academics

Loomis Chaffee serves students from grades 9-12, as well as post-graduate students. Loomis offers 250 courses, 70 of which are classified as advanced or college-level. The average class size is 12 students with a 4:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Loomis had an acceptance rate of 17% for the 2023–2024 school year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Athletics

Loomis Chaffee competes in sports against schools from all over New England and adjacent states.<ref name="auto2">Template:Cite web</ref> The school is a member of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) and competes in the Class A large school division. Additionally, Loomis is a member of The Founders League which comprises private schools located mainly in Connecticut.<ref name="auto2"/>

Heads of school

• (1914–1949): Nathaniel Horton Batchelder<ref name="auto">Template:Cite news</ref>
• (1949–1952): William Speer<ref name="auto" />
• (1952–1967): Francis Olmsted Grubbs<ref name="auto" />
• (1967–1976): Frederick G. Torrey<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• (1976–1996): John Ratté<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• (1996–2008): Russell H. Weigel<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• (2008–2024): Sheila Culbert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• (2024–Present): Jody Reilly Soja<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable faculty

Writer John Horne Burns taught at Loomis and wrote several books while there.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

René Cheruy served for many years as head of the French department, as well as a member of the visual arts department.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• John Mason Loomis – American lumber tycoon and Union colonel during the American Civil War, and one of the Loomis family financiers and co-founders of the Loomis Institute
• James Chaffee Loomis – American lawyer, politician, and co-founder of the Loomis Institute
• Osbert Burr Loomis – American portrait painter and co-founder of the Loomis Institute

External links

• Template:Official website