Morristown–Beard School

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Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox school Morristown Beard School is a coeducational, independent, college-preparatory day school located in Morristown, New Jersey, United States. Serving students in sixth through twelfth grades, the school has two academic units: an Upper School (9–12) and a Middle School (6–8).

The present-day Morristown Beard School was formed from the 1971 merger of two single-sex schools: the Beard School for Girls and the Morristown School for Boys. The Commission on Secondary Schools at the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools has accredited the school since 1973.<ref name=MSA-CESS>Morristown–Beard SchoolTemplate:Dead link, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 6, 2012.</ref>

Peter J. Caldwell served as Morristown Beard School's Head of School from 2011 to 2021.<ref>Welcome from the Headmaster Template:Webarchive, Morristown–Beard School. Accessed July 5, 2011.</ref> The interim head of school is Philicia Levinson, who took office in June 2025 to succeed Liz Morrison, who had assumed the role of head of school on July 1, 2021.<ref name=Levinson/>

Student body and faculty

As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 616 students and 94.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 6.6:1. The school's student body was 73.1% (450) White, 8.6% (53) Black, 6.3% (39) Hispanic, 6.0% (37) two or more races, 5.7% (35) Asian and 0.3% (2) American Indian / Alaska Native.<ref name=NCES>School data for The Morristown Beard School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 1, 2023.</ref> Of the 2018–19 school year, Morristown Beard School had 435 Upper School students and 140 Middle School students. The student body (46% male, 54% female) come from 90+ towns in New Jersey.<ref name="fast facts">Fast Facts about MBS, Morristown–Beard School. Accessed December 20, 2018.</ref>

Ninety-two faculty members teach at Morristown Beard School as of the 2018–19 school year. The school has a faculty–to-student ratio of 1:7 and an average class size of 13 students. Seventy-two percent of the faculty hold advanced degrees, and 19% hold PhDs.<ref name="fast facts" />

History

Morristown School

The Episcopal Church founded Morristown School as St. Bartholomew's School in 1891. Rev. Frank E. Edwards, a graduate of Harvard University (1891), served as the school's first headmaster, and classes took place in Morristown's Normandy Park area. St. Bartholomew's school was noted for hosting a speech by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes novels, in 1894.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Three years later, St. Bartholomew's School moved its classes to Whippany Road after building a new campus near the Morristown railroad station. Designed by architects Edward Lippincott Tilton and William A. Boring<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> (co-designers of Ellis Island's Immigrant Station), the buildings for this campus required only 90 days to construct.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The blended Colonial Revival and Classical Revival architecture styles reflect the colonial history of the Morristown area.<ref name="nrhp">Template:NRHP url</ref> Ford Mansion in Morristown (now part of Morristown National Historical Park) served as one of George Washington's headquarters during the American Revolutionary War.

When St. Bartholomew's School faced financial challenges in late 1897, three of its teachers from Harvard University Class of 1888 reorganized St. Bartholomew's School as the Morristown School. These three co-founders of Morristown School were Francis Call Woodman, Arthur Pierce Butler, and Thomas Quincy Browne. Aiding their work to start the new school, a large donation from wealthy businessman Henry Lee Higginson<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> (known for founding the Boston Symphony Orchestra) provided critical seed funding. The school also benefited from large financial gifts of three other notable philanthropists: businessmen Charles Francis Adams III, Larz Anderson III, and Joseph Lee.<ref name="endowment">Template:Cite news</ref> Adams (a great-grandson of President John Quincy Adams) and Anderson (a son of General Nicholas Longworth Anderson) graduated from Harvard in the same class year as Morristown School's co-founders. (Lee graduated from Harvard five years earlier.)

Morristown School prepared its students for Harvard University, other Ivy League schools, and engineering schools.<ref>Template:Cite book "</ref> The school opened in September 1898 with 23 students and eight staff members.<ref name="nrhp"/> Just two years later, enrollment more than tripled to educate 75 students;<ref name="yale-alumni">Template:Cite book</ref> the student body increased to 173 by 1923.<ref name="fire">Template:Cite news</ref> In 1908, Morristown School achieved recognition as one of only two schools outside New England to send students to Harvard for ten consecutive years (1899–1908).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Strengthening the connection with Harvard, Morristown School leaders hosted the Harvard Club of New Jersey. The club's April 1909 meeting brought visits from Harvard President Charles Eliot, New Jersey Governor John Fort, and New Jersey Chancellor Mahlon Pitney (later a U.S Supreme Court justice).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Eleven years later, the Morristown School ran a $500,000 fundraising campaign to establish an endowment. Several Harvard graduates served on the campaign's executive committee, including graduates of Harvard and the Morristown School (writer Roger Burlingame, journalist Samuel T. Williamson, and businessman Felix Knauth).<ref name="endowment" />

During World War I, 65 of Morristown School's first 103 graduates (63%) served in the U.S. military.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Their service reflected the value of community service emphasized by Morristown School to its student body. During the war, students at the school raised funds to purchase and equip the Morristown School Ambulance. They then presented this ambulance to the American Field Service for use in France. The American Field Service awarded Morristown School a certificate and a brass plaque to show its appreciation for the ambulance.<ref name="morristown school history">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1913, a group of 40 of Morristown School's students helped the Morristown Fire Department extinguish a forest fire that had spread over three miles on Horse Hill; the students used portable chemical extinguishers to fight the flames.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Nine years later, the full student body (173 students) helped fight a large fire that had destroyed two nearby houses.<ref name="fire" /> In 1957, the basketball team donated a trophy to Delbarton School (the school rival) to honor Paul Kreutz, a Delbarton player who drowned in 1956.<ref name="morristown school history" />

Beard School

In 1891, sisters Lucie Beard, Eliza Mills Beard, and Ettie Beard Foster started a school for kindergarten students on Claredon Place in Orange, New Jersey.<ref name="lucie beard">Template:Cite news</ref> The three sisters were cousins of historian James Truslow Adams, a Pulitzer Prize winning writer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Eliza Beard oversaw the school's financial management, and Lucie Beard ran the educational activities.<ref name="eliza beard">Template:Cite news</ref> Their mother, Hester Truslow Beard, also assisted with the establishment of the school.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Beard school had an initial enrollment of 13 students.<ref name="lucie beard"/> The all-girls school moved to Berkley Avenue in 1900<ref name="eliza beard"/> and continued adding grades until it graduated its first class in 1903. Taking the role of a preparatory country day school, Beard School prepared its students for the Seven Sisters and other colleges and universities.

Earning notoriety for this purpose, the Beard School received financial support from capitalist Sidney Morse Colgate of Colgate-Palmolive.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1928, the school hosted a speech by Rev. Harry Emerson Fosdick, a social justice activist, at its commencement ceremony.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Fosdick's visit reflected Beard School's commitment to service for its student body. During World War I, the students made bandages and wound dressings and began a tradition of sewing and knitting items to donate to the American Red Cross. This tradition extended into and past the Great Depression of the 1930s. During World War II, Beard School's students worked for the Junior Red Cross and assisted the American war effort by contributing their time and money.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On November 30, 1953, a large fire swept through Beard School's campus in the middle of the night. Reaching a peak of fifty feet in the air, the fire engulfed two of the school's five buildings and left them unusable. The fire destroyed an auditorium, 16 classrooms, and Beard School's gymnasium. After calling the fire department, Headmistress Edith Sutherland awakened the 20 boarding students and led them to safety on the school's front lawn.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Salvaging wood from the school's ruined buildings, a machinist repairman who lived nearby built a two-story garage for his family's home. His daughter later penned an essay about her childhood that described her memories surrounding the fire. Submitting the essay to Unico National, an Italian-American service organization, she earned second place in their Ella T. Grasso literary contest.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Rebuilding, Beard School launched the Beard Fund campaign in Fall 1954 to fund construction of a new building to replace the two buildings devastated by the fire. The campaign hosted a Hawaiian-themed benefit dance on October 22, 1954, to raise some of the funds.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the spring of that school year, the Beard School opened the new fireproof building for use by classes.<ref name="Orange">Template:Cite book</ref> Eleven years later, the Beard School had discussions with Short Hills Country Day School about a potential merger of the two schools.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The two schools did not merge, however. Short Hills Country Day School later merged with the Pingry School in Bernards, New Jersey.

Morristown Beard School

The all-boys Morristown School merged with the all-girls Beard School in 1971. The new co-ed school elected to use Morristown School's campus in Morristown and close the Beard School's campus in Orange. (The former campus of the Beard School now houses the White House Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center.)<ref name="Orange" /> On Prize Day, June 5, 1971, the Morristown School officially transitioned into Morristown Beard School, a name chosen to reflect the importance of the history of its predecessor schools.<ref name="mbshistory">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Recognizing their collective legacy, Morristown Beard School adopted the Beard School's Latin motto of ("Ad Astra per Aspera") and the Morristown School's school shield.<ref name="mbshistory" /> (The Morristown School had two Latin mottos: "Civitas" and "Orbis Aratro Pendet". The former means citizenship, and the latter means: "The world hangs in the work of the plow.") Morristown Beard School also renamed its Main Building as Beard Hall. The first class of the school graduated in June 1972.<ref name="mbshistory" /> Twenty-two years later in 1994, the school expanded its Middle School's student body from two grades (7–8) to three (6–8).

Morristown-Beard was the subject to a sex-scandal in 2011 due to a sexual relationship between a student, Sharon Zelnick, and a teacher, Edward Sherman. The couple where engaged in a sexual relationship since at least 2010, a date an MBS employee went on record stating he saw Zelnick and Sherman engage in a physical relationship. The relationship was made apparent to Sharon's parents when she feigned an illness during a school trip to Greece in 2011 and was 'chaperoned' by Sherman until she recovered which went against school rules. The school initially requested Zelnick's parents be lenient to Sherman, but claimed to have no knowledge of the relationship at the time. By December 2011 MBS administration received numerous calls from concerned parents about the relationship, and performed an internal investigation, but never notified the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) with parents having to go directly to the DCPP to get them involved. Shortly after the DCPP got involved Sherman fled to Israel and following her graduation after not physically attending classes Senior year Sharon also moved to Israel. Sharon's parents sued the school in December 2015 for gross negligence, breach of contract, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and fraud.<ref name="Suit">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Shortly after the DCPP began their investigation in 2011 headmaster Alex Curtis stepped down, being replaced by Peter Caldwell.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2016 the lawsuit was dismissed as the judge ruled Sharon's parents had no standing to sue, and that only Sharon herself could sue, but the judge did acknowledge that Sharon was sexually assaulted by Sherman.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Suit"/>

Many notable figures have visited Morristown Beard School to speak to students, faculty, and staff. Colonel Jack H. Jacobs, a Medal of Honor recipient, spoke on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend in 2015. Jacobs received the medal for bravery during the Vietnam War.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Other notable speakers have included: businesswoman Bobbi Brown,<ref>Bobbi Brown Speaks at MBS</ref> authors Rachel Simmons<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Bryan Burrough,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

During the George Floyd protests three seniors where recorded saying slurs and mocking George Floyd.<ref name="panza">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Following this the three students had their admissions to various prestigious colleges revoked.<ref name="Giaquinto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Following the incident the Headmaster, Peter Caldwell, stepped down and Elizabeth Morrison was brought in to reshape school culture to be more diverse and inclusive and to empower the school's black students, however, this sudden change in management has been met with some push back with many of the teachers seeking employment elsewhere.<ref name="Liz">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="diversity">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Morrison resigned suddenly in June of 2025, with Philicia Levinson, the schools director of Human Resources, being named interim head in her absence.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Facilities

Supported by a $16.2 million capital campaign, Morristown Beard School constructed the Middle School building and Founders Hall, a performing arts facility. The Middle School building opened during fall 2008, and Founders Hall, which houses a 630-seat surround-sound theatre, opened during winter 2009.<ref>"Morristown-Beard Unveils "Founders' Hall" at Gala" Template:Webarchive, Morristown–Beard School, April 27, 2009. Accessed September 29, 2010.</ref> In 2011, Morristown Beard School transformed Wilkie Hall, which had previously contained the performing arts center, into a technology center with multiple computer labs.<ref name="mbshistory" />

Renovated in 2004, Grant Hall now houses the Center for Academic Writing, the English Department, and the World Languages Department. That year, Morristown Beard also opened the renovated Beard Hall with space for Anderson Library and offices for the History Department, College Counseling, Admissions, and the Headmaster. In 2007, the school renovated South Wing, which now houses the MBS Center for Teaching and Learning (formerly the Center for Learning) and visual arts classrooms.<ref>Our Campus</ref> Morristown Beard School's students have access to a film production studio with a green screen, a studio for multi-track digital audio recording, and a post-production studio.<ref>Media in the Curriculum</ref>

From 2016 to 2017 a large renovation and construction project took place in the north-western corner of Morristown Beard's campus which saw the demolition of the old Math Building and the Science Annex to make away for the new "Math and Science building". The original math building was a Depression era residential building, while the Science annex where two double-wide trailers that where constructed as "temporary" classrooms and where in-use for 15 years. The new Math and Science building was connected via an annex to the dining hall, while the old science classrooms under the dining hall where renovated into a collaborative technological space. The renovations cost over $30 million that was the result of a 10 to 12 year fundraiser.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The building was designed by NK Architects and completed in time to be opened for the 2017 school-year.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2021 the school dedicated its main quad to the Class of 2020 due to their graduation and senior year being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Founders Hall
New Middle School

School-wide iPad program

2010–2011 iPad pilot

In the fall of 2010, Morristown Beard School became one of the first schools in the U.S. to integrate the iPad tablet made by Apple Inc. into its curriculum. For their pilot program, six teachers and 60 students used iPads inside and outside the classroom.<ref>Staff. "Mo-Beard? iPad ", Morris NewsBee, September 3, 2010. Accessed September 12, 2013. "This September, six Morristown–Beard School (MBS) teachers will be giving their students Apples instead of the other way around, as 60 MBS students begin using Apple iPads both inside and outside of their classrooms.... In embarking on the program, MBS becomes one of the first schools in the country not only to integrate this new tablet technology into its curriculum, but to use it in a way that makes the student experience and input a major aspect of the program's design."</ref> During the pilot program, executives from Apple, Inc. visited Morristown Beard School to observe how their iPads enhanced instructional practices and stimulated students' learning.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Campus iPad integration

Beginning with the 2011–2012 academic year, Morristown Beard School now requires all students to purchase an iPad and use the tablet device to assist schoolwork.<ref>"MBS to Kick Off Apple iPad Pilot Program" Template:Webarchive, Morristown–Beard School, August 21, 2010. Accessed September 29, 2010.</ref> The school's curriculum includes multiple electives that teach software development for iOS, the operating system that drives iPads, iPhones, and Apple TVs. Morristown Beard School also runs a dedicated 1000 Mbit/s Wi-Fi network to enable students' and faculty iPads to access the Internet.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2013, Morristown Beard School equipped all classrooms on its campus and many of the school's public spaces with ceiling mounted LCD projectors and wireless media streaming through Apple TV.<ref>iPad 1-2-1</ref> That year, students Graham Dyer and Lena Rajan created the MBS Now app for iPads to help members of the school community quickly access information about school happenings. The MBS Now app provides information on class schedules, homework assignments, school calendars, lunch menus, extracurricular activities, athletic competitions, and school news. The app also provides school forms for various activities and information on senior projects.<ref>The Time Has Come for the MBS Now App</ref> Members of the Morristown Beard School community contribute content to MBS Now by posting updates at the app's home portal. Publication of the source code for each update to MBS Now on GitHub enables students at other K–12 schools to develop similar iOS apps.<ref>gdyer/MBS Now</ref>

Due to being one of the first school's in the country to implement a 1:1 iPad program, Morristown Beard was recognized as an Apple Distinguished School since 2024.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Clubs and extracurricular activities

Community service

Upper School (grade 9–12) students must complete at least eight hours of community service during each semester and write reflections on their experiences.<ref>"Community Service Program" Template:Webarchive "Each student is required to complete eight hours of community service each semester and to complete reflections about the experience"</ref> Fulfilling their service requirement, many Morristown Beard students organize campus blood drives or assist local programs like Adopt-A-Trail. Other students volunteer for area nonprofit organizations, such as The Seeing Eye, Neighborhood House, Habitat for Humanity, and the Matheny Medical and Educational Center.

Campus clubs

The Crimson Sun, the student newspaper, has won three gold medalist awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.<ref>CSPA 89th Annual Scholastic Convention, Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Accessed September 12, 2013. "Ida Picker has advised the Crimson Sun newspaper at Morristown–Beard School in Morristown, NJ since 2004. For the past three years, the Crimson Sun has received the CSPA Gold Medalist."</ref> Salmagundi, the school's yearbook, has published annually since 1904. The debate team has competed against area schools since a 1923 competition among Morristown School, Pingry School and Montclair Academy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Quiz Bowl team has become increasingly prominent in recent years, hosting the first ever Morristown Beard Fall Invitational tournament in 2019. Other clubs and extracurricular activities at MBS include: Art Club, Business Finance and Investment Club, Contemporary Music Workshop, Drama Club, Drone Club, Film Club, Foster Care Club, GLOW Club (Girls Leadership, Outreach and Worth), Mariah (art & literary magazine), Mu Alpha Theta, Model United Nations, Service Committee, Young Republicans Club, Progressive Caucus, and the Student Government Association.

Theatre and arts

In recent years, Morristown Beard School's theatre program has received multiple nominations from Paper Mill Playhouse's Rising Star Awards program. In 2012, student Carina Steficek won a Student Achievement Award for her role as a master electrician and board operator in Bat Boy: The Musical.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The following year, Morristown Beard School captured two awards at Montclair State University's Theatre Night Awards Ceremony. The school received an award for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for its performance of William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream. Student Alexa Rojek also received an award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Classical Work for her role in the play.<ref>2013 Theatre Night Awards Ceremony</ref>

In 2013, student Jack Lindberg earned two awards for his singing accomplishments. He won first place for high school men singing classical voice at the Doris Lenz Festival for High School Students. Lindberg also captured a special commendation at the New Jersey All-State High School Opera Festival.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Athletics

Logo of Morristown-Beard's athletics

The Morristown Beard School Crimson<ref name=NJSIAAprofile>Morristown–Beard School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.</ref> competes in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Morris, Sussex and Warren counties, and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).<ref>Home Page, Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference. Accessed August 27, 2020. "The Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference prides itself on being one of New Jersey's premier high school conferences and is comprised of 39 high schools located in Northwest New Jersey."</ref><ref>League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.</ref> Prior to the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had participated in the Colonial Hills Conference which included public and private high schools in Essex, Morris and Somerset counties in west Central Jersey.<ref>Home Page, Colonial Hills Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive, as of November 19, 2010. Accessed December 15, 2014.</ref> With 335 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public B for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 37 to 366 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group I for public schools).<ref>NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.</ref> The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group B (equivalent to Group I/II for public schools) for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 140 to 686 students.<ref>NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.</ref>

Cheered on by the bear (the school mascot), Morristown Beard School's teams compete as the Crimson,<ref name=NJSIAAprofile/> a reflection of historical ties with Harvard.Template:Citation needed The school's 20 varsity teams have captured championships in several sports. Five of Morristown Beard School's teams (football, girls' ice hockey, boys' cross country, girls' tennis, girls' volleyball) have attained undefeated seasons in their athletic histories. During the 1990s, the athletic facilities at Morristown Beard School played host to floor hockey competition of the New Jersey Special Olympics Winter Games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2012, Lou Lamoriello, general manager of three Stanley Cup-winning New Jersey Devils teams, presented the keynote address at the induction ceremony for the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.<ref>Hall of Fame Celebrates 25 Years Template:Webarchive "The event was highlighted by a keynote address from Lou Lamoriello, the CEO and General Manager of the New Jersey Devils hockey team."</ref> The following year, Tony Siragusa, a former NFL player who played on a Super Bowl-winning Baltimore Ravens football team, spoke at Morristown Beard School. Siragusa, father of Morristown Beard School student Samantha Siragusa '15, worked as a sideline reporter for NFL games on Fox Sports from 2003 to 2016.<ref>Football & "Man Caves" Star to Speak at MBS Tonight Template:Webarchive "The Morristown Beard Crimson Club invites you to an evening with Tony Siragusa, former professional football player and host of the DIY Channel's "Man Caves", on Thursday, April 25 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. in Wilkie Hall. Join us as Tony shares stories about growing up in New Jersey, his journey to the NFL, winning the Super Bowl, and his adventures on and off the field! Siragusa, MBS parent of Samantha '15, is a former NFL defensive tackle with the Indianapolis Colts and the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens."</ref> In 2019 Trevor Baptiste was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Ice hockey

Boys' ice hockey team

As one of the oldest hockey programs in the U.S., the boys' ice hockey team traces its history to the late 19th century. (The earliest media coverage about the program ran in the 1900–1901 academic year.)<ref name="Whitney 1901">Template:Cite book"Morristown School is new, and her teams lack the traditions which stimulate the traditions of so many of the schools but she is building wisely..."</ref> Since its founding, the boys' ice hockey team has captured 16 NJISAA Prep B Titles (1928, 1974–1975, 1980, 1982–1984, 1991, 1997, 2005, 2007–2010, 2012, and 2013 (co-champion)). The team won the Gordon Cup of the Gordon Conference in 1965 and 1966. Jon Vlachos, star center on those teams, received induction into the NJ High School Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.

Since joining the Morris County Conference, the boys' ice hockey team has won 10 Mennen Cups (1980, 1982–1983, 1994 (co-champion), 2006, 2009–2011, 2014, and 2015).<ref>Mennen Cup Template:Webarchive, Morris County Secondary Schools Ice Hockey League. Accessed September 3, 2012.</ref> Head Coach John Puskar earned the NJ Boys Ice Hockey Coach of the Year Award twice during his tenure from 2003 to 2009. In 2009, Former NHL player Randy Velischek took over as Head Coach of the boys' ice hockey team. Under his leadership, the sixth-ranked 2013–14 boys' ice hockey team defeated Delbarton School to reach the non-public state championship for the first time in school history.<ref>Ice Hockey: No. 6 Morristown-Beard stuns No. 1 Delbarton; Heading to first-ever NJSIAA finals</ref> After tying Christian Brothers Academy in overtime of the state championship game on March 9, 2014, Morristown Beard School earned a share of the non-public state title. They finished the 2013–14 season with an overall record of 21–5–2. On April 7, 2014, the New Jersey Devils honored Morristown Beard's hockey team during a game at Prudential Center played against the Calgary Flames.<ref>NJ Devils to Honor MBS Hockey Team</ref>

During the late 1920s and early 1930s, the hockey team competed against Kent School in holiday rivalry games played at Madison Square Garden. They played for the Ranger trophy donated by Colonel John S. Hammond, first president of the New York Rangers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After receiving a personal message of good luck from President Franklin Roosevelt,<ref name="nytEuropeanTour">Template:Cite news</ref> the team went on an overseas tour in Europe during the 1933–1934 school year. They competed against several club and school teams from Switzerland, Germany, and France.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Girls' ice hockey team

The girls' ice hockey team began competition in the Women's Interscholastic Hockey League of the Mid-Atlantic (WIHLMA) in 2005. Since then, the team has won the league championship seven times (2007–2008, 2010–2014). The girls' hockey team notched their fifth straight WIHLMA title in a game played against Portledge School from Locust Valley, New York, on February 16, 2014.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The team finished as the runner-up to Shady Side Academy in 2015,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On April 13, 2014, the New Jersey Devils awarded player Kendall Cornine '15 their High School Ice Hockey Girls' Player of the Year Award during a game against the Boston Bruins. Cornine, who played the position of forward, notched 26 goals and 24 assists during the season and earned All-State selection from The Star-Ledger.<ref>Kendall Cornine '15 Honored by NJ Devils</ref> In 2015, NJ.com selected Cornine as their Girls Ice Hockey Player of the Year for 2014–2015 after she became Morristown Beard's all-time scoring leader. During her high school career, Cornine notched 104 goals and 94 assists to accumulate 198 total points in 75 games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

During the 2010–2011 school year, the girls' hockey achieved an undefeated 18–0 season during the 2010–2011 academic year. The girls' ice hockey team also notched 45 consecutive victories during the period from January 10, 2010, to February 15, 2012.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>"Maffei sisters lead the state's growth of girls ice hockey", The Star-Ledger by John Christian Hageny, February 21, 2007. "The twins, sophomore standouts at Morristown–Beard School in Morris Township, eat, sleep and breathe hockey, and it showed this season as they helped Morristown-Beard to a 16–2–1 record and the championship of the Women's Interscholastic Hockey League of the Mid-Atlantic Tournament."</ref> Former NHL player Bruce Driver, who played on a Stanley Cup-winning NJ Devils team, has coached the girls' ice hockey team since the 2000–2001 season. He received the NJ Girls Ice Hockey Coach of the Year Award in 2007 and earned his 200th win in December 2013. Driver's daughter Whitney, Morristown Beard Class of 2004, played on the girls' ice hockey team, as well as on the softball and girls' soccer teams. She also helped create the school's sportsmanship award.<ref>"MBS News: Whitney Driver Conducts Leadership Seminars at MBS" Template:Webarchive "As a student at Morristown–Beard School, Driver played ice hockey, soccer and softball, and she was instrumental in creating the School's Sportsmanship Award."</ref>

Football

Morristown Beard School's football team has a history that dates back to 1898. Coached by Princeton graduate Irvin Dickey and then Dartmouth graduate D.B. Rich, Morristown School's football team won 22 of 25 games (88%) during the 1898–1900 seasons. Speedy Harold Hathaway Weekes, who graduated in 1899, played a pivotal role in the team's success during the 1898 season.<ref name="yale-alumni"/> After playing his college career for the Columbia Lions football team of Columbia University, Weekes received induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954. His brother, Bradford Gage Weekes, followed in Harold's footsteps during his own notable football career at Morristown School.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Continuing this success through the 20th century, the football team achieved 11 undefeated seasons (1901, 1911, 1914, 1916, 1919, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1948, 1987). They won the state championship in 1987Template:Citation needed and finished as runner-up for the state championship at Giants Stadium in 2007.<ref>2007 Football - Non-Public, Group I, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed March 9, 2008.</ref><ref>Hague, Jim. "Betz's toughness, leadership shines through for Crimson", Daily Record, December 1, 2007. Accessed July 5, 2011. "After his Morristown-Beard football team left the field at Giants Stadium Friday night having endured a tough 28–7 loss to Paterson Catholic in the NJSIAA Non-Public Group I state championship game, Mike Betz looked like someone who had been in a war."</ref> Theatre critic John Mason Brown, who received the superlatives of "Best All-Around", "Most Popular", Wittiest", at graduation, played guard on the football team during his years at the school (1917–1919).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Baseball and softball

Morristown Beard School's baseball team won the 2005 and 2010 NJSIAA Non-Public North B state championships. They also captured the 2007 Prep B state championship.<ref>2005 Baseball - Non-Public Finals, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 14, 2007.</ref> John Sheppard, Head Coach of the baseball team, notched his 400th win in 2016, defeating Randolph High School to win the Morris County Tournament, the first tournament title in school history.<ref>Bove, Matt. "Morristown-Beard tops Randolph after disputed play to win 1st Morris County baseball title", NJ Advance Media, May 21, 2016. Accessed November 6, 2016. "The title is the first in school history in any sport for Morristown-Beard and gave coach John Sheppard his 400th career victory, but those accomplishments might have been temporarily forgotten in the wild final inning."</ref> On March 30, 2014, he received induction into the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Hall of Fame.<ref>Sheppard to be inducted into NJSCA Hall of Fame</ref> Pitching coach Mike Sturgeon trained Boston Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello during his days at Seton Hall Preparatory School. (Sturgeon is also an alumnus of the high school.)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1984 and 1986, Morristown Beard School's softball team won titles. Spike Billings, who served for many years as the school's athletic director, and visual arts teacher Laurie Hartman coached those teams.<ref>"Hall of Fame to Honor Arnold '97, Barnes '86 and Tucker '02" Template:Webarchive "Taryn Barnes '86 played four years of Varsity Field Hockey and Softball while at MBS. Coached by Spike Billings and Laurie Hartman she played on two championship softball teams (1984 & 1986)"</ref> Morristown Beard School elected Billings to its Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.<ref>Hall of Fame</ref>

Boys' and girls' soccer

In 2014, the girls'<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and boys'<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> soccer teams finished runner-up for the Non-Public North B state title at DePaul Catholic in Wayne, New Jersey. The girls' soccer team won the Prep B Title in 2004 (shared with Rutgers Prep) and 2013.<ref>"Alumni Ties: The Guaranteed Dividend" Template:Webarchive "Our season began on August 16th and ended on November 7th when we competed for the State Prep "B" Championship. The result was a 1–1 tie after 80 minutes of regulation play and 2 golden goal 10 minute overtime periods. The State has adopted that no championship game shall be determined by penalty kicks so we were named co-champions with Morristown Beard"</ref> The boys' soccer team won the state championship in both 1968 and 1974.<ref>"MBS News: Soccer Alumni Reunite to Honor Coach Chavonelle" "Coach Chavonelle led the boys' soccer team to two state championships: in 1968 and 1974."</ref> George Tilghman, who served as headmaster of Morristown School (1926–1939), played on the soccer team during his years as a student at the school.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2018, the girls soccer team finished the season with a 10–9–3 record after defeating St. Rose High School by a score of 2–0 to win the Non-Public B state championship at Kean University.<ref name=NJSIAAGirlsSoccer>NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref><ref>Gould, Brandon. "Morristown-Beard girls soccer beats St. Rose, wins 1st ever Non-Public B title (PHOTOS)", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 11, 2018, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed January 24, 2021. "Genevieve Pike found space in the attacking third midway through the second half at Kean University and called for the ball.... The Crimson added another goal a minute later and then ran off the final 18 for a historic 2–0 win on Sunday that secured the program's first-ever Non-Public B title. The title victory came just three days after Morristown-Beard beat rival Villa Walsh to win the program's first North, Non-Public B championship.... Morristown-Beard (10–9–3) started playing its best soccer in the postseason and went though Morris County rivals Morris Catholic and Villa Walsh to get it done in the sectional playoffs."</ref>

Boys' and girls' basketball

The boys' basketball team debuted in the 1910–1911 school year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2011 and 2012, the team won consecutive conference championships in under Head Coach Eddie Franz. Franz netted his 300th win as Head Coach in 2013. He also received induction into the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association (NJSCA) Hall of Fame that year.<ref>"News: Eddie Franz Wins 300th Game" Accessed September 13, 2013. "He enjoyed one of his most successful seasons in 2011–2012, when the Crimson jumped out to a perfect 18–0 record before finishing the season with a 21–5 mark and their second consecutive conference championship."</ref> Marquis Webb, a former Rutgers basketball player, has been head coach of the boys' basketball since 2023.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2014, the girls' basketball team won their conference in 2014 for the first time in school history. The team reached the quarterfinal round of the Morris County Tournament for the first time after defeating Morris Knolls High School.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On March 15, 2015, the girls' basketball team defeated the Pennington School to capture the Prep B title for the first time in school history.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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Season Name Points Scored (Season) Points Per Game(Season)
2024–25 MJ Jarrell 559 21.5
2023–24 MJ Jarrell 395 17.2
2022–23 Max Masino 244 11.1
2021–22 Jaron Afuola 235 13.1
2020–21 Justin Axelrad 144 12.0
2019–20 Justin Axelrad 389 14.9
2018–19 John Martin 241 10.0
2017–18 Justin Rodriguez 438 17.5
2016–17 *No Data* *No Data* *No Data*
2015–16 Brian Monaghan 496 18.3
2014–15 Brian Monaghan 436 16.7
2013–14 Stephen Sangree 302 12.8

Cross country and track

The boys' cross country team achieved consecutive undefeated 17–0 seasons in 1960 and 1961. They won the Prep B title in both seasons.<ref>"Athletic Hall of Fame Welcomes New Members" "For two years in a row, Coach Mackin coached the Morristown Cross Country team to an undefeated 17–0 record. The crew of 2 1/2 mile runners, captained by Bob Dyer '62, also captured the coveted Prep "B" State Title both years and the prestigious Ivy League trophy in the 1960–1961 season."</ref>

Lacrosse

The boys' lacrosse team defeated Immaculata High School to win the Non-Public B state championship in 2008 and 2019,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=NJSIAABoysLacrosse>NJSIAA Boys Lacrosse Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref> and won the Prep B Title in 2008 and 2009.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The girls' lacrosse team won the Prep B title in 2009, 2010, and 2014.

Tennis

The girls' tennis team won the Prep B title and the conference championship in an undefeated 12–0 season in 2011.<ref>"Girls Tennis Wins Championship." Accessed September 13, 2013. "Congratulations to the MBS varsity girls' tennis team which recently capped a perfect 12–0 season record by clinching the conference championship and a Prep B championship."</ref>

Volleyball

The girls' volleyball team went undefeated in the 1986 season and captured the state championship.<ref>"Homecoming Weekend Slated for October 17–18". Accessed September 13, 2013. "The 2008 Hall of Fame Inductees are Eddie Franz and Gretel Oakes Merrill '88...She helped the volleyball team go undefeated and win the 1986 state championship."</ref>

Golf

The golf team won the school's first Prep B Title in the sport in 2009.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} "The Morristown-Beard golf team captured its first Prep B state championship in school history on May 14th, as the Crimson edged Montclair-Kimberley Academy by five strokes at Peddie Golf Course in Hightstown."</ref>

Field hockey

The girls' field hockey team has won the Prep B title in both 2008 and 2011.<ref>Tober, Steve. "Morristown-Beard uses corners to capture Prep B", Daily Record, November 3, 2008. Accessed July 5, 2011. "First-half corners led to goals by Julie Guempel and Hillary Smith, each off well-placed assists delivered from fellow forward Emily Leahy, to spur the Crimson to a 2–0 victory over Montclair Kimberley Academy for the Prep B championship on Sunday."</ref>

Discontinued sports

Wrestling

Before its merger with the Beard School, Morristown School had a highly successful wrestling team. The wrestling team won three consecutive NJSIS Class B Championships from 1964 to 1966.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1999, Morristown Beard School honored the 1965 wrestling team by electing it to the Athletics Hall of Fame.<ref>Hall of Fame, Morristown–Beard School. Accessed May 7, 2015.</ref>

Notable alumni

Morristown Beard School alumni have collectively received election to selective national societies for achievements in the arts, literature, science, theatre, and athletics. They have also attained several nationally prestigious awards. Morristown Beard School alumni have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Distinguished Service Cross, the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Honor Award, the Medal for Merit, and France's Legion of Honour and Croix de Guerre for achievements in governmental and military service. For achievements in literature and journalism, they have attained a Newbery Medal, two Caldecott Honor Awards, The Bollingen Prize, the Peabody Award, three Emmy Awards, and the Library of Congress' Children's Book of the Year Award. Morristown Beard School alumni have attained the Vetlesen Prize (the highest award in geology/geophysics), the American Chemical Society's Industry Award, the Alexander Agassiz Medal, and a Rhodes Scholarship for achievements in science, innovation, and scholarship. Their humanitarian accomplishments have earned Lions Clubs International's Lions Humanitarian Award and the National Coalition of Hispanic Mental Health and Human Services' National Humanitarian Award. Morristown Beard School alumni have also captured gold medals in the Olympics and the Pan American Games.

Architects, designers, and engineers

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Athletes and coaches

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  • Ann Probert (class of 1960), amateur golfer, 14-time winner of the Garden State Championship, and past co-chair of the Curtis Cup<ref name=married>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • Ernest Savignano (1919–1994, class of 1938), assistant athletic coach at Brown University and football player for the Brown Bears<ref name="brown hof">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Authors, illustrators, and publishers

Business executives and financial professionals

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Civil rights advocates, civic leaders, and humanitarians

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Government officials

Journalists and writers

Physicians and healthcare advocates

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|CitationClass=web }} "Enters Morristown School, a boarding school in New Jersey, and photographs athletic events there"</ref>

Military officers

Performing artists and media personalities

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Educators, scientists, and scholars

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Visual artists and poets

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Notable faculty, staff, and coaches

Notable trustees and advisory board members

Heads of school

St. Bartholomew's School

Rev. Frank E. Edwards (1891–1898)

Morristown School

Beard School

  • Lucie C. Beard (1891–1946)
  • Sara Clarke Turner (1946–1948)
  • Edith M. Sutherland (1948–1970)
  • George Burr (1970–1971)

Morristown-Beard School

References

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