History

A Board of Trustees was formed to lead the fledgling school with a steady, yet aggressive hand. Judge Perry Bowen, Jr., was President of the Board, and his colleagues included Jimmy Briscoe, Charles Cox, Dwight Galt, Jack Hammett, Robert Lee Horsmon, Owen Jones, Earl Thompson, and Kenneth Wells. But the school needed educational leadership, and for this they decided on Patricia Meagher. Mrs. Meagher came to The Calverton School from the Holton Arms School and worked furiously with the help of the original founders, to layer into their visions, the educational foundation. These people characterized the strength of human spirit needed to give birth to a school.

September 13, 1967, heralded the opening of the Lower School, complete with four classrooms, encompassing grades one through seven. Eighty-five students walked proudly through the bright red doors, into their new educational home. A home built from the sweat and labor of parents and teachers who believed in a quality education as the key to the future.

The school grew, and history tells one part of the story—a chronological view acknowledging growth in terms of land acquisitions, scholarships, and a more comprehensive physical plan. Beginning in May of 1968, the Lower School building was expanded. An Upper School followed in September 1969, with teachers welcoming students in grades seven through twelve. Three years later, in 1972, a generous donation from Lydia Leitch, a retired Calvert County teacher, provided the funds necessary to build a gymnasium.

The 1980s began with the creation of a scholarship fund. Endowed by John Broome, a strong believer in the mission of The Calverton School, the fund was dedicated to providing financial aid for deserving students. Growth continued through the 1980s, as the campus was enlarged by the acquisition of nine acres contiguous to the School. The need for additional classroom space led to further building in the Lower and Upper Schools. By the end of the 1980s, five acres of marshland on the Patuxent River had been donated by John Beech to help extend the science labs into a natural environment.

As we entered the 1990s, the Lower School was again expanded, and a new music room was added. The gymnasium was renovated, and air conditioning became a welcome addition to the School. With the acquisition of 100 acres adjacent to the School, students are able to take advantage of many opportunities for environmental and historical studies.

Great excitement greeted the official opening of the 33,000 square foot Bowen-Thomas Science and Art Center in September 2001, providing students with state of the art science laboratories, a black-box theater, well-equipped art and music studios, and additional classroom space. In January of 2007, the Cataldi Lower School building, named in honor of former Director Dr. Libby Cataldi, provided twelve classrooms, including a new three year-old program, a language lab, an impressive library, and a brick courtyard.

While the physical expansion and improvements at Calverton are impressive, the larger story is told in terms of people—students, faculty, parents, and Board members. The early years were filled with a frenzy of fundraising activities, such as bazaars, auctions, dinners, and house tours, with families working together for a common cause, keeping the School alive.

Calverton's history is steeped in traditions, including the blue and gray uniform, The Calverton School song, and shaking hands with all students as they arrive for the day. Graduates remember field days, commencements, mini-mesters, Grandparents/Someone Special Days, and other special events that make Calverton's traditions different from its counterparts.

True to the original mission of the School, students are taught to pursue truth and virtue, to strive for educational excellence, and to be committed to further learning. Calverton graduates continue to take their places in a democratic society, prepared for the challenges of a rapidly changing world and ready to help shape the future with their visions. Yet, the beat of an ever-changing educational life has quickened as the 21st century is upon us; new futures must be carved. We are reminded each day that the future is now, as children of the first alumni walk proudly through the bright, red doors, just as their mothers and fathers walked before them. The future is in their eyes, and Calverton stands ready to help them take on the academic and social challenges they will face.

As we look toward and prepare for the future, we honor the people who came before us. Judge Perry Bowen, Robert Lee Horsmon, Owen Jones, Bill Lerch, and Lee Ann Potter past Presidents of the Board of Trustees, have led the Board with passion and dedication. Patricia Meagher, Stuart Smith, John Polhemus, Elizabeth Cataldi, Daniel Hildebrand, and Spencer Taintor as former Heads of School, gave many years of their lives to leading the educational vision. Today, Dr. Arpana Shah, President of the Board of Trustees, and Jamey Hein, Interim Head of School, are at the helm, holding true to the trust established nearly fifty years ago. The Board leads with the same rigor and dedication as was exemplified by our founders.

The years have come and gone, and the mission of The Calverton School lives on as we continue to empower students who will become the leaders of tomorrow. Nearly fifty years of dedication, commitment, love, energy, and sheer determination have become the collective force that has sustained The Calverton School. In honor of all those who, in the hope of creating a better future, helped to forge the educational vision and impart the strength of the human spirit that became The Calverton School, we dedicate the future.