# The Hill School

The Hill School is a coeducational preparatory boarding school located on a 200-acre (81 ha) campus in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Philadelphia. The Hill is part of the Ten Schools Admission Organization.
The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools.

## History

The Hill School was founded in 1851 by the Rev. Matthew Meigs as the Family Boarding School for Boys and Young Men. However, it has been known as the Hill School since 1874.
The school opened on May 1, 1851, enrolling 25 boys for the first year. It considered itself a new type of boarding school, namely a "family boarding school" with students housed on campus, not boarding with families in the town.
In 1998, the school became coeducational, enrolling 88 girls in its first year.

## Academics

In the early 20th century, The Hill was a feeder school for Princeton University; The Hill School Club was active at Princeton for the benefit of Hill alumni. Princeton's admissions standards were relaxed for Hill School students. At one point, Lawrenceville and Hill sent more students to Princeton than all public schools combined. Today, Hill alumni attend a wide variety of colleges.
The Hill School offers classes in each of its nine academic departments and offers 28 Advanced Placement courses.

### Partner schools

The Hill School has cooperated with Charterhouse School in the United Kingdom since 1994; they organize instructional trips and exchanges of extracurricular programs and teachers. It is linked with the Maru a Pula School in Botswana. As well, the Hill hosts a Thai King's Scholar every year. The Hill School is a participating school in the Naval Academy Foundation Prep Program.

## Athletics

In the early days of the school, boys played shinney, town ball, football and cricket. During John Meigs' tenure as headmaster, organized and interscholastic sports began at The Hill. Tennis became the dominant sport during this period, unlike baseball at other schools.
The Hill School is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL), which the School joined in 1998. The Hill School was a charter member of the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA), which became an officially sanctioned organization in 2011. In 2014, The Hill School received associate membership in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC).
The Hill School's rivalry with Lawrenceville dates back to 1887. It is the fifth-oldest high school rivalry in the United States. Originally an annual football game, the schools compete against each other in all of the fall sports on either the first or second weekend in November.
Peddie School also maintains a "Hill Day" during which several teams from Hill and Peddie compete.

## Culture

The Hill School has been described as different in style and spirit from its counterparts in New England, and has been described as strict and demanding. It has also been described as conservative.
Alumnus Oliver Stone described his experience at The Hill School: "I hated the Hill School at the time. It was monastic. Horrible food, no girls. It was truly one of those Charles Dickens' types of experiences. And I really hated it. Years later I came to appreciate it." The Hill has been criticized, alongside other East Coast Protestant schools, for promoting "snobbish", undemocratic, and "un-American values".
E. Digby Baltzell's book The Protestant Establishment identified the Hill School as one of the "select sixteen" best boarding schools in the United States.

## Heads of School

Heads of School for The Hill School since its founding in 1851:
| Name | Tenure | Education | Notes |
| Matthew Meigs | 1851–1876 | Union College, Union Theological Seminary | Presbyterian minister and former President of Delaware College. |
| John Meigs | 1876–1911 | Hill, Lafayette College | Took over as headmaster at age 24. |
| Alfred G. Rolfe | 1911–1914 | | |
| Dwight R. Meigs | 1914–1922 | | Son of John Meigs, who created the current dining room, described by the school as "a pivotal gathering space on The Hill School’s campus." |
| Dr. Boyd Edwards | 1922–1928 | | |
| James Wendell | 1928–1952 | Wesleyan | Olympic silver medalist in 110 m hurdles |
| Edward (Ned) T. Hall | 1952–1968 | | Also served as ice hockey coach |
| Archibald R. Montgomery | 1968–1973 | Westminster, Penn | Left to become headmaster of St. Stephen's Episcopal School. Former United States Marine. |
| Charles C. Watson | 1973–1993 | | Former U.S Navy officer |
| David R. Dougherty | 1993–2012 | Episcopal High School, Washington and Lee University | Oversaw shift to co-ed school |
| Zachary G. Lehman | 2012–2022 | Phillips Exeter Academy, Dartmouth College, Harvard Law School | |
| Kathleen Devaney | 2023-Present | Bowdoin College, Dartmouth College | First female head of school |