“Walker’s is the kind of warmth found through self-discovery.”
By the Decade
Since its founding in 1911, The Ethel Walker School has pioneered the direction for girls' schools. In particular, the specific content and challenge of the school's academic curriculum, the incorporation of athletics as an essential element of that curriculum, and the inclusion of leadership skill development for girls were but a few of the new paths Miss Walker forged in the early days of her school.
Below, enjoy a quick walk through Walker's history. A complete history of The Ethel Walker School can be read in One Hundred Years of Walker's Women by George E. Brown III, available in our Online Store.
1911-1920
The Ethel Walker School opened its doors in the fall of 1911 with seven teachers and ten students. Living and studying in Hamilton House in Lakewood, New Jersey, these girls were among the first in their generation to attend a boarding school whose focus was college preparation.
Each morning, the students learned mathematics, science, history, English, dictation, dance, drama, Latin, French, and German. Afternoons were spent engaging in outdoor activities such as walking, riding and playing basketball.
By 1917, The Ethel Walker School had expanded so much that a move to a larger campus was necessary. On June 25, 1917, Ethel Walker purchased the Dodge estate in bucolic Simsbury, Connecticut. The larger campus allowed students more room for riding and other athletic pursuits. With easy access to both New York and Boston, The Ethel Walker School opened in its new location that fall.
1921 - 1930
On July 19, 1921, Miss Ethel Walker married Dr. Terry Smith in the hall of Cluett House on the western side of Bushy Hill Road. Miss Walker stepped down as Headmistress and her sister, Evangeline Andrews, stepped in. Ethel and Evangeline were as close as two sisters could be. Although Evangeline and Ethel had the same goals in mind, and Evangeline was favored by students and parents, she was at odds with the Board of the School and decided to resign after just one year. Ethel Walker hired Jessie Hewitt, Head of the English Department at Bryn Mawr, to be the new Headmistress of The Ethel Walker School.
Miss Hewitt is remembered as a stern woman. Girls were rarely allowed to leave campus under her watch. However, there were more activities offered on campus. Miss Hewitt breathed new life into old buildings by adding warm decorative touches, having seven tennis courts constructed on campus, and adding a skating pond and hockey field to campus. She also raised funds to build a new gymnasium in 1925 for the sum of $60,000.
1931 - 1940
The Depression did not seem to affect daily life at The Ethel Walker School. However, on April 11, 1933, life changed dramatically for the community when Beaver Brook burned to the ground. Two days later, the School's Four Corners dormitory also caught fire. Both buildings were destroyed, and there were no longer enough beds on campus to accommodate all of the students. One hundred sixty-five girls moved to the Fishers Island Club house, just off of the Connecticut coastline, to finish the school year. Because the country was suffering through the Depression, there were many workers available to rebuild Beaver Brook and Four Corners back in Simsbury. The next school year commenced back in Simsbury in October of 1933, only six months after the fires.
In 1937, Headmistress Jessie Hewitt fell ill and Ethel Walker needed to find a replacement. Miss Caroline Walker (no relation to Ethel Walker Smith), Dean of the School and Mrs. Lloyd, housemother, lead the School until a permanent Headmistress could be found. In September of 1938, Mrs. Elliot Speer became the fourth Headmistress of The Ethel Walker School.
1941 - 1950
As Headmistress, Mrs. Speer loosened restrictions on the girls. With parent permission, students were allowed to go into town to Pettibone’s Tavern, into Hartford to see a play, and were even allowed to receive boys for Sunday afternoon tea. She also wanted the girls to be more aware of the needs of others and expected them to be ready to serve for the Red Cross. With the onset of World War II came rationing. Mrs. Speer had to make do with less, and the students were required to make up the difference. Students were given household chores and were required to work in the garden as well.
In 1944, Mrs. Speer retired and Ethel Walker appointed Radcliffe alumna Natalie Galbraith to the position of Headmistress. Times were changing. Mrs. Galbraith, who was tough but fair, adapted Walker's to reflect the new attitudes. Walker's began accepting more culturally diverse students as well as scholarship students. Weekly meetings in Beaver Brook commenced when Mrs. Galbraith invited students to discuss any problems they might have. She instituted the advisor system, a major component of life at Walker's today. Finally, in the mid-forties, the School's Alumnae Association was formed.
1951 - 1960
In 1952, Ethel Walker's husband, Dr. E. Terry Smith died. He had served as the School doctor, had been instrumental in adding more diversity to the student body, and had even helped design a decorating scheme for Beaver Brook and Cluett Dormitory.
Mrs. Galbraith and Ethel Walker developed a close working relationship and a close friendship. Walker’s was still holding fast to Ethel Walker’s original vision of a highly competitive academic institution. In the mid-fifties, the Board of Trustees began to take a more active role with an extensive development program to build the School's endowment. Funds were raised for the E. Terry Smith faculty house, a chapel and a library. The first ceremony in the Chapel was the wedding of Natalie Gallbraith to Albert Mitchell.
In 1957, Mrs. Galbraith retired and Miss Caroline Walker was, once again, named interim Head. Miss Walker had grown increasingly deaf over the years and the students appreciated her willingness to serve in such a public capacity. To show their appreciation, the Caroline Walker Honor Society was formed to honor "those qualities of character and spirit that we all know and see in Miss Walker and which are all too rarely found in one person."
In 1958, and despite Ethel Walker's objections, the Board appointed Isabel Ferguson, a Columbia graduate, former member of the U.S. Navy's WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), and math teacher from The Kent Place School as Walker's new Headmistress.
1961-1970
Mrs. Ferguson is remembered as a very strict Headmistress. She was not an adult to whom the students could turn to for advice or support. However, she helped the School grow in a variety of ways.
To honor the 50th anniversary of the School and to meet the changing needs of the student body, the Board of Trustees began a capital fundraising campaign with a goal of 1.5 million dollars. The money would go towards new science labs and a language lab. The Cunningham family generously donated the money for a new gymnasium, which was completed in 1964, and was named for Natalie Galbraith Mitchell. By the fall of 1965, the Muriel Alvord Memorial Library was also complete. In 1967 the new Cluett dormitory was ready for residents. Finally, in 1969 the Ferguson Performing Arts Center was dedicated.
In 1968, the first African American young women were enrolled at Walker’s. Times were changing, and Walker’s was responsive to those changes.
1971 - 1980
Mrs. Ferguson was not comfortable with the more liberal attitudes of the 70’s. When she became ill in 1971, she retired. Ogden Miller, a Board member and former Headmaster of The Gunnery, stepped in as interim Head until a replacement could be found. In 1971, the first woman became President of the Board of Trustees. Amey Amory DeFrieze ’45 had helped guide The Turning Point Committee, which studied changes that Walker’s had to make to stay competitive. They considered co-education, but focused on offering students more electives and hiring faculty who were just as interested in the students as they were the subject matter.
In 1973, Walker’s welcomed it first Headmaster, Richard Peirce. Mr. Peirce lived on campus with his wife, Dorothy. More couples began to move onto campus, which produced a family atmosphere on campus.
Throughout his tenure, Mr. Peirce loosened the very strict School rules. There were no longer uniforms or Chapel. Girls could ride their bikes into Simsbury, and classes were no longer so traditional in terms of structure; more creative teaching techniques were explored.
As the students enjoyed more freedom, parents and Board members raised concerns and Mr. Peirce resigned in 1978.
Don Hagerman, former Head of The Holderness School, was named interim Head. In his short, one-year tenure, he instituted the prefect program for students in the dorms and the School service program. Diana Russell Deacon, head of the Lower School at The Shipley School, was named Walker's Headmistress in 1979.
1981 - 1990
Mrs. Deacon served as Head of Walker’s for four years. Under her leadership, a long range plan was designed to meet the ever-changing needs of the School. Dean of Students, Philip Deely was named interim Head and in 1984 Michael Cornog arrived in Simsbury with his wife and daughters. Mr. Cornog had been Head of Dublin School, a small school in New Hampshire.
Mr. Cornog was able to fulfill many of the recommendations from the long range plan. Faculty housing was moved onto campus, the Natalie Galbraith Chair in the Humanities was endowed, and with a generous donation from the James E. Bell family, the Constance Lavino Bell ’48 Library was dedicated in 1987. The old library became a computer center, and Abra Prentice Wilkin ‘60 donated the funds for an updated kitchen and dining area.
The worsening economy and the change of many boys schools to co-ed schools, made attracting and keeping students difficult in the late 80’s. The Board felt that Mr. Cornog was not fully committed to single sex education and named Dr. Margaret Bonz, Dean of Freshmen at Dartmouth, the new Head of School in 1987.
In the Spring of 1990, the new dining room, "Abra’s," and the adjacent atrium was opened. The following fall brought the inauguration of The Ethel Walker Middle School with thirteen 7th and 8th grade students in attendance.
1991 - 2000
The 90’s at Walker’s meant a focus on math and science. The first solar power car built by an all-girls team was entered in the 1992 Tour de Sol. Generously underwritten by Mark Kopek P’95, and overseen by Physics teacher Lee Zalinger, the Ethel Walker students named their car Sol Dancer.
Walker’s also made an effort to become more involved in the Simsbury community. From sharing athletic fields with local teams, to donating land for a community garden, to students doing service in the area, the interactions between the School and the town continued to grow.
In 1999, Margaret Bonz retired and the Board hired Susanna Jones to be the new Head of School. Mrs. Jones was previously Director of the Upper School at The Marlborough School in Los Angeles.
In the Spring of 2000, the new Beaver Brook Academic Center and Symington Science Center opened to rave reviews. New science labs, classrooms and art studios replaced dorm rooms. The focus was clear that academics continue to be a priority at The Ethel Walker School.
2001 - 2010
In honor of Margaret Bonz’s leadership, the Margaret Huling Bonz Women of Distinction Speaker fund was established. In 2001, the School invited Gloria Steinem to speak to the community and in 2002 Senator Olympia Snow came to campus.
Led by a student committee, Walker’s once again instituted a uniform of collared shirts and approved skirts and kilts in 2004.
After a multi-year effort to raise funds, the Simsbury Land Trust and the national Trust for Public Land reached an agreement with the School to buy 424 acres of the School's land for $13,850,000. Of that, $9,750,000 was paid in March of 2007, and the remainder is due between 2012 and 2014. The parcel is part of a contiguous 1200 acre tract of conserved land, and was named Walker's Woods. The Woods continue to be used for riding, learning, and hiking by students and faculty.
In 2007, Susanna Jones resigned and Bessie Speers, Dean of Faculty and Assistant Head at Episcopal Academy in Merion, PA, was named Head. A new, LEEDS certified, Head’s house was built and Mrs. Speers moved in with her husband and two children.
A commitment to service learning and environmental stewardship has been perpetuated at the School. In 2009, the School became a founding partner of the Community Farm of Simsbury, a teaching farm which donates produce to families in need. Walker's students learn and perform community service at this historic site just a few miles to the north of the School.
The School celebrated its Centennial on October 1, 2011.
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Walker's Centennial
– Elizabeth, ‘85
