The Brearley School: A Complete History, Academic Tradition, Campus, and Legacy
Introduction
The Brearley School is one of the best-known independent girls’ schools in New York City, with a history stretching back to 1884. Founded at a time when educational opportunities for girls and young women were considerably more limited than those available to boys, Brearley was established with a clear intellectual purpose: to provide young women with an education comparable to that available to their brothers.
More than 140 years later, The Brearley School continues to place intellectual curiosity, academic depth, personal integrity, creativity, and service at the center of its educational philosophy. The school describes itself as a community for girls of “adventurous intellect and diverse backgrounds,” emphasizing critical and creative thinking as well as courage and integrity.
Located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Brearley serves students from Kindergarten through Class XII. Its modern campus combines historic traditions with contemporary educational facilities, including two schoolhouses on East 83rd Street and a field house on East 87th Street. The second schoolhouse opened for the 2019–2020 academic year and significantly expanded the school’s physical and educational footprint.
The story of Brearley is therefore not simply the story of an old New York private school. It is also the story of changing ideas about girls’ education, liberal arts learning, intellectual independence, community responsibility, and the role of education in preparing students for an evolving world.
This article explores the history, founding, educational philosophy, academic program, campus development, traditions, student life, athletics, arts, technology, financial aid, community, alumnae, and continuing mission of The Brearley School.
The Founding of The Brearley School in 1884
The Brearley School was founded in 1884 by Samuel A. Brearley Jr. At the time, social attitudes toward women’s intellectual education were very different from those of the modern era.
Brearley was established in response to a major educational imbalance. Boys and young men increasingly had access to serious academic preparation, while girls were often expected to receive an education designed around social accomplishments rather than rigorous intellectual development.
Samuel A. Brearley Jr. believed that young women deserved serious academic opportunities.
The school opened on October 8, 1884, at 6 East 45th Street in Manhattan. It began with 41 students between the ages of 12 and 18 and operated a six-year program. Brearley himself became the school’s first Head.
Within only two years, the school had grown to approximately 120 students and 20 faculty members. This early growth demonstrated that there was substantial demand for an academically serious school for girls in New York City.
The school’s founding philosophy was ambitious for its time. Rather than treating intellectual education as secondary to social preparation, Brearley placed academic development at the heart of the student experience.
That principle became one of the most important foundations of the institution’s identity.
Samuel A. Brearley Jr. and the Early School
Samuel A. Brearley Jr. had an educational background that influenced his approach to teaching.
He graduated from Harvard in 1871 and worked as a private tutor before traveling to England to study at Balliol College, Oxford. He later came to New York, where he founded the school in 1884.
His educational experience exposed him to traditions of rigorous academic study that he wanted to make available to young women.
Brearley’s early mission was therefore connected to a broader transformation taking place in education. The late nineteenth century saw increasing discussion about women’s higher education and their intellectual capabilities. Schools and colleges were gradually expanding educational opportunities for women.
Brearley’s founding was part of this larger movement, but it also had its own distinctive identity.
The school sought to create an environment where girls could engage seriously with literature, languages, history, science, mathematics, and other subjects.
Unfortunately, Samuel Brearley’s leadership was brief. He died suddenly in 1886, only two years after founding the institution.
Despite his short tenure, the educational philosophy established during those first years became deeply embedded in the school’s culture.
James Greenleaf Croswell and the Development of Brearley
After Samuel Brearley’s death, James Greenleaf Croswell became the second Head of School. He served from 1887 to 1915, providing a long period of leadership during the school’s formative decades.
Croswell’s leadership helped establish many traditions that became part of Brearley’s institutional identity.
One interesting example is the school’s approach to graduation.
Croswell did not favor elaborate graduation ceremonies. Instead, he viewed education as an ongoing process rather than something that was completed simply because a student had reached the end of school.
This philosophy contributed to Brearley’s distinctive commencement tradition known as “Last Day.”
The first Last Day ceremony took place in 1899.
The name itself reflected a particular understanding of education. Students were not considered “finished” simply because they were leaving school. Instead, their education was expected to continue throughout life.
This idea remains closely connected to Brearley’s broader educational philosophy.
The Early Growth of the School
Brearley did not remain at its original location for very long.
As enrollment increased, the school needed additional space.
The institution first moved from East 45th Street to West 44th Street. Later, in 1912, it moved to Park Avenue and 61st Street.
The Park Avenue location also allowed Brearley to expand its educational offerings by adding a primary program.
This development was significant because it gradually transformed Brearley from a school primarily serving older girls into an institution capable of educating students across a much wider age range.
The expansion also reflected a growing belief that a consistent educational philosophy could benefit students from their earliest school years through adolescence.
The Move to East 83rd Street
One of the most important developments in Brearley’s history occurred in the twentieth century when the school established its long-term home on East 83rd Street.
In 1929, Brearley commissioned a new school building on 83rd Street.
The building became the central home of the institution for decades. Over time, the school expanded and modernized its facilities, including improvements to its library, science spaces, and art facilities. Additional stories were eventually added to the building.
The school’s presence on the Upper East Side became an important part of its identity.
New York City itself became an educational resource. Students could learn within a highly diverse urban environment while also having access to museums, libraries, cultural institutions, universities, theaters, parks, and other educational resources.
Brearley’s location therefore contributed to an educational model in which the classroom was not considered the only place where learning happened.
The Second Schoolhouse
Brearley’s physical development continued into the twenty-first century.
In 2017, the school began construction on a second schoolhouse at 590 East 83rd Street. The new building opened for the 2019–2020 school year.
The approximately 85,000-square-foot building significantly expanded the school’s available space.
The second schoolhouse houses the Lower School and includes modern science laboratories, a regulation-sized gymnasium, and a multiuse performance hall. It was designed with sustainability initiatives and was in the process of receiving LEED certification.
The new building also helped the school create stronger connections between different divisions.
Instead of treating younger students as completely separate from older students, the two schoolhouses allow students from different age groups to remain connected through school-wide activities and relationships.
The additional space also became particularly valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic, when physical space was essential to safely bringing students back to campus.
Brearley’s Mission
The mission of The Brearley School provides a concise explanation of what the institution wants education to accomplish.
The school states that it challenges girls of adventurous intellect and diverse backgrounds to think critically and creatively and to act with courage and integrity.
Its mission also emphasizes:
- Love of learning
- Excellence in the liberal arts
- Inclusive community
- Empathy
- Originality
- Depth of thought
- Character
- Lasting friendships
- Confidence
- Commitment to the greater good
This combination of academic and personal development is important.
Brearley does not present academic achievement as the sole purpose of education. Instead, intellectual development is connected to character, community, and responsibility.
The school therefore seeks to develop students who can think independently while also considering how their knowledge can be used in the wider world.
The Philosophy of Girls’ Education
Girls’ education has always been central to Brearley’s identity.
The school was founded in 1884 specifically to provide young women with an education comparable to that available to young men. More than a century later, that original principle continues to influence the school’s approach.
Brearley’s philosophy emphasizes creating an environment where girls can participate fully in intellectual life.
The school encourages students to ask difficult questions, challenge assumptions, debate ideas, write, investigate, experiment, perform, create, and collaborate.
An all-girls environment can also create opportunities for students to see women and girls occupying intellectual and leadership roles across subjects.
Brearley’s educational philosophy is therefore based not only on academic content but also on confidence and intellectual agency.
A Rigorous Liberal Arts Education
The liberal arts are a major foundation of the Brearley curriculum.
The school explains that liberal arts education involves intellectual inquiry across areas such as literature, history, classical and modern languages, physical and natural sciences, and the arts.
The goal is not simply to memorize information.
Students are encouraged to gather knowledge, make connections, analyze evidence, recognize complexity, and develop judgment.
This approach has several important benefits.
First, it exposes students to multiple ways of understanding the world.
Second, it encourages interdisciplinary thinking.
Third, it gives students opportunities to develop communication skills through reading, writing, discussion, research, and presentation.
Finally, it helps students approach complicated issues with greater nuance.
Brearley describes this as an education that encourages students to read critically, question broadly, write effectively, and recognize complexity rather than simply reducing difficult issues to simple oppositions.
Humanities at Brearley
The humanities occupy an important position within the school’s academic program.
Students encounter literature, history, languages, philosophy-related questions, and other areas of humanistic inquiry.
Literature can introduce students to different cultures, historical periods, perspectives, and forms of human experience.
History provides tools for understanding how societies change and how contemporary issues developed.
Languages allow students to communicate across cultures while also introducing different literary traditions and intellectual perspectives.
The humanities therefore support Brearley’s larger objective of developing students who can think deeply and engage thoughtfully with the world.
Science and Mathematics
Brearley’s liberal arts approach does not mean that science and mathematics receive less attention.
The school offers a broad academic program that includes scientific and mathematical study.
Students are encouraged to approach these subjects as areas of inquiry rather than merely collections of formulas and facts.
Science can develop habits of observation, experimentation, evidence-based reasoning, and curiosity.
Mathematics develops logical reasoning, abstraction, problem-solving, and precision.
Brearley’s approach seeks to place these skills alongside the interpretive and communication skills developed through humanities and arts education.
The result is a broad academic foundation rather than a narrowly specialized curriculum.
Languages and Global Learning
Language education has historically been an important component of Brearley’s academic program.
Students can study classical languages as well as modern languages.
Latin, for example, introduces students to the language and literature of ancient Rome. Brearley’s Upper School program includes work with Latin grammar, vocabulary, syntax, and classical authors such as Caesar, Livy, and Virgil.
Modern languages can provide students with additional tools for communicating across cultures.
Language learning also reinforces one of Brearley’s central educational ideas: understanding the world requires exposure to perspectives beyond one’s immediate environment.
History and Understanding the Modern World
History education at Brearley connects the past with contemporary questions.
For example, the Upper School global history curriculum includes major developments beginning around the late nineteenth century and continuing through the modern era.
Topics include nationalism, imperialism, industrialization, world wars, the Great Depression, communism, fascism, anti-colonialism, the emergence of new nations, and the Cold War. Students work with primary sources to develop historical understanding.
This type of curriculum reflects the school’s emphasis on analytical thinking.
Rather than learning historical dates in isolation, students are encouraged to understand causes, consequences, competing perspectives, and connections between events.
Technology and Computer Science
Although Brearley has a long liberal arts tradition, the school has also adapted its program to technological change.
The school’s strategic planning has included computational thinking, technology, STEM education, and new approaches to preparing students for the future.
The school has also introduced a required Class IX course titled Computer Science and AI Through an Ethical Lens.
Brearley’s stated approach is to consider not only how artificial intelligence works but also how students should use such technologies responsibly and thoughtfully.
This represents an important example of how the school is attempting to balance tradition and innovation.
The institution maintains its commitment to deep reading, writing, discussion, humanities, sciences, and arts while also responding to technologies that are changing education and society.
STEM and Innovation
Brearley’s strategic vision identifies STEM and computational thinking as important areas of development.
The school has also established a STEM program in collaboration with NYU Tandon School of Engineering, described by Brearley as a first-of-its-kind program for the school.
Such initiatives expand the traditional understanding of a liberal arts education.
Today’s students may need to combine scientific reasoning, technological literacy, communication, ethical judgment, and creativity.
Brearley’s approach attempts to bring these different skills together.
The Role of Faculty
Teachers play a central role in the Brearley educational model.
The school describes its faculty as dedicated educators who guide students through rigorous academic work and help them develop as individuals.
One distinctive feature is cross-divisional teaching.
Faculty members may teach students at different stages of their educational development. For example, a mathematics teacher might work with younger students on foundational mathematics and later teach advanced concepts in the Upper School.
This structure can allow teachers to understand how students develop over many years.
It also creates continuity across the school.
Instead of seeing each grade as an isolated experience, students can encounter teachers who understand the broader educational journey.
Student Life at Brearley
Academic life is only one component of the Brearley experience.
Students also participate in arts, athletics, drama, music, clubs, publications, student government, and other extracurricular activities.
These activities provide opportunities for students to discover interests that may not fit neatly into conventional academic subjects.
A student interested in theater can develop performance and collaboration skills.
A student interested in athletics can develop teamwork, discipline, and resilience.
A student interested in journalism or student publications can practice research, writing, editing, and communication.
These experiences complement classroom learning.
The Arts
The arts are an important part of Brearley’s educational culture.
Students have opportunities to explore areas such as visual arts, music, drama, dance, and stagecraft.
Arts education can help students develop creativity, confidence, communication skills, and a willingness to experiment.
The performance facilities in the newer schoolhouse provide additional opportunities for students to present their work.
Brearley’s liberal arts philosophy therefore includes creative expression as an important part of intellectual development.
Athletics and Physical Education
Athletics are another component of student life.
Brearley has a field house on East 87th Street containing regulation-sized basketball and volleyball courts and other athletic facilities. The field house was constructed in the 1990s.
Sports can provide students with opportunities to develop physical skills while also learning about cooperation, competition, discipline, and teamwork.
The school community also uses athletics as an opportunity to strengthen connections among students.
Brearley’s mascot, the beaver, appears at varsity games and other school events.
The Brearley Beaver
The beaver is one of the most recognizable symbols associated with Brearley.
Its connection to the school comes from the Brearley seal.
The seal was designed in 1890 and includes a lamp of truth, a book of knowledge, and three beavers. The seal has undergone modifications over the years, with the current version dating to the 1955–1956 school year.
The beaver eventually became the school’s mascot.
A life-sized beaver known as “Bev” has appeared at varsity games, Homecoming, and other school activities.
The mascot therefore represents both the school’s historical symbolism and its contemporary community traditions.
The Brearley Seal
The school seal is another important historical symbol.
Its elements reflect ideas that have long been connected with education.
The lamp represents truth.
The book represents knowledge.
The beavers provide a connection to New York City’s history and to Brearley’s own identity.
The seal has appeared in school publications and other materials for more than a century.
Symbols such as the seal help connect present-day students with previous generations.
“By Truth and Toil”
Brearley’s school song, “By Truth and Toil,” was written by teacher Annie Winsor Allen in 1901.
The song became closely associated with the school’s identity and eventually served as its motto.
The title expresses two ideas that are central to the Brearley tradition.
“Truth” reflects intellectual honesty and the search for knowledge.
“Toil” recognizes that meaningful education requires sustained effort.
Together, these ideas capture the school’s emphasis on intellectual curiosity combined with discipline.
The Last Day Tradition
One of Brearley’s most distinctive traditions is Last Day.
The first Last Day was held in 1899 during the leadership of James Greenleaf Croswell.
Rather than emphasizing formal graduation rituals, Croswell believed that students should understand education as a lifelong process.
This philosophy explains why the ceremony became known as Last Day rather than simply graduation.
The tradition reflects an important Brearley idea: leaving school does not mean finishing one’s education.
Students are expected to remain curious and continue learning throughout their lives.
Community and Friendship
Brearley emphasizes the importance of relationships alongside academics.
The school describes its community as one in which students support and uplift one another while developing a strong sense of self.
Friendship is therefore not treated as separate from education.
Students learn with classmates, collaborate on projects, participate in extracurricular activities, compete in athletics, and perform together.
These experiences can create relationships that continue beyond graduation.
Brearley specifically highlights the value of lasting friendships as part of its educational mission.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
In the modern era, Brearley has expanded its institutional focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism.
The school states that diversity of thought, practice, and identity are important elements in preparing students for principled engagement with the world.
Its strategic vision also emphasizes creating a community in which students and other members of the school feel a sense of belonging.
This work reflects a broader effort within education to examine how school communities can create equitable opportunities and address bias.
Brearley describes this as an ongoing process involving students, faculty, staff, families, trustees, and alumnae.
Service and the Greater Good
One of the most distinctive elements of Brearley’s mission is its emphasis on service.
The school states that education should not be understood solely as a way to benefit the individual student.
Instead, students are encouraged to consider how their knowledge and abilities can contribute to their communities and the wider world.
This philosophy can appear through volunteer activities, community partnerships, environmental projects, public service, and other forms of engagement.
For example, Brearley students have participated in projects connected with the Billion Oyster Project and community food initiatives.
The broader goal is to encourage students to identify needs, think about solutions, and participate responsibly in society.
The Alumnae Community
Brearley’s alumnae form an important part of its institutional identity.
For more than a century, graduates have carried their education into universities, professional fields, creative careers, public service, science, education, business, medicine, law, journalism, and many other areas.
The school emphasizes that its educational relationship with students does not necessarily end when they leave campus.
Alumnae traditions, events, mentorship, and community relationships can maintain connections across generations.
This creates a sense of institutional continuity.
A student entering Brearley today becomes part of a community with a history stretching back to the nineteenth century.
Brearley and New York City
The school’s location in Manhattan is an important part of its character.
New York City provides an unusually rich environment for education.
Museums, galleries, libraries, universities, theaters, parks, scientific institutions, cultural organizations, and public spaces are all within reach.
A school located in such a city can connect classroom learning with real-world experiences.
History students can engage with museums and historical resources.
Art students can visit galleries and cultural institutions.
Science students can encounter research and scientific organizations.
Students studying politics, economics, literature, or sociology can observe a complex urban environment firsthand.
Brearley’s New York location therefore complements its classroom curriculum.
A Tradition of Educational Change
Although Brearley has a strong historical identity, the school has not remained static.
Over the years, it has expanded from its original program, moved locations, developed new facilities, expanded enrollment, introduced new technologies, and revised its curriculum.
Its strategic vision identifies several areas of institutional development, including curriculum review, faculty development, technology, STEM, wellness, diversity and inclusion, and physical-campus expansion.
This combination of tradition and change is one of the defining characteristics of the school.
Brearley seeks to preserve elements of its educational philosophy while updating how that philosophy is applied to new generations.
Education During the COVID-19 Era
Like schools around the world, Brearley faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The school states that it worked to continue its course of study while safely returning students to in-person education.
The recently constructed second schoolhouse proved particularly useful during this period because the additional space made it easier to accommodate students safely.
The experience also demonstrated the importance of flexible school facilities.
Modern educational buildings need to support not only conventional classrooms but also changing health, technological, and community requirements.
Wellness and Student Support
Brearley’s strategic planning has included K–XII wellness and advisory programs.
These initiatives recognize that education involves more than academic achievement.
Students need opportunities to develop self-awareness, relationships, healthy habits, confidence, and strategies for dealing with challenges.
Advisory programs can provide structured opportunities for students to discuss community life, personal development, and other issues.
This fits into the school’s larger philosophy of educating the whole person.
Financial Aid and Accessibility
Brearley recognizes that the cost of independent-school education can be a significant consideration for families.
The school currently operates a financial assistance program designed to help families based on their individual circumstances rather than relying on a single income cutoff.
Brearley states that, for students who are admitted and qualify under its program, it can cover the full cost of tuition as well as items such as books, lunch, technology, athletics, grade-level trips, and extracurricular activities.
The school’s affordability initiative reflects its stated goal of maintaining access to its educational program for students from different financial backgrounds.
Preparing Students for College and Beyond
Brearley provides a K–12 education, with students continuing through Class XII before moving to higher education and other opportunities.
College preparation is naturally an important component of the Upper School.
However, the school’s philosophy extends beyond simply preparing students for college admission.
Brearley emphasizes intellectual independence, communication, critical thinking, creativity, courage, integrity, empathy, and service.
These qualities can remain useful regardless of a student’s eventual field.
Whether a graduate enters science, medicine, law, technology, arts, education, public service, business, or another area, the ability to think critically and communicate clearly can provide a strong foundation.
Brearley’s Approach to Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is one of the newest issues influencing education.
Brearley’s response has been to approach AI through both technological and ethical perspectives.
The school has introduced Computer Science and AI Through an Ethical Lens for Class IX and explains that its approach is intended to protect the learning process while also helping older students understand how AI can be used with judgment and ethical awareness.
This approach illustrates the school’s broader educational philosophy.
New technology is not necessarily treated as something that should replace traditional intellectual practices.
Instead, the school seeks to determine when technology supports learning and when it may undermine the development of independent thinking.
The Balance Between Tradition and Innovation
The history of Brearley demonstrates a continuing balance between tradition and change.
The school retains historic symbols such as its seal and beaver mascot.
It continues traditions such as Last Day and its school song.
At the same time, it has introduced new facilities, technology programs, STEM initiatives, wellness programs, and approaches to artificial intelligence.
This balance is particularly important for an institution that has existed since 1884.
A school that refuses to change can become disconnected from the needs of contemporary students.
A school that abandons its history can lose a sense of identity.
Brearley’s strategy is to maintain its underlying educational philosophy while modifying programs and practices for new circumstances.
Why The Brearley School Remains Historically Significant
The historical importance of Brearley can be understood through several themes.
1. Early commitment to girls’ intellectual education
The school was founded when serious academic education for girls was far less common than it is today.
2. Long-term commitment to liberal arts
The school has maintained a strong emphasis on broad intellectual education across humanities, sciences, languages, mathematics, and arts.
3. Continuity of traditions
Brearley’s seal, mascot, school song, and Last Day tradition connect current students with earlier generations.
4. Adaptation to changing educational needs
The school has repeatedly changed its facilities and programs in response to new circumstances.
5. Commitment to service
The school emphasizes the idea that education should contribute to the greater good.
These themes help explain why Brearley has remained a distinctive institution for more than a century.
The Modern Brearley Experience
Today’s Brearley student enters an educational environment shaped by more than a century of institutional development.
She encounters a school that combines historic traditions with modern facilities.
She studies liberal arts while also encountering STEM and technology.
She participates in academics, arts, athletics, clubs, and community activities.
She learns from teachers who may remain connected to her development across multiple divisions.
She becomes part of a community that includes current students, faculty, families, and alumnae.
The school’s stated goal is not simply to produce students who achieve academically.
It is to develop people who can think independently, engage with complex ideas, form meaningful relationships, and contribute responsibly to the world.
The Future of The Brearley School
The future of Brearley will likely continue to involve the tension between longstanding educational principles and rapidly changing circumstances.
Artificial intelligence is transforming how information is produced and accessed.
Technology is changing professional life.
Climate and environmental issues are influencing education.
Questions about diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging remain important.
Students also face an increasingly interconnected global society.
Brearley’s strategic vision responds to these developments through four broad areas: people, program, sustainability, and communications. The school also identifies values including purpose, integrity, excellence, courage, empathy, and inclusion.
These priorities indicate that Brearley sees its future as an extension of its educational mission rather than a departure from it.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Brearley School
When was The Brearley School founded?
The Brearley School was founded in 1884 by Samuel A. Brearley Jr. It opened on October 8, 1884, at 6 East 45th Street in Manhattan.
Where is The Brearley School located?
The school is located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, with schoolhouses at 590 East 83rd Street and 610 East 83rd Street.
Is Brearley an all-girls school?
Yes. Brearley is a girls’ independent school serving students from Kindergarten through Class XII.
What is Brearley’s educational philosophy?
Brearley emphasizes adventurous intellectual curiosity, critical and creative thinking, liberal arts education, courage, integrity, empathy, originality, and commitment to the greater good.
What does Brearley teach?
The school offers a broad liberal arts curriculum that includes humanities, languages, mathematics, sciences, arts, technology, computer science, and other academic areas.
Does Brearley offer STEM education?
Yes. The school has developed STEM and computational-thinking initiatives, including a program associated with NYU Tandon School of Engineering.
Does Brearley teach artificial intelligence?
Yes. Brearley has introduced a Class IX course called Computer Science and AI Through an Ethical Lens.
What is Brearley’s mascot?
Brearley’s mascot is the beaver. The beaver comes from the school’s historic seal.
What is “Last Day” at Brearley?
Last Day is Brearley’s commencement tradition. It began in 1899 and reflects the idea that education does not truly end when a student leaves school.
What does “By Truth and Toil” mean?
“By Truth and Toil” is Brearley’s school song and motto. It was written by teacher Annie Winsor Allen in 1901.
Does Brearley provide financial aid?
Yes. The school operates a financial assistance program based on families’ circumstances and states that qualifying students can receive comprehensive assistance covering tuition and various school-related costs.
Does Brearley have athletics?
Yes. Athletics are part of student life, and the school has a field house with regulation-sized basketball and volleyball courts.
Does Brearley offer arts programs?
Yes. Students can participate in areas including drama, music, visual arts, dance, and stagecraft.
Conclusion
The Brearley School has a remarkable educational history that began in New York City in 1884.
Its founding was based on a straightforward but historically significant idea: girls deserved access to serious intellectual education.
More than 140 years later, that principle remains central to the school’s identity.
Brearley combines a rigorous liberal arts tradition with science, mathematics, technology, STEM, arts, athletics, and community engagement. Its historic traditions—including the beaver mascot, school seal, “By Truth and Toil,” and Last Day—connect today’s students with generations of Brearley students who came before them.
At the same time, the school continues to respond to new challenges. Its modern facilities, strategic planning, attention to wellness and inclusion, STEM initiatives, and approach to artificial intelligence demonstrate an institution attempting to prepare students for a changing world while maintaining its long-standing educational principles.
Perhaps the most important theme running through Brearley’s history is the belief that education should have a lasting purpose.
Academic knowledge matters, but so do curiosity, integrity, courage, empathy, creativity, friendship, and service.
From its beginnings in a Manhattan brownstone to its modern Upper East Side campus, The Brearley School has continued to build its identity around the intellectual and personal development of girls.
Its history is therefore not only a record of buildings, teachers, students, and traditions. It is a continuing story about the possibilities of education and about preparing young women to think deeply, live purposefully, and contribute to the wider world.
