Hannah, Katharine, & Elizabeth Shipley 1894-1916 Pioneers in education for women at a time when it was controversial, the Shipley sisters founded The Misses Shipley’s School for Girls Preparatory to Bryn Mawr College. Their fundamental philosophy embodied the whole student: academics, spirit, character, and health, including sports. The sisters’ focus on academic excellence, intellectual integrity, and character continue today.
Alice Howland & Eleanor Brownell 1916–1941 “The Hownells,” as they were known, guided Shipley through wars, epidemics, and economic depression, building a national reputation for the School. They hired strong and highly regarded teachers, a large number of whom stayed for many years. In 1932, they oversaw Shipley’s incorporation as a non-profit with a Board of Directors.
Russell & Mildred Akin ’28 Lynes 1937–1944 Hired in 1937 as Assistant Heads in anticipation of the Hownells’ retirement, the Lynes became principals in 1941. They guided students in a necessary transition from pre-war gentility to preparedness for the modern world, and were quite a contrast to the “austere” Hownells.
Margaret Bailey Speer 1944-1965 Overseeing significant campus growth, Miss Speer maintained high academic standards while emphasizing compassion, community, and civic responsibility. She encouraged the Board to accept Shipley’s first African-American students.
Isota Tucker Epes ’36 1965-1972 Gave firm guidance in a period of social turmoil with a sympathetic ear to the conflicting views of parents and children. In 1967, she established the endowment fund. She initiated the Episcopal Exchange in 1971–72 which led to coeducation.
Nancy Lauber 1972-1979 Managed Shipley’s transition to coeducation. Miss Lauber encouraged the broadening of Shipley’s curriculum and stressed the importance of relationships between students and teachers. She advocated for the addition of a health curriculum.
Frederic L. Chase III 1979-1985 Broke a longstanding Shipley tradition as the School’s first male head. Oversaw significant modernization of the curriculum, with the addition of computer courses and a Russian Studies program, as well as the end of the boarding department at Shipley.
Gary R. Gruber 1985-1992 Shipley’s mission is updated during Gruber’s tenure. Focused on integrating “goodness” with high academic standards, he also addressed the changing needs of the American family and the shifting role of independent schools, which was becoming increasingly complex.
Steve Piltch 1992-2019 Over the course of his 27-year tenure, Piltch has overseen significant growth in enrollment, the transformation of the campus, and the launch of Positive Education and other 21st century education initiatives, while ensuring financial stability at Shipley. Read more about him in this profile from the Spring 2019 issue of the Shipley Magazine.
Hannah, Katharine, and Elizabeth Shipley, 1894-1916: Pioneers in education for women at a time when it was controversial, the Shipley sisters founded The Misses Shipley’s School for Girls Preparatory to Bryn Mawr College. Their fundamental philosophy embodied the whole student: academics, spirit, character, and health, including sports. The sisters’ focus on academic excellence, intellectual integrity, and character continue today.
Alice Howland and Eleanor Brownell , 1916–1941: “The Hownells,” as they were known, guided Shipley through wars, epidemics, and economic depression, building a national reputation for the School. They hired strong and highly regarded teachers, a large number of whom stayed for many years. In 1932, they oversaw Shipley’s incorporation as a non-profit with a Board of Directors.
Russell and Mildred Akin ’28 Lynes, 1937–1944: Hired in 1937 as Assistant Heads in anticipation of the Hownells’ retirement, the Lynes became principals in 1941. They guided students in a necessary transition from pre-war gentility to preparedness for the modern world, and were quite a contrast to the “austere” Hownells.
Margaret Bailey Speer, 1944-1965: Overseeing significant campus growth, Miss Speer maintained high academic standards while emphasizing compassion, community, and civic responsibility. She encouraged the Board to accept Shipley’s first African-American students.
Isota Tucker Epes ’36, 1965-1972: Gave firm guidance in a period of social turmoil with a sympathetic ear to the conflicting views of parents and children. In 1967, she established the endowment fund. She initiated the Episcopal Exchange in 1971–72 which led to coeducation.
Nancy Lauber, 1972-1979: Managed Shipley’s transition to coeducation. Miss Lauber encouraged the broadening of Shipley’s curriculum and stressed the importance of relationships between students and teachers. She advocated for the addition of a health curriculum.
Frederic L. Chase III, 1979-1985: Broke a longstanding Shipley tradition as the School’s first male head. Oversaw significant modernization of the curriculum, with the addition of computer courses and a Russian Studies program, as well as the end of the boarding department at Shipley.
Gary R. Gruber, 1985-1992: Shipley’s mission is updated during Gruber’s tenure. Focused on integrating “goodness” with high academic standards, he also addressed the changing needs of the American family and the shifting role of independent schools, which was becoming increasingly complex.
Steve Piltch, 1992-2019: Over the course of his 27-year tenure, Piltch has overseen significant growth in enrollment, the transformation of the campus, and the launch of Positive Education and other 21st century education initiatives, while ensuring financial stability at Shipley.
Head of School Michael Turner talks about Shipley's focus on community building during the 2022-2023 school year, highlighting the importance of belonging and connection on the mental health of our students.
The COVID pandemic gave people a unique opportunity to explore the meaning and nature of community. In its absence, we developed a newfound appreciation for its importance and impact in our lives. This has certainly been the case at Shipley, where students, teachers, and administrators have put community building at the forefront in their pursuit of educational excellence.
More than just sleepovers, grade-level overnight trips build relationships and community, foster belonging, and prime the brain for learning. Learn more about how trips in each division serve students' academic and social interests.
Shipley’s pursuit of educational excellence incorporates a multi-faceted approach to student well-being and mental health that includes a combination of protective skill building and individual support. The School’s efforts align with recommendations made in the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2021 public health advisory on teen mental health. Learn more about how Shipley supports student mental health.
To know Betsy Leschinsky (or Mrs. L, as the kids like to call her) is to love her. She is humble about her role in Shipley becoming a leader in social emotional learning, but Mrs. L’s sweet, gentle demeanor and small stature belie a giant in our community. Learn more about Shipley's beloved Lower School SEED Teacher, Betsy Leschinsky.
Ninth grade marks a special milestone that presents a host of different challenges. To more effectively meet students’ needs and ensure that they will thrive within the classroom and beyond, Shipley revamped its advisory program by forming a specialized team to guide ninth graders through this transitional time.
Chris Lengthorn, Shipley's Director of Squash, dedicates his career to pursing two simple goals: to bring squash to the people and help them achieve whatever their definition of success may be. "I teach students how to manage setbacks and overcome adversity through hard work, discipline and resilience." Learn more about Coach Lengthorn in this Q&A.
“New” traditions can mirror those from the past. And while times may have changed, the goal remains the same: To create a sense of belonging, connection, and school spirit. Learn about two "new" 2022-2023 school year initiatives aimed at generating more school spirit across the divisions.
When Helen “Honey” Beuf ’78 lost her daughter to suicide, she turned her grief into action. Working with a good friend who is a movie producer, Honey and her other daughter, Tess, decided to produce a documentary film called My Sister Liv. In making the film, Honey says she became aware of unmet needs of kids in learning about suicide prevention and mental health.
Carter Barnhart ’10 is the co-founder and CEO of Charlie Health, with the goal of providing high-quality, personalized mental health treatment to a broader population through a virtual intensive outpatient program (IOP) that combines group, individual, and family therapy sessions delivered entirely online. In 2022, Carter was named to Inc. Magazine’s Female Founders 100 list for her work to rapidly grow Charlie Health.
This beloved former French teacher and Admissions Director retired from Shipley in 2009 after 32 years of serving in various teaching and administrative roles. Having served on the Boards of Church Farm School and Benchmark School, Mr. Coleman is back at Shipley as a member of the Board of Trustees.
Shipley is lucky to have two of its own at the helm of a re-energized Alumni Engagement Office after a two-year hiatus from hosting regional and major events. Aly Mason ’07 took over the role of Director in September 2022, joining Assistant Director Ali Schwartz ’10 in the shared endeavor of connecting with alumni of all ages through robust alumni programming.
Jenny Rieg Gellert ’99 attended Shipley for 12 years. While she was a student, she served as captain of the field hockey and lacrosse teams, was Yearbook Editor, and served on the social committee. After graduating from Trinity College, Jenny taught at schools in New York City and the Philadelphia suburbs for 13 years.
Middle School STEAM teacher John Harris thrives on the moments when information becomes crystallized in a student’s mind: “It could be any subject, any day, any project, but it’s rewarding to see them become confident enough to then teach that knowledge to someone else.” An engineer before he came to Shipley, Mr. Harris's background informs his everyday interactions with students. Learn more about Mr. Harris.
As founder and Chief Executive Officer of Keiki Capital, Dan Lichtenberg ’99 marries his technical and financial expertise with his passion for developing creative solutions to global problems—global warming and climate change, food and water insecurity, income and wealth inequality—and transforming data into actionable intelligence.
Shipley is proud to announce the publication of three critically acclaimed books by alumnae authors, including Echoes from Wuhan: The Past as Prologue by Gretchen Dykstra ’66, Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Kirby Dark ’71, and Roll Red Roll by Nancy Schwartzman ’93.
I love the feeling that the start of a new school year brings—the sense of possibility, the excitement, the hope (in some cases, the nerves). This year, that feeling is especially poignant because it feels, dare we say normal. Though challenges still exist, we have learned so much about how to live with COVID. As a result, and following a summer that emphasized having an actual summer, we begin the 2022-23 school year with what can best be described as a pre-pandemic sense of normalcy. This year, we are really going back to school.
In an era of polarized politics, social media echo chambers, and growing national division, teaching students how to respectfully challenge and discuss differing points of view is more important than ever. Using the Harkness Method as a form of assessment is one way that Shipley teachers are helping students learn how to engage in civil discourse—a skill in short supply these days.
The Interpreting Data for Art Installation course combined iterative design with data collection and analysis. Upper School teachers Wendy Eiteljorg ’86, Tania O’Donnell, and Elizabeth Zodda instructed students how to use data on multiple levels to interpret the world around them. For the class's final project, students chose to address climate change for their large-scale multi-media exhibit.
Some of our most memorable experiences as students are the ones teachers curate for us outside of the classroom. After two years of COVID restrictions, Shipley students and their teachers ventured out into the world during the 2021-2022 school year. Scroll through a slideshow of images from some of the trips.
The Shipley School is a private, coeducational day school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students, located in Bryn Mawr, PA. Through our commitment to educational excellence, we develop within each student a love of learning and a desire for compassionate participation in the world.