<p>fif…When Boyden came to Deerfield it was the local public school, with a student body of 14 comprised of students of both genders. When it was first established, it was a prep school much like Exeter or Andover, but then slowly dissipated until Boyden came. He was headmaster until the 60’s, during which he switched it to an all-boys’ school sometime in the 40’s. This was when Deerfield became more and more prestigious, maintaining it’s former glory as a prep school. But yes, prior and during Boyden’s initial years, many students were farmers and otherwise did not fit the old-money stereotype.</p>
<p>Source: The Headmaster (read for summer reading)</p>
<p>thanks – fif has read John McPhee’s excellent book several times over the years. A Sense Of Where You Are (about Bill Bradley, fif’s hero when growing up in Princeton) is still a favorite.</p>
<p>fif was responding to Firework’s statement that Boyden came to Deerfield in the '20s.</p>
<p>Yes, McPhee’s book on Boyden is a quick, enjoyable and insightful read. It gave me a better understanding of the warmth and charm of Deerfield. The school still follows, to some degree, the pace and grace set by Boyden that arose over his 66 years as headmaster at that wonderful institution. During those years, he pulled the school from the brink of complete collapse and utter dissolution and placed it, through his tireless toil and clear vision, on the top shelf of BS’s.</p>
<p>As Deerfield carries traces of the Boyden years, I think that the headmaster of Hotchkiss during the formativie years of 1925-1955, George Van Sandvoort, left his deep markings on that school. Unlike Boyden, Van Sandvoort was not overly forgiving and warm to the follies and failures of the Hotchkiss students, from I can glean. As WWI hero and a Rhodes Scholar, Van Sandvoort demanded and expected excellence. As Van Sandvoort was stern and exacting, Boyden was kind and forgiving. (For those interested in learning about Van Sandvoort and his years and impact at Hotchkiss, I suggest you read chapter 5 of Kolowrat’s book “Hotchkiss”.) </p>
<p>From what I can tell, Hotchkiss has become more like Deerfield over the past several deacdes (warmer, caring) and Deerfiled more like Hotchkiss (demanding, exacting), so that both schools offer just about everything any top tier BS may offer. </p>
<p>As with any quick overview of anything, my compare and contrast here with Boyden/Deerfield and Van Sandvoort/Hotchkiss is grossly over simplified. Still, I think that there are some grains of truth here.</p>
<p>Too funny – Van Sandvoort threw my college roommate’s father out (with several others) three days before graduation in 1938. He still went to Princeton, but it was close. Name of John Davies, he was the author of a great book - " The Legend of Hobey Baker". Held degrees from Princeton, Harvard and Yale. He was, ummm, less than charitable when discussing Van Sandvoort.</p>
<p>Ah, the allure of the bright city lights to young, espiegle and impressionable men. An Ancient Siren. I hope my son doesn’t fall trap to her song while at Hotchkiss. (Wishful thinking, I fear.)</p>
<p>Good ole’ hobey…I should read that book before I go to SPS. Not that I’m a hockey player or anything…but he seems to be a famous SPS alum. I don’t really know who he is or what’s special about him. But I’m pretty sure the best player in college hockey gets the Hobey Baker award…he must have been good.</p>
<p>mpicz – You should read it. fif thinks SPS should require it, tho’ its long out of print.
fif has several copies, and the author’s son (the book is dedicated to him) grabs every one he can find on ebay etc.</p>
<p>If you want to read it, PM me and I’ll LEND you a copy, with your solemn promise to return it. It’s not long.</p>
<p>Was he good? In addition to being the best college football player of his era (Princeton), well, lets put it this way: When he played hockey in New York, the sign in front of the old Madison Square Garden read “Hobey Baker Plays Tonight”.</p>
<p>Okay, looks like the topic is “hockey”. So, to stay in tune with this thread, which school is better in hockey: Deerfield or Hotchkiss?</p>
<p>I noitced that the DA boys were 11-11-2 and the girls went 8-12-2 this last season, while the H boys were 14-7-2 and the girls finished 15-6-1 this year. Also, the H boys beat DA 4-2, and the H girls beat DA 5-4 (OT) over the past winter. So, clearly the Hotchkiss boys and girls hockey teams were better that the DA teams this year. Is Hotchkiss usually better than Deerfield in hockey or, like so many other things with these schools, their hockey teams are often of similar abilities and records?</p>
<p>These two are very close in hockey, and every thing else for that matter. Down year in puck for Deerfield, they’ll be back. Of course if you wantt to play for the best there’s a boy’s school just up the road from Hotchkiss (or in a suburb of Hartford for that matter).</p>
<p>Your post just seems to me as an attempt to exaggerate H over others which is already being over represented in this forum, Maybe you would’ve had a wider perspective if your choice of schools weren’t so limited.
Try to prove H is better than Groton/Milton/Middlesex, you’d have quite a time making H look better than lot of non-Hades schools. anyone knows D tower H.</p>
<p>Just came back from visiting DA last weekend and watching Deerfield vs Exeter varsity and JV lacrosse games. What a wonderful experience for these youths! My son loves his school and finds the academic work challenging but manageable with effort, and the sports programs are outstanding. I hear that H is also extremely strong in academics and athletics. Although my son aspires to play college lacrosse while I advocate that he pursue sports medicine, the experience at superb boarding schools is priceless.</p>
<p>hyeonhoy you proved my friends right. They told me not to go to Deerfield because the kids there are duches and mean. How you were talking to the other people just prove that they were right. I was stuck between Deerfield and Hotchkiss and did not know which one to choose. I really loved them both. I swim and you might think I would love to go to deerfield, but I would rather go to a school that is not great in swimming and the kids are friendly than go to a school with a great swimming program but stuck up kids. You still did not completly change my mind about Deerfield, but you put Hotchkiss a little higher in my mind.</p>
<p>Both are great schools. I have many friends at Deerfield, I feel that it is a very similar school to Hotchkiss. I think this decision should come down to personal fit and which school has better programs suited to your needs. Do you know what you are interested in ?</p>