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About Us

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Two students laugh outside the Lower School

The Haverford School is a vibrant, private day school for remarkable boys, pre-kindergarten-12th grade located on Philadelphia's Main Line.

Tyler Casertano, head of school, walks with three boys, each representing a division

 

Our Mission

The Haverford School community prepares boys for life by developing men of character, intellect, and compassion who will transform our world. 



 

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The school's 24 virtues shown on the wall in the Middle School's Worth atrium

 

Our Vision

The Haverford School will create and nurture a supportive and inclusive community in which boys develop a passion for lifelong learning, creative problem solving, and sound decision making. We will inspire our students to be intellectually curious and provide them with the skills and judgment to flourish in our rapidly changing world. 

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Our Virtues

Character
Communication
Compassion
Confidence
Courage
Creativity
Dedication
Dependability
Friendship
Honesty
Honor
Humility
Initiative
Integrity
Justice
Leadership
Loyalty
Perseverance
Respect
Scholarship
Selflessness
Sharing
Support
Teamwork

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Inscribed with the School’s 24 core virtues, the Walk of Virtues reinforces the characteristics that define a Haverford School graduate. The virtues guide our students and inform our curriculum from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. 

Our History

Preparing boys for Life since 1884

By former Head of School Joseph T. Cox, including research collected by James Zug '87

When the Pennsylvania Railroad finished 15 miles of track from Broad Street to Paoli, many of its families moved to the fresh air and country west of the city. Among them were Alexander Cassatt, brother of painter Mary, and his wife Lois Buchanan Cassatt, niece of our 15th president, James Buchanan. They occupied the Cheswold estate right next to where we sit tonight.

Their idea and ideal was a superior education for their boys, as well as the sons of others who had moved to The Main Line. To see their dream to reality, they enlisted the help of the young Quaker Dean of Haverford College, Isaac Sharpless. The College, founded in 1833, was a struggling institution. Swarthmore, a rival Quaker college, had its own grammar school, but there was no school for the sons of the Haverford professors. When Alexander and Lois Cassatt, presented their idea, Dean Sharpless acted.

The Haverford School in 1891
The Haverford School in 1891
A diverse group of students gathers together in front of the Walk of Virtues
The Haverford School Today

We continue to strive to realize the ideals and ideas of our founders. We aspire to be the premier boys' school in the country, one that develops the intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential of our students, and which does not forget Buck Wilson's moral admonitions. We teach Cornelius Boocock's sense of service and Leslie Severinghaus' global vision. Mr. Parker's stalwart dedication to the tradition of the liberal arts, Bo Dixon's optimism, Joe Healey's faith in the future, all combine to make the idea of a premier school for boys a reality based on the ideals of academic and moral excellence, embodied in the many fine young men who have graduated from The Haverford School.

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