Groton School

A five-year, coeducational boarding school located forty miles northwest of Boston at Groton, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1884 by Endicott Peabody, an Episcopal priest who wished to imbue Christian values in young men and prepare them both for college and leadership in American society. Students and faculty worshiped together twice a day, and at the turn of the century a large gothic-style chapel was erected at the heart of the campus. Peabody considered Groton a family. He and his wife said good night to students daily with a handshake. He served as headmaster until 1940. The school's bylaws stated that the headmaster must be an ordained Episcopalian. John Crocker, an Episcopal priest, was headmaster between 1940 and 1965. The original bylaws have been changed, and the chaplain now bears the primary responsibility of overseeing the school's spiritual life.