Board of Trustees Records

The Board of Trustees of The Lawrenceville School incorporated in November of 1882. The Board was created by owners of the Lawrenceville property and charged with overseeing the management of the institution. Among the first trustees were three of the four owners of the school - Caleb Smith Green, Charles Ewing Green, and Judge John T. Nixon. Known as the "Founders," these men inherited the property along with Sarah Griswold Green after the death of her husband John C. Green. The newly created Board of Trustees, along with Head Master Reverend James Cameron Mackenzie, were responsible for what became known as "reorganization." Unhappy with the current state of the school, they shaped the school to model English boarding schools. This resulted in the establishment of the house system and adoption of more rigorous admissions and academic standards. The trustees are also responsible for changing the name of the institution. The first changed occurred in 1882 when it was changed from the "Lawrenceville Classical and Commercial High School" to "The Lawrenceville Academy." The name was changed again on March 18, 1885 to "The Lawrenceville School."

An important moment in the Board's history came shortly after the Centennial in 1910. Feeling a need to bridge the gap between alumni and embrace the School's history, the Board amended their bylaws to allow for the election of trustees who were not residents of the State of New Jersey, which paved the way for increased alumni representation. In June of 1911, Samuel S. Stryker, class of 1860, became the first out-of-state alumnus trustee. This helped smooth the relationship between pre- and post-reorganization alumni.

Historically, the Board has had a strong influence over the layout and infrastructure of the campus. It's building, property, and planning committees have determined the function of existing structures and decided which new buildings would be erected. The Board of Trustees also played a pivotal role in what was perhaps the biggest transformation in the history of the School - the implementation of coeducation. After considering the feasibility and impact of becoming coeducational for 16 years, the Board voted to approve coeducation in June of 1985. This resulted in drastic revisions of the master plan. As a result of coeducation, many existing buildings on campus needed renovation and many new buildings need to be built.

The Board continues to be the manager of the affairs and property of the Lawrenceville School. It consists of no less than 18 and no more than 32 members, plus the Head Master. The Board includes alumni, parents of students, and the Head Master. Each trustee except the Head Master is elected by the Board at the regular spring meeting of the Board for a term of four years. Notable former trustees included George W. Bunn, Reverend John Dixon, Robert F. Goheen, Samuel McClintock Hamill, Artemis A. W. Joukowsky, Allan P. Kirby, Patricia H. Labalme, Judge William Mershon Lanning, Edwin M. Lavino, and Francis Bowes Sayre.