John Burroughs School

Infobox Private School | name = John Burroughs School


established = 1923
type = Private
head_name = Headmaster
head = Keith E. Shahan
city = Ladue
state = MO
country = U.S.
campus = Suburban, convert|47.5|acre|m2
enrollment = 590 (total), 406 (9-12)
faculty = 102
colors = Blue & Gold
mascot = Bombers
homepage = [http://www.jburroughs.org/ www.jburroughs.org]

Founded in 1923, John Burroughs School (JBS) is a private, non-sectarian preparatory school with nearly 600 students in grades 7-12. Its 47.5 acre (192,000 m²) campus is located in Ladue, Missouri (USA), an affluent suburb of Saint Louis. It is named for U.S. naturalist and philosopher John Burroughs.

Overview

John Burroughs has long had a school philosophy of liberal and progressive education. It has been recognized as one of the nation's premier preparatory schools. [http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-COLLEGE0711-sort.html WSJ.com ] ] According to a recent survey in the Wall Street Journal, the school ranks among the top 50 schools nationally as measured by the best record of graduates attending eight top universities.

The school currently operates on convert|47.5|acre|m2 of land. Campus facilities include a main classroom building, an auditorium, a library, a science building, a sports and performing arts center, and a fine arts facility.

Burroughs also operates an outdoor education and biology facility in the Ozarks known as "Dreyland".

The faculty includes about 73 full-time and 29 part-time members. Headmaster Keith E. Shahan has announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2008-2009 academic year following 23 years of service.http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/education/story/26A85DC0315ED78D862573CC0017B4B3?OpenDocument]

Each class contains about one hundred students and nearly all go on to attend four-year colleges, including a substantial number to Ivy League schools, according to the school's web site. The school has more than 6,100 living alumni. Admission is based on school records, recommendations, entrance examination results, and a personal interview. The primary admission level is grade seven, but applicants are considered for grades eight through ten as openings permit.cite web| url=http://www.jburroughs.org/welcome/facts.html | title=JBS Facts, at the school's own web site | accessdate=2008-01-06 ]

In 2007, according to the site, tuition and fees cost $17,775. The school budget was about $14 million, of which about 13 percent came from the then-$43 million endowment and nearly $1.7 million in gifts. The school disbursed $1.5 million in financial aid; about 20 percent of the students received grants, loans, or both. From 1986 to 2008, the endowment rose from $7.5 million to almost $48 million.

The school is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS).

It has an athletic rivalry with nearby Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School. John Burroughs also holds a cross-state rivalry with The Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City. The varsity sports teams are named the "John Burroughs Bombers." The school colors are blue and gold.

Alumni

*Todd Akin: U.S. Congressman (R) for the 2nd District of Missouri (2001-present)
*Andrew C. Taylor: CEO and chairman of Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company. [http://jbnet.groupfusion.net/modules/news/group_pages.phtml?category_id=443&nid=1253]
*Christine Bertelson, 1968: editorial page editor, "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" newspaper. [http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Bertelson_Christine_16298846.aspx]
*William S. Burroughs (Class of 1931, did not graduate): novelist, "Naked Lunch."
*Sarah Clarke, 1989: actress, "24." [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0325552/bio]
*Leo Drey, 1935: timber magnate, conservationist, philanthropist. Was Missouri's largest private landholder until 2004, when his $180 million gift of land to a conservation foundation made him the U.S.'s sixth-most generous benefactor. [http://slate.msn.com/id/2112694/fr/rss/] . Leases land to JBS for outdoor education.
*Joe Edwards, 1964: owner, Blueberry Hill restaurant and bar in U. City. [http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2000/01/31/focus26.html]
*Edward T. Foote II: president, University of Miami (1981-2001); helped design St. Louis' desegregation plans. [http://www.jburroughs.org/alum/alumniawards.html]
*Heather Goldenhersh, 1991: actress, Tony nominated (Featured Actress in a Play) for her role as Sister James in "Doubt".
*Martha Gellhorn, 1926: combat journalist, novelist, and Ernest Hemingway's third wife. He dedicated "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (1940) to her; she called him her Unwilling Companion in "Travels With Myself And Another" (1978).
*Jon Hamm, 1989: Golden Globe-winning actor
*John Hartford, 1968: Grammy-winning folk musician, "Gentle On My Mind".
*James H. Howard: awarded Congressional Medal of Honor in 1944
*Walter L. Metcalfe Jr., 1956: lawyer; formerchairman of Bryan Cave, one of the world's 35 largest law firms; chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. [http://jbnet.groupfusion.net/modules/news/group_pages.phtml?category_id=443&nid=1253]
*Danny Meyer, 1976: NYC restaurateur; Union Square Cafe, [http://www.gramercytavern.com Gramercy Tavern] , [http://www.BlueSmoke.com Blue Smoke] , [http://www.TheModernnyc.com The Modern] .
*Gordon Philpott, 1951: chief of surgery, Jewish Hospital in St. Louis; professor emeritus of surgery, Washington University School of Medicine. [http://magazine.wustl.edu/Summer01/mywashington.html]
*Jane Smiley: Pulitzer Prize-winning (1992) novelist, "A Thousand Acres".
*Laura Stith, 1971: Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court [http://www.courts.mo.gov/page.asp?id=183]
*John Stix, 1938: theatre-movie-television director (1983's "Family Business"), Juilliard professor, Actor's Studio member. [http://www.bmcproject.org/Biographies/StixJohn/stixjohn.htm]
*Thomas H. Stix, ca. 1942: Plasma physics pioneer (wrote 1962's seminal "The Theory of Plasma Waves"), Princeton professor.
*Andrew Volpe, 1998: guitarist and lead singer of the St. Louis-based band, Ludo.
*Katie Wheeler: New Hampshire state senator in the 1990s.
*Jay Williamson: Professional golfer on the PGA Tour [ [http://www.pgatour.com/2007/tournaments/r034/06/25/williamson062407/?eref=sitesearch PGATOUR.COM - Even in defeat, Williamson proves he can compete on TOUR ] ]

Faculty

*Marion Rombauer Becker: JBS art department director (1929-32) and co-author (with mother Irma S. Rombauer) of American cookbook "The Joy of Cooking" (1936).

References

External links

* [http://www.jburroughs.org John Burroughs School website]
* [http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=4&s=10&x=3644&y=21402&z=15&w=1 Aerial photo]