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The History of Tuxedo Park School

Tuxedo Park School was founded in 1900, fourteen years after Pierre Lorillard opened his famous park in the Ramapo Hills, 38 miles northwest of New York City. In its early years, the school provided education for the students from Tuxedo Park and coordinated the curriculum with the New York independent schools that some students attended during the winter. After many years as a proprietary school, Headmaster Anthony Barber led the school into the modern era by obtaining the Charter from New York State and establishing the school as a not-for-profit educational institution.

First page of the PDF file: prometheus
The final event of the year is Field Day, which takes place on the third Saturday of May. Students engage in track and field events individually and together to propel their team’s yearly score to victory.

Green & Gold

In 1942, Headmaster Anthony Barber began the annual Green and Gold competition. At that time, he felt that the school was strong academically but needed something to enliven the community’s spirit. He decided to divide the school into two teams—Green and Gold—that would compete throughout the year. The first Gold Team captain was Harry McVickar, and the first Green Team captain was Robert Shaw.

Still a yearly tradition to this day, the Green and Gold competition is made up of several contests that take place from September to May. All students are inducted onto their teams at the end of second grade during the Green and Gold Banquet. For new students to TPS who are in third grade or higher, inductions take place during the first all-school assembly.

Team members earn points for their artistic, academic, and athletic achievements in such contests as Weekly Trivia, Geography Bee, Spelling Bee, History Bowl, Ski Race Day, Earth Day Poetry Contest, Field Day Program Cover Art, and athletic games by grade or division.

Green & Gold score and events

Blairhame Became Our Home

The school has occupied three different houses in Tuxedo Park.

In 1957, it moved to its present location at Blairhame, the estate of John and Natalie Blair. This elegant English country manor house, designed by Carriere and Hastings, was constructed with the most modern standards of 1915 with a concrete and steel interior structure and elegant wood finishings, many imported from England. A major building program in 1967 produced the Mattes Wing that currently houses the Primary School and gymnasium. The Second Century Capital Campaign, completed in 2002, endowed two faculty chairs, partially endowed tuition assistance, doubled the Faculty Incentive Endowment, and provided the funds for the new Middle School Wing and gymnasium that opened in the fall of 2003.

School History

The school has maintained its strong traditions of thorough preparation for secondary day and boarding schools while ensuring each child is known, appreciated, and has many opportunities to participate and lead.

Read more about the lasting impact of each Head of School.