Hathaway Brown School

• 1875: The head of the Brooks Academy allows young ladies to attend afternoon classes
• 1876: Frances Fisher establishes "Home and Day School"
• 1886: Anne Hathaway Brown buys school; later changes name to "Miss Anne H. Hathaway Brown's School for Girls"
• 1887: Miss Brown introduces their motto: non scholae sed vitae discimus ("we learn not for school but for life")
• 1905: Hathaway Brown School at 1945 East 97th Street completed by Cleveland architectural firm of Hubbell & Benes. Later demolished.[3]
• 1911: Mary E. Raymond named principal of the Hathaway Brown School
• 1927: Cornerstone laid for the present complex that cost more than $1 million
• 1956: Anne Cutter Coburn, headmistress, helps to establish the Alumnae Fund for salaries, building maintenance, scholarship and endowment.
• 1966: First African-American student joins Hathaway Brown
• 1978: Margaret J. Madden, a Vassar graduate, named head of the school; oversees building expansion and four faculty chairs
• 1981: Strnad Fellowships in Creativity, an opportunity for a unique educational experience for juniors and seniors, created by Edna Dawley Strnad 1942.
• 1987: H. William Christ named 13th Head of School
• 1991: Campaign for Hathaway Brown launched, raises $9.2 million through 1994
• 1996: W.E.S.T. (Women Engaged in Scholarly Thought) Fellowship Program launched for 7th and 8th graders who want to pursue independent study
• 1998: the Student Research Program launched
• 2008 or 2009: WorldWide Student Alliance is welcomed into the Hathaway Brown Community.
• 2010: First Education Innovation Summit held at Hathaway Brown.
• 2016: Dr. Mary Frances Bisselle named Hathaway Brown's 14th Head of School

The Institute for 21st Century Education consists of 11 different "centers" encompassing leadership, science, technology, history, world languages, and various other programs. The institute was created to help foster a stronger connection to a particular subject and a more hands-on aspect of learning. Students have the option of choosing one or more centers to join in addition to their core classes, while completing projects and assessments. Each center focuses on specific issues, but can also be combined with another center for a cross-learning experience.

The Centers include:

• Osborne Writing Center
• Center for Technology & Innovation
• Center for Civic Engagement
• Center for Leadership & Well-Being
• Center for Business & Finance
• Center for Sustainability
• Aspire Program
• Center for Global Citizenship
• Center for Multicultural Affairs
• Science Research & Engineering Program
• Center for the Creative Arts

Many of the centers contain stipulations to receiving the graduating designation. The Global Scholar program, for example, requires that each student who graduates taking the Global Scholar classes must have completed Global Scholars Seminars 1 and 2 (a 2-year commitment), a 20-40 page senior thesis (and defense), as well as an 80% passing grade on a map of the entire world. Each center varies, but many require certain aspects to prove the designation. Nearly 90% of the students in every grade are global scholars, so many of the girls end up writing a thesis and defending.

The first day of school at HB begins with students meeting in the courtyard while a bagpiper begins to play. At some point, the students begin to exit the courtyard, two by two, beginning with the freshman and ending with the seniors. All Upper School students then file into the hallways and are cheered on by all faculty that line the sides of the hallways. The respective class presidents for each grade carry a flag with their class's graduating year as well as the class color. At the end, the Class Presidents place the flags on the auditorium stage, and this begins the school year.

The Thanksgiving Assembly occurs the day before Thanksgiving weekend. To commemorate the break, the whole school dresses up for the occasion and celebrates together. Late afternoon, students file two by two into the auditorium, starting with the preschoolers and ending with the seniors. During this time, the Middle School Orchestra plays music. After everyone is seated, there are multiple performances from the HB Singers, Bravuras, and Upper School Orchestra. Afterwards, girls from many grades give speeches for their thankfulness, as well as the headmaster delivering the final speech until dismissal.

Known as "Ideo Day" to the girls, this day is the celebration right before the girls are dismissed for winter festivities. The tradition arises from a previous headmaster that loved the religious carol "Ideo". She loved the song so much that she asked the girls if they would sing it. As a gift to her, the day before winter break, the girls would walk down the halls, two by two, and sing the song throughout the school. Her gift to the girls was winter break, and so the tradition continued.

Ideo remains fairly the same today. As one of the HB's largest traditions, it is the most popular for alumni to return and remember their own Ideo day memories. Faculty, friends, and family line the hallways starting from the auditorium and ending in the gym. Fifth graders begin the procession, and twelfth graders end it. Students walk two by two and listen to an instrumental version of Ideo. When the seniors reach the gym, they sing a song to the school called, "Bless This House". After the song has been sung, the headmaster will say a speech to the grade, as well as the school, and then dismisses the girls for Winter Break.

• Girls Basketball - 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013[4]
• Girls Field Hockey - 2008, 2002[4]
• Girls Soccer - 2007, 2004[4]
• Girls Golf - 2010[4]
• Girls Tennis -2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

Other non-sanctioned state championships:

• Girls Tennis -2003, 2004
• Girls Lacrosse-2010, 2012[5]