{{Short description|Prep school in Windsor, Connecticut, US}} {{Independent sources|date=March 2015}} {{Use American English|date=September 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox school | name = The Loomis Chaffee School | image = LC-COA-red-rgb.png | image_size = 150px | established = {{start date and age|1914|p=1}} | type = Private, independent, boarding, day | motto = Ne Cede Malis | motto_translation = Yield Not to Adversity | head_of_school = Jody Reilly Soja | address = 4 Batchelder Road | city = Windsor | state = Connecticut <!-- Do not link per WP:SEAOFBLUE --> | zipcode = 06095 | country = United States <!-- Do not link per MOS:OL --> | coordinates = {{Coord|41|50|24|N|72|38|26|W|type:edu_region:US-CT|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | ceeb = 070945 | campus_size = {{Convert|300|acre|ha}} | faculty = 190 | grades = 9–12, PG | gender = Coeducational | enrollment = {{Plainlist| * 742 total * 520 boarding * 222 day (2024–2025) }} | avg_class_size = 12 students | ratio = 5:1 (4:1 boarding student-to-residential faculty) | endowment = $350 million<ref>{{Cite web |title=Loomis Chaffee Profile (2022) | Windsor, CT |url=https://www.boardingschoolreview.com/loomis-chaffee-profile}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Henry Kravis Donates $100 Million to His Prep School |url=https://www.philanthropy.com/article/financier-kravis-gives-100-million-to-his-long-ago-prep-school}}</ref> | athletics = 55 interscholastic teams in 18 sports; 19 intramural offerings | athletic_conference = NEPSAC<br />Founders League | mascot = Pelican | campus_type = Suburban | newspaper = The Loomis Chaffee Log | budget = $55.7 million (2019)<ref name=facts>{{cite web |title=Key Facts |url=https://www.loomischaffee.org/about-us/loomis-at-a-glance |date=July 18, 2019 |publisher=Loomis Chaffee |access-date=July 18, 2019}}</ref> | tuition = $61,760 (boarding)<ref name=facts/> <br />$47,440 (day)<ref name=facts/> | colors = Maroon and gray<br> {{color box|maroon|border=silver}}{{color box|gray|border=silver}} | affiliations = Ten Schools Admission Organization<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Schools |url=https://www.tenschools.org/ |publisher=Ten Schools}}</ref> | rival = Kent School | accreditation = {{Plainlist| * NAIS * TABS * NEASC }} | website = {{URL|https://www.loomischaffee.org/}} }}
The '''Loomis Chaffee School''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|uː|m|ɪ|s|_|ˈ|tʃ|eɪ|f|i}}; '''LC''' or '''Loomis''') is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, including postgraduate students, located in Windsor, Connecticut, seven miles north of Hartford. As of the 2024–2025 school year, 70 percent of Loomis Chaffee's 742 students reside on the school's {{Convert|300|acre|ha|adj=on}} campus and represent 51 foreign countries and 27 U.S. states; the remaining 30 percent are day students.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Key Facts |url=https://www.loomischaffee.org/about/key-facts |publisher=The Loomis Chaffee School |access-date=2025-01-12 |language=en-US}}</ref>
Founded in 1914, Loomis Chaffee is a member of the Ten Schools Admission Organization.
== History == The school was chartered in 1874 as '''The Loomis Institute''' by five Loomis siblings, who were determined to turn tragedy into generosity after all of their own children died before the age of 21.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.loomischaffee.org/page.cfm?p=349 |title=History & Origins of Loomis Chaffee|publisher=Loomischaffee.org|access-date=February 26, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-springfield-daily-republican-our-har/175093786/ |title=Our Hartford Letter |date=1877-09-21 |newspaper=The Springfield Daily Republican |page=7 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2025-06-23}}{{Open access}}</ref> The original 1640 Loomis Homestead was chosen as the site for the school, which opened in 1914.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8MjzAAAAMAAJ&q=%22loomis+institute%22&pg=PA33|title=Atlantic Reporter: Cases Argued and Determined in the Courts of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont|date=1923|publisher=West Publishing Company|pages=33–35|language=en}}</ref> The forty-year gap between chartering and the opening of the school was due to the estate of the Loomis siblings being reserved for the siblings' retirement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.courant.com/community/windsor/rnw-wn-p3-windsor-loomis-chaffee-school-1106-20141028-story.html|title=A look back at the start of Loomis Chaffee School|last=Hill|first=Rachel|website=courant.com|access-date=2020-04-04}}</ref><!--What happened between "the 1870s" and 1914? What was the delay?-->
In 1910, John Mason Loomis's widow left over $1.1 million as an endowment to The Loomis Institute for charitable purposes.<ref name=together>Together We Served.com, Essay</ref> This donation allowed the school to remain tuition-free for its first four decades. The Loomis Institute was different from other New England preparatory schools: it had no religious affiliation, offered vocational training alongside college preparatory courses, and admitted both boys and girls.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last1=Martin|first1=David Jerner|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cI0ZBQAAQBAJ&q=%22the+chaffee+school%22&pg=PT297|title=Building Teachers: A Constructivist Approach to Introducing Education|last2=Loomis|first2=Kimberly S.|date=2013-06-25|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=978-1-285-53011-6|pages=265|language=en}}</ref>
The Loomis Institute ended coeducation in 1926 when The Chaffee School was incorporated to educate girls on an adjacent campus. In 1970, the boys and girls schools merged to form The Loomis Chaffee School.<ref name=":1" /> Since then, the school has expanded its endowment, financial aid budget, faculty, and campus size.<ref name=":0" />
==Overview==
=== Academics === Loomis Chaffee serves students from grades 9-12, as well as post-graduate students.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Future of Loomis Chaffee: The Incoming Class of 2029|url=https://lc-log.org/5473/news/the-future-of-loomis-chaffee-the-incoming-class-of-2029/}}</ref>
===Athletics=== Loomis Chaffee competes in sports against schools from all over New England and adjacent states.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.loomischaffee.org/athletics/athletics-overview|title=Athletics Overview - The Loomis Chaffee School|website=www.loomischaffee.org}}</ref> The school is a member of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) and competes in the Class A large school division. Additionally, Loomis is a member of The Founders League which comprises private schools located mainly in Connecticut.<ref name="auto2"/>
==Heads of school== * (1914–1949): Nathaniel Horton Batchelder<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/15/obituaries/francis-o-grubbs-is-dead-at-74-headed-loomis-chaffee-school.html|title=Francis O. Grubbs Is Dead at 74; Headed Loomis-Chaffee School|first=David|last=Margolick|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 15, 1982}}</ref> * (1949–1952): William Speer<ref name="auto" /> * (1952–1967): Francis Olmsted Grubbs<ref name="auto" /> * (1967–1976): Frederick G. Torrey<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/02/25/archives/exfrench-teacher-to-retire-as-head-of-loomischaffee.html|title=Ex‐French Teacher To Retire as Head Of Loomis‐Chaffee|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 25, 1973}}</ref> * (1976–1996): John Ratté<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1995-01-21-9501210633-story.html|title=LOOMIS CHAFFEE HEADMASTER RETIRING|first=STAN SIMPSON; ''Hartford Courant'' Staff|last=Writer|website=courant.com}}</ref> * (1996–2008): Russell H. Weigel<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://phillipian.net/2007/04/01/loomis-headmaster-to-retire-after-2007-08-year/|title=Loomis Headmaster to Retire After 2007-08 Year|newspaper=The Phillipian, the Phillips Academy|date=April 1, 2007}}</ref> * (2008–2024): Sheila Culbert<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-19 |title=Sheila Culbert Extends Her Tenure as Head of School |url=https://www.loomischaffee.org/news/archive/post/~board/school-news/post/sheila-culbert-extends-her-tenure-as-head-of-school |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=www.loomischaffee.org |language=en-US}}</ref> * (2024–Present): Jody Reilly Soja<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jody Reilly Soja Named Eighth Head of School - The Loomis Chaffee School |url=https://www.loomischaffee.org/news/archive/post/~board/school-news/post/jody-reilly-soja-named-eighth-head-of-school |access-date=20 September 2024 |website=www.loomischaffee.org |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Notable alumni== <!-- Please do not add individual names here, please add to the list below --> {{Main|List of Loomis Chaffee School alumni}}
== Notable faculty == {{Main|List of Loomis Chaffee School alumni#Faculty|l1=List of Loomis Chaffee School faculty}}
Writer John Horne Burns taught at Loomis and wrote several books while there.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Margolick |first=David |title=Dreadful: the short life and gay times of John Horne Burns |publisher=Other Press |year=2013 |location=New York |pages=x}}</ref>
René Cheruy served for many years as head of the French department, as well as a member of the visual arts department.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Madame Chéruy |url=https://www.loomischaffee.org/archives/post/~board/archives/post/madame-cheruy |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=www.loomischaffee.org |language=en-US}}</ref>
==See also== * John Mason Loomis – American lumber tycoon and Union colonel during the American Civil War, and one of the Loomis family financiers and co-founders of the Loomis Institute * James Chaffee Loomis – American lawyer, politician, and co-founder of the Loomis Institute * Osbert Burr Loomis – American portrait painter and co-founder of the Loomis Institute
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category|Loomis Chaffee}} * {{Official website|https://www.loomischaffee.org/}}
{{Ten Schools Admissions Organization}} {{Founders League}} {{New England Preparatory School Athletic Council}} {{authority control}}
Category:Boarding schools in Connecticut Category:Educational institutions established in 1914 Category:Preparatory schools in Connecticut Category:Private high schools in Connecticut Category:Schools in Hartford County, Connecticut Category:Windsor, Connecticut Category:1914 establishments in Connecticut Category:Ten Schools Admission Organization