History & Traditions
In 1850, Frederick William Gunn, educator, prominent abolitionist, and outdoorsman, along with his wife, Abigail Brinsmade Gunn, founded their school on a hilltop in bucolic Washington, Connecticut. For 176 years, The Frederick Gunn School has flourished by standing squarely on the ideals of its founders: intellectual strength, moral courage, physical rigor and character.
Today, there are reminders of Mr. Gunn’s legacy all around us. Most are not as tangible as a school building or a sepia-colored photograph but have shown to be even more lasting. Mr. Gunn’s philosophy of education, with its emphasis on character development, curiosity, and independent thinking, remains relevant today. What was regarded as iconoclastic at the time has proven to be universal. Today’s Gunn graduates are not only prepared but eager to face the challenges of the 21st century and, like our founder, Be a Force for Good.
About Our Founder
Frederick W. Gunn
Mr. Gunn founded the School in 1850 with his wife Abigail Brinsmade Gunn
Nature as Educator
A walk that started a movement
Advocate of Athletics
And Baseball
The Abolitionist
And the Underground Railroad
Traditions
Convocation
A celebration of the new school year
School Walk
A tradition started by Frederick Gunn
Founders Day Regatta
A day of sportsmanship and competition
Commencement & Prize Night
Honoring our graduating class
Investiture & Clash of Colors
Celebrating our rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors
We are the Highlanders
Our mascot
School Meeting & Student Government
Gathering as a community
Our Scottish Heritage
Our Highlander roots
School crest
Linking our past to our future
Gunn Pine
A piece of living history
Senior Rock
A historical focal point on the quad
The Stray Shot
The hunt continues
Heads of School
The Frederick Gunn School has been led by 12 Heads of School, including founder Frederick Gunn, who each contributed to its success over the course of our over 176-year history.
Frederick W. Gunn
Mr. Gunn served as the school's first Headmaster from 1850 until his death in 1881.
John Chapin Brinsmade
John Chapin Brinsmade succeeded Mr. Gunn, his father-in-law, as Head of School in 1881, and continued a tradition of academic innovation as the public school system established itself in Connecticut.
William Hamilton Gibson
William Hamilton Gibson of the Class of 1902 was appointed the third Head of School beginning in 1922, when The Gunnery was purchased by a group of alumni acting as trustees.
Tertius Van Dyke
1938-1942
The Rev. Tertius van Dyke was called by The Gunnery to temporarily replace his brother-in-law, third headmaster W. Hamilton Gibson, in 1936.
Russell Bartlett
1942-1946
After an illustrious career as a physics professor at Yale and Phillips Exeter Academy, Russell Sturgis Bartlett came to The Gunnery in 1942 from the Newark College of Engineering, where he had worked on the revision of the College Boards, which resulted in the institution of the SATs.
Ogden D. Miller H'69 P'50 '54 '55
1946-1969
Ogden D. Miller H'69 P'50 '54 '55 was appointed Headmaster in January 1946, following the death of Russell Bartlett.
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Burgess Ayres
1969-1977
Burgess Ayres assumed the headship following Ogden D. Miller’s retirement.
David Kern
1977-1979
When The Rev. David Kern was appointed Head of School in November 1976, his charge from the Board of Trustees was to reinstitute academic rigor with the return of co-education to The Gunnery for the first time in 56 years.
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Michael Eanes H'90 P'90 GP '20 '23 '25
1979-1991
Michael Eanes H’90 P’90 GP’20 ’23 '25 had been a member of The Gunnery faculty for 15 years when the Board of Trustees appointed him acting Headmaster in 1979, following the abrupt departure of David Kern.
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susan G. Graham H'12
1991-2012
Susan Graham H'12 was named the first female Head of School. Under her aegis, the school completed a three-phase Campus Enhancement Plan as well as the expansion of the curriculum, and infrastructure improvements to address the information technology explosion.
Peter Becker
2012-2023
As Gunn's 11th Head of School, Peter Becker ushered in a transformative period of growth while seeking to strengthen the school’s ties to its founder in ways that are relevant to a 21st-century boarding school education.
Emily Raudenbush Gum
2023-Present
Emily Raudenbush Gum became The Frederick Gunn School's 12th Head of School in 2023 after serving as the Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning.
