Historic Endowment Gift Establishes The Bretter Family Head of School

“What Leo has done through this historic gift to the endowment is extraordinary,” Dr. Raudenbush Gum said. “It is a testament to his belief in the past, present, and future of Gunn, and speaks to the longstanding generosity of his family as well as their enduring commitment to the school. We are so incredibly grateful for his decades of support, having served as a Trustee from 1971 to 2001, as a Trustee Emeritus since 2001, as a proud parent and engaged alumnus, and through his unwavering philanthropic support.”

As a student, alumnus, parent, and Trustee, Bretter has known seven Heads of School. When he joined the Board in 1971, at the behest of former Head of School Ogden D. Miller H’69 P’50 ’54 ’55 GP’84, he was one of the school’s youngest Trustees. During his tenure, Bretter served as Vice President of the Board, Chair of the Committee on Trustees, and as a member of the Development Committee and the Finance Committee. As chair of the Nominating Committee, he made it a point to recommend to the Board fellow alumni, including his former classmate and Head Prefect Gus Kellogg III ’52, who served from 1982-2001, and Trustee Emeritus Jonathan Tisch ’72. 

Over the course of five decades, Bretter’s particular passion has been to grow and support the school’s endowment, ensuring Gunn’s success for years to come. And while much has changed since he arrived in Washington, Connecticut, as a junior in the fall of 1950, Bretter sees Gunn as a school that has remained true to its roots, giving students opportunities to build confidence, to lead, and to become forces for good in the world.

“As in everything, there is a lot of change, but the basic tenets of The Frederick Gunn School have not changed at all. That’s why I’m still a big advocate of the school and I feel I can make a difference. That’s why I continue to support the school, as an individual and financially,” Bretter said. “Clearly, Frederick Gunn was a very advanced-thinking individual, and fortunately, the school has adopted his philosophy, and it shows in whatever the school does.”

He still recalls a conversation he had as a student with then-Assistant Head of School Graham Anderson, who was also Director of Studies and the Head House Parent in Gibson. “I’ll never forget this. He said, ‘I’ve been watching you, and you don’t come close to the potential you have.’ He gave me a big pep talk, and that absolutely changed my life.”

“It was a game-changing experience for me. My son, Ted ’88, went to The Gunnery as well and it was the same thing for him. It totally changed his life, as it did mine. Other alumni have said the same thing. That’s the beauty of The Frederick Gunn School. It succeeded with me and it succeeded with others,” Bretter said.

The school’s small size, the enduring philosophy of Frederick Gunn, and the heads of school with whom he has worked have continued to contribute to that caring experience and inspire his support. “I have a great affiliation and love for the school and what it does for real people. That’s why I give. When I graduated, it was a very personal experience. That aspect of it really hasn’t changed despite the fact that the school has grown in size,” he said.

“Gifts like this are about more than today — they build a lasting foundation for Gunn’s future,” said Chief Advancement Officer Matt Goetting. “Endowed positions strengthen the school’s financial foundation while also having an immediate impact on our ability to deliver a transformational experience for our students. Leo’s generosity reflects a deep belief in our people — our faculty and leadership — and ensures we can continue to support the educators and mentors our founder knew were so essential to a young person’s growth.” 

Bretter is a graduate of the prestigious Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and secured his first job in 1956 through the Gunn alumni network. In his senior year at Gunn, he won an essay contest sponsored by Harold Bache, Class of 1912, who served on the Board of Trustees from 1952-1967 and was chief executive officer of Bache & Co., the second largest investment firm in the world after Merrill Lynch. Bache knew Bretter wanted to work in finance, and encouraged him to look him up after he graduated from college. Bretter spent over two decades at the firm, which later became Prudential-Bache Securities, before moving to Neuberger Berman, where he worked for over 30 years.

He and his wife, Frances P’88, who worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and co-authored two books on American furniture, were married in 1964 and have two children, Ted and Caroline. Through the years, the Bretters have supported arts organizations, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and locally, Washington Friends of Music, as well as initiatives on campus, including the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center and the former Emerson Performing Arts Center. The Frances and Leo Bretter Student Center in Solley Dining Hall is named for them, in recognition of their generous contributions to the school. In December 2025, Bretter was honored with the Friend of the Green Award in recognition of his dedication to the school and to the Washington area through decades of service. 


Top: Trustee Emeritus Leo Bretter ’52 P’88 with Dr. Emily Raudenbush Gum, the Bretter Family Head of School, at Gunn Next at The Shed in New York City in November. Photo by Kristin Moore