Sidwell Friends School: A Legacy of Notable Alumni

Sidwell Friends School, a Quaker institution located in Bethesda, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., has a long-standing tradition of educating students who go on to make significant contributions in various fields. Founded in 1883 by Thomas W. Sidwell, the school's motto, "Eluceat omnibus lux" ("Let the light shine out from all"), reflects its commitment to fostering intellectual curiosity, personal growth, and a sense of social responsibility. This article explores the school's history, its unique approach to education, and some of its most notable alumni.

A Historical Overview

Thomas Sidwell established a "Friends' Select School" in 1883, situated just four blocks from the White House. As the school grew, Sidwell began acquiring property between Wisconsin Avenue and 37th Street in 1911. Initially, this new property served as athletic fields, requiring students to travel between the two sites by streetcar. In 1925, Sidwell added a kindergarten, becoming the first K-12 school in Washington, D.C. The school's name was officially changed to "Sidwell and Friends School" in 1934.

The school gradually relocated to the Wisconsin Avenue building. Previously all grade levels were in Washington, DC. Sidwell became racially integrated in 1964. Before 1964 it was a white-only school. Thomas B. Farquhar was removed from his position as the Head of School after the 2013-2014 school year. In 2018, Sidwell, along with 7 other DC Area Private schools, announced that they would be eliminating AP courses, citing the declining impact on one's college acceptance chances that AP courses were having, and a want to diversify their class offerings. In April 2020, the school received $5.2 million in federally backed small business loans as part of the Paycheck Protection Program. The school received scrutiny over this loan, which meant to protect small and private businesses.

Academic and Extracurricular Excellence

Sidwell Friends School maintains high academic standards. The school "accepts only 7 percent of its applicants." All students must acquire at least 20 credits before graduating. Students are required to take four years of English, three years of mathematics, three years of history, two years of one foreign language, two years of science, and two years of art. In addition to this, all freshmen must take a full year Ninth Grade Studies course that involves a service project.

The school's athletic teams are known as the Quakers, and their colors are maroon and gray. The Quakers compete in the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAC) for boys' sports and the Independent School League (ISL) for girls' sports. The women's basketball team is consistently a top program in the DMV area. In the 2022-2023 season, the team won their second straight DCSAA state championship in a 68-49 win against St. Johns.

Quaker Values and Educational Philosophy

Sidwell Friends School is guided by Quaker values, which emphasize community, equality, and social justice. The school's web brochure says the school stresses a cooperative, rather than competitive, search for knowledge and believes that diverse perspectives and meaningful inquiry fuel academic excellence and promote personal growth. Each of its three divisions (lower, middle, and upper) stresses empathy, equity, and social justice in age-appropriate ways. Its unique diversity structure infuses equity and multiculturalism into classroom practice, and stimulates creative inquiry, intellectual achievement, and independent thinking.

Notable Alumni

Sidwell Friends School has produced a diverse array of accomplished individuals in politics, business, the arts, and other fields. Here are some notable alumni:

Politics and Public Service

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: An environmental lawyer and activist.
William Henry Harrison III: A U.S. Representative from Wyoming.
Nancy Reagan: Former First Lady of the United States.

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Al Gore III: Son of former Vice President Al Gore.
Chelsea Clinton: Daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Anthony Lake: Former National Security Advisor under President Bill Clinton.
John Dickerson: A journalist and former host of "Face the Nation."
Roger W. Ferguson, Jr.: Former Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.

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Philip S. Khoury: Ford International Professor of History and Associate Provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
David W. Dennis: Former U.S. Representative from Indiana.
Susan Eisenhower: Granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Elizabeth Wilkins: Senior Counselor to the Director of the Federal Trade Commission.

Arts and Entertainment

Ana Gasteyer: An actress and comedian, best known for her work on "Saturday Night Live."
Tony Horwitz: A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author.
John Dos Passos: A modernist novelist and artist.
Gore Vidal: A writer, playwright, and political commentator.
Davis Guggenheim: An Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker.
Thomas Kail: A Tony Award-winning director, best known for his work on "Hamilton."
Baratunde Thurston: A writer, comedian, and cultural critic.
Michael Chabon: A Pulitzer Prize-winning author.
Nana Meriwether: Miss USA 2012.
Jon Bernthal: Actor
Jeffrey Mumford: Composer

Business and Economics

George Akerlof: A Nobel Prize-winning economist.
Daniel H. Mudd: Former CEO of Fannie Mae.

Athletics

Jair Lynch: An Olympic gymnast.
Josh Hart: A professional basketball player for the New York Knicks.
Walter Rouse: offensive tackle for Stanford.
Jamie Donovan: leading rusher in Ithaca history.
Miles Brown: FCS All American at Wofford.

Recent Developments

In recent years, Sidwell Friends School has continued to evolve and adapt to meet the changing needs of its students and the wider world. In 2018, the school announced that it would be eliminating AP courses, citing the declining impact on college acceptance chances and a desire to diversify its class offerings. In April 2020, the school received $5.2 million in federally backed small business loans as part of the Paycheck Protection Program, which drew some scrutiny.

The school has also made efforts to enhance its facilities and promote sustainability. The Earl G. Harrison Jr. Middle School building, completed in 2022, received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Certification. The wood-clad building was designed around a sustainable use of water and energy, exemplified by a constructed wetland in the center of the campus, with many species of plants, as well as turtles and fish, part of a wastewater recycling system designed by Biohabitats. On the interior, the building uses thermal chimneys and louvers that admit diffuse light to limit the need for artificial light and thermal control. Lastly, the building contains a centralized mechanical plant that uses less energy than normal, much of which is produced by photovoltaic banks on the roof. Sidwell Friends plans to move the Lower School to the site of the current site of The Washington Home and Community Hospices, which is adjacent to the Wisconsin Avenue campus. Completed in 2022 and formally opened on Homecoming Weekend 2023, the Sidwell Friends Athletic Feature Wall welcomes visitors to the David P.

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