Trinity School (also known as Trinity) is a highly selective

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

, preparatory,

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children and adolescents are given instructions during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compa ...

for grades

K–12 K–12, from kindergarten to 12th grade, is an American English expression that indicates the range of years of publicly supported primary and secondary education found in the United States, which is similar to publicly supported school grades ...

located in the

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...

neighborhood in the

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

borough of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, New York, United States, and a member of both the New York Interschool and the Ivy Preparatory School League. It is regarded as one of the most elite private high schools in the United States, sending over 40% of graduating students to the

Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight school ...

and other top schools. Founded in 1709 in the old Trinity Church at Broadway and Wall Street, the school is the fifth oldest in the United States and the oldest continually operational school in New York City. It has a highly competitive admissions process. In 2011, ''The New York Times'' reported that the acceptance rate for Trinity's kindergarten was 2.4% and the high school's acceptance rate was comparable.

History

Trinity School traces its founding to 1709, when founder William Huddleston opened the school to teach poor children in the parish of Trinity Church. Huddleston obtained books and funding for the school from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in London. The school’s first classes met in Trinity Church at the head of Wall Street; the first schoolhouse was built on church grounds in 1749. The building burned down two months later and had to be rebuilt.

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, then King's College, was founded in that building's first floor. The first Trinity students, boys and girls, in addition to religious instruction, also learned to write plainly and legibly and were taught enough arithmetic to prepare them for employment. These eighteenth-century Trinity students were almost invariably apprenticed to trades such as blacksmith, bookbinder, carpenter, cordwainer, mason, mariner, shoe binder, and tailor. In 1789, Trinity's 56 boys and 30 girls were under the instruction of John Wood, clerk of St. Paul's Chapel at 29 John Street. Its tuition stood at seven dollars per quarter, in addition to a one guinea entrance fee. In 1838, Trinity closed admission to girls. Girls would not be readmitted until 1971. In 1889, Trinity School moved to 627 Madison Avenue (at 59th Street), and moved again a year later to 108 West 45th Street. In 1898, the trustees established the St. Agatha's School for Girls at 257 West 93rd Street as a sister school for Trinity. St. Agatha's eventually closed. During its first two hundred years, Trinity moved many times as the population of both Manhattan and the School grew. The establishment, in the nineteenth century, of a public school system in New York meant that the role of the

charity school Charity schools, sometimes called blue coat schools, or simply the Blue School, were significant in the history of education in England. They were built and maintained in various parishes by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants to ...

had come to an end. English and classical learning became the rule as the school increased in size to as many as 250 students and as Trinity refashioned itself as a college preparatory school for boys. The curriculum was designed to meet the admissions standards of the leading colleges and universities of the time. In 1895, Trinity moved to its current location at 91st Street between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues in the

of Manhattan. Trinity currently occupies seven connected buildings: 151 and 149 West 91st Street house the admissions, advancement, and business offices; 139 West 91st houses the Lower School; 121 West 91st Street houses the Lower School language labs, Middle School Science Labs, and the Morse Theater; 115 West 91st houses the Middle School and two gymnasia; and 101 West 91st houses the Upper School, the two swimming pools, and the John McEnroe '77 Tennis Courts (opened in 2012), and in 2017 the school opened a 65,000 square foot addition, adding new science labs, classrooms, and a new performing arts center. Shortly before the completion of the new upper school building in 1968, Trinity severed its Episcopal ties with Trinity Church, and is now non-sectarian, thus receiving no endowment from the Church. The school does, however, retain an Episcopal priest who is paid by Trinity Church. The priest delivers weekly chapel services at the school, as well as the annual

baccalaureate service A baccalaureate service (or baccalaureate Mass) is a celebration that honors a graduating class from a college, high school, or middle school. The event is typically a Christianity-based interdenominational (ecumenical) service, though it may ...

held at Trinity Church each May.

Forbes Magazine ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also rep ...

named Trinity the country's best private school in 2010. In 2004, ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' ranked Trinity as third best at getting its students accepted to some of the country's most exclusive colleges. Under the leadership of John Allman, Trinity has tried to address some of the class and elitism issues that plague the school given the shift from its origins, and continues to build on their decade-long attempts to address diversity.

Academics

The Lower and Middle School courseloads are highly structured, and ninth and tenth graders are offered limited flexibility in their courses. Juniors and seniors, however, are much freer to flexibly select electives and other such courses. English is the only subject mandated through four years in the Upper School. Math is mandated for three, and the lab sciences for two. There is a requirement for religion and

Physical Education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...

. Trinity is also notable for having a full Classics department, which is widely recognized as one of the strongest in the nation. Nearly 40% of the student body takes either Latin or Greek, while more than 60% take two languages.

Athletics

Trinity is a member of the Ivy Preparatory School League and the

New York State Association of Independent Schools The New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) is an association of 201 independent schools and organizations, ranging from nurseries to high schools, in New York (state), New York State. Founded in 1947, NYSAIS is the second la ...

(NYSAIS) The school competes in the

New York State Association of Independent Schools Athletic Association The New York State Association of Independent Schools Athletic Association (NYSAISAA) is a sports association for independent schools in New York state. It is overseen by the New York State Association of Independent Schools. The Association conduct ...

(NYSAISAA). Championships in this league are used as qualifiers for overall state championships. * Girls' volleyball – 1997, 2012 *

Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

– 2006 *

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

– 2007, 2009 * Girls' soccer – 2009 * Boys' cross country – 2016, 2017, 2018 * Girls' cross country – 2019, 2021 * Boys' soccer – 2017, 2018 * Boys' Indoor track and field – 2018, 2022 * Girls' Indoor track and field – 2020, 2022 * Boys' Outdoor track and field – 2022 * Boys' swimming – 2020 * Girls' swimming – 2020

Performing arts

Trinity School has musical groups ranging from instrumental music – jazz groups, orchestras, and chamber ensembles – to vocal music – choruses, both accompanied and a cappella. Musical performances figure in all three divisions with concerts, assemblies, and chapel performances during the school day and in the evening. The school also has dynamic dramatic art showings with performances ranging from plays to musicals, both as classes and as extra-curricular events. A yearly Shakespeare play is student-directed by The Nicholas J.P. Kau '08 Shakespeare Appreciation Society Previous plays have included

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...

(2017),

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

(2018), Romeo & Juliet (2019), and A Midsummer Night's Dream (2020).

Notable students

* Louis Ayres (1892), architect *

Bill Berkson William Craig Berkson (August 30, 1939 – June 16, 2016) was an American poet, critic, and teacher who was active in the art and literary worlds from his early twenties on. Early life and education Born in New York City on August 30, 1939, Bil ...

, poet, critic and editor * Jake Bernstein (journalist) (1987), Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author * Humphrey Bogart, actor * William Gage Brady Jr. (1904), a chairman of National City Bank *

Alvin Bragg Alvin Leonard Bragg Jr. (born October 21, 1973) is an American politician and lawyer from the U.S. state, state of New York (state), New York who is serving as the New York County District Attorney. In 2021, he became the first African-American a ...

, attorney and politician *

Chip Brian Earl W. "Chip" Brian III (born November 11, 1970) is an American financial services, information technology and construction entrepreneur, based in Long Island City. Brian and his wife, the former Nina Sisselman, live in NYC with their two so ...

(1989), CEO of

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* Nick Bruel (1983), author and illustrator *

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, novelist and screenwriter *

Jim Carroll James Dennis Carroll (August 1, 1949 – September 11, 2009) was an American author, poet, autobiographer, and punk musician. Carroll was best known for his 1978 autobiographical work '' The Basketball Diaries'', which inspired a 1995 film of ...

(1968), author, poet, autobiographer and punk musician * Andrew Cohen, film director, journalist *

Reed Diamond Reed Edward Diamond (born July 20, 1967) is an American actor. He is known for the roles of Det. Mike Kellerman on '' Homicide: Life on the Street'', Jason Pillar in season 8 of '' 24'', and recurring character Laurence Dominic on ''Dollhouse' ...

(1985), actor *

Edward Downes Sir Edward Thomas ("Ted") Downes, CBE (17 June 1924 – 10 July 2009) was an English conductor, specialising in opera. He was associated with the Royal Opera House from 1952, and with Opera Australia from 1970. He was also well known for hi ...

, musicologist and radio quizmaster * David Ebersman (1987), Former CFO of Genentech and

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* Ansel Elgort, actor, DJ * David Faber (1981), financial journalist on

CNBC CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk sho ...

Jim Fixx James Fuller Fixx (April 23, 1932 – July 20, 1984) was an American who wrote the 1977 best-selling book '' The Complete Book of Running''. He is credited with helping start America's fitness revolution by popularizing the sport of running ...

(1949), bestselling author and evangelist of

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Daniel Garodnick Daniel Garodnick (born May 5, 1972) is an American lawyer and a former Democratic New York City Councilmember for the 4th district. He is currently the Chair of the New York City Planning Commission. He also serves president and chief executive ...

(1990), representative, New York City Council, 4th District *

Russell Gewirtz Russell Gewirtz (born 1967 in Great Neck, New York) is an American screenwriter, best known for writing the screenplay for Spike Lee's 2006 film ''Inside Man''. Life and career Gewirtz attended Trinity School in New York City before earning a ...

(1983), screenwriter, ''

Inside Man ''Inside Man'' is a 2006 American heist thriller film directed by Spike Lee and written by Russell Gewirtz. It centers on an elaborate bank heist on Wall Street over a 24-hour period. The film stars Denzel Washington as Detective Keith Fr ...

'' *

Caroline Giuliani Caroline Rose Giuliani (born 1989) is an American filmmaker, political activist, and writer. She is the daughter of Rudy Giuliani, the former Mayor of New York City. Giuliani has received national media attention for publicly disagreeing with a ...

, filmmaker, writer, and daughter of Rudy Giuliani *

Ryu Goto is a Japanese-American concert violinist. Goto gained attention as a child prodigy, first performing at the age of seven in the Pacific Music Festival held in Sapporo, Japan. In 2006, his debut tour of 12 cities of Japan was sold out. Early ...

(2006), violinist * Frank S. Hackett, educator, founder of

Riverdale Country Day School Riverdale Country School is a co-educational, independent, college-preparatory day school in New York City serving pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is located on two campuses covering more than in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, ...

* Larry Hagman (1949), actor; played J. R. Ewing on the soap opera ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'' *

April Haney April Lerman (born February 6, 1969) is an American former actress, singer, and counselor who played the role of Kate, an orphan in the Annie (1982 film), 1982 film of the musical ''Annie (musical), Annie''. She also was a regular cast member on ...

(1987), actress * Sophie B. Hawkins (1982), singer/songwriter * Alan Ramsay Hawley (1882), early aviator * Amy Helm, singer/songwriter *

Warren Hoge Warren McClamroch Hoge (born April 13, 1941) is an American journalist, much of whose long career has been at ''The New York Times''. Life and career Hoge is the son of James F. Hoge, Sr. (1901–72) and Virginia McClamroch Hoge. His elder br ...

(1959),

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

bureau chief, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' *

Craig Kallman Craig Kallman is an American entrepreneur and former DJ. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records. His career in music began in the 1980s as a DJ in Manhattan. He is the founder of the independent label Big Beat, which was es ...

(1983), Chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records *

Lloyd Kaufman Stanley Lloyd Kaufman Jr. (born December 30, 1945) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Alongside producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their featur ...

(1964), independent filmmaker and producer, founder of

Troma Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in 1974. The company produces low-budget independent films, primarily of the horror comedy genre. Many of them pl ...

Studios * William P. Lauder (1978), Executive Chairman of Estée Lauder Companies * Sir Michael Lindsay-Hogg, stage and television director, actor, writer * Stacy London (1987), fashion consultant and co-host of TLC's '' What Not to Wear'' *

Yo Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma ('' Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...

, cellist * Ian Maxtone-Graham (1977), TV writer and producer, ''

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'' *

John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional tennis player. He was known for his shot-making and volleying skills, his rivalries with Björn Borg and Jimmy Connors, and his confrontational on-court beha ...

(1977), professional tennis player and media personality *

Patrick McEnroe Patrick William McEnroe (born July 1, 1966) is an American former professional tennis player, broadcaster, and former captain of the United States Davis Cup team. Born in Manhasset, New York, he is John McEnroe's youngest brother. He won one ...

(1984), professional tennis player and sports commentator *

John Hine Mundy John Hine Mundy (December 29, 1917 – April 13, 2004) was a British-American medievalist. He was professor of history emeritus at Columbia University, where he taught for more than forty years. Biography Mundy was born on December 29, 1917, in ...

(1936), British American medievalist, professor at

James Murdoch James Rupert Jacob Murdoch (born 13 December 1972) is a British-American businessman, the younger son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and was the chief executive officer (CEO) of 21st Century Fox from 2015 to 2019. He was the chairman and CEO fo ...

, media * Lachlan Murdoch, media *

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(1986), screenwriter * Francis Lister Hawks Pott (1879), former president of St. John's University, Shanghai *

Aram Saroyan Aram Saroyan (born September 25, 1943) is an American poet, novelist, biographer, memoirist and playwright, who is especially known for his minimalist poetry, famous examples of which include the one-word poem "lighght" and a one-letter poem com ...

(1962), minimalist poet *

Eric Schneiderman Eric Tradd Schneiderman (born December 31, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 65th Attorney General of New York from 2011 until his resignation in May 2018. Schneiderman, a member of the Democratic Party, spent ten year ...

(1972), former New York State Attorney General * Eric Shawn (1975), television reporter * Michael Shure (1984), TV political correspondent and host, '' The War Room with Michael Shure'' *

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(1995), Editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed * Oliver Stone, film director *

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(1995), businessman *

Katrina vanden Heuvel Katrina vanden Heuvel (; born October 7, 1959) is an American editor and publisher. She is the publisher, part-owner, and former editor of the progressive magazine ''The Nation''. She was the magazine's editor from 1995 to 2019, when she was s ...

(1977), editor of ''

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'' *

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(2011), singer and multi-platinum, Grammy winning songwriter *

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(1987), Two time Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and

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recipient *

Jeremy Wright Sir Jeremy Paul Wright , MP (born 24 October 1972) is a British lawyer and politician who served as Attorney General for England and Wales from 2014 to 2018 and as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2018 to 2019. A ...

(1990),

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; Attorney General for England and Wales * Charles Wuorinen (1956), composer * Katharine Zaleski (1999), co-founder of PowerToFly * Daniel M. Ziff (1989), billionaire businessman, heir of

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publishing * Dirk Edward Ziff (1981), billionaire businessman, heir of

publishing

References

External links

* {{Authority control Preparatory schools in New York City Private elementary schools in Manhattan Private middle schools in Manhattan Private high schools in Manhattan Private K-12 schools in the United States Educational institutions established in 1709 1709 establishments in the Province of New York Upper West Side Ivy Preparatory School League