Rhodes Preparatory School (1911–1987) was a private school New York City, United States and initially located at 8-10-12-14 W 125th Street, Manhattan, New York City, United States, and located for much of its history at

11 West 54th Street 11 West 54th Street (also 9 West 54th Street and the James J. Goodwin Residence) is a commercial building in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It is along 54th Street's northern sidewalk between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue ...

. The school was named for John Cecil Rhodes. It included a lower school with students in seventh and eighth grades and an upper school for students from grades nine through twelve. For a brief period, it also had fifth and sixth grade classes. There was also an evening school for adults. Rhodes was a college preparatory school. It attracted students from all over the world. Many graduates went on to

Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference of eight Private university, private Research university, research universities in the Northeastern United States. It participates in the National Collegia ...

or Seven Sisters schools, and to other prestigious institutions around the country and the world. The now-defunct school is often referred to as "Rhodes School" or simply "Rhodes".Signs in the classrooms read, "Every class is an English class." The

Warwick New York Hotel The Warwick New York is a luxury hotel at 65 West 54th Street (Manhattan), 54th Street, on the northeastern corner with Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Sixth Avenue, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Constructed between 1925 and 1927, it is owned b ...

, located just a few doors down at 65 West 54th Street, hosted many school functions in its ballroom. Several Rhodes proms and commencement ceremonies were held at another New York hotel, the

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. Rhodes was the model for the school in the novel ''Catcher in the Rye'' by J.D. Salinger, the school of last resort for ne'er-do-wells who were kicked out of other private schools; e.g.

Rick Jason Rick Jason (born Richard Jacobson; May 21, 1923 – October 16, 2000) was an American actor. He is most remembered for starring in the ABC television drama '' Combat!'' (1962–1967). Early life and education Jason was born Richard Jacobson in ...

(actor: ''Combat''), who had been kicked out of nine other preparatory schools for outlandish behavior.

Timeline

*1911 - Leo Freedman, B.S. B.Ed. (Columbia University) founds the school and is the first president *1924? - 1933 – bankers David Merrall was President of the school *By 1927, Leo Freedman has left the school and has founded the Beverly School for Boys in Los Angeles, CA. *1933-1966 J. Leslie White was President of the school *1938 – Relocates to 1041 6th Avenue (40th Street) *1945 – Relocates to 11 West 54th Street (5th – 6th Aves) *1959 – Dr. Robert Lowrance becomes headmaster, and William Kien becomes Director of Admissions *1974 – David Merrall dies; Seymour Merrall, his son, takes ownership *1979 – Relocates to Holy Trinity Roman Catholic School on West 83rd Street; US Trust Company buys West 54th Street building *1980 – Seymour Merrall sells Rhodes to Donald Nickerson, headmaster of La Jolla Country Day School (California) *1981 – 11 West 54th Street building is designated a New York City landmark *August 1985 – Dr. Robert Lowrance dies *1987 – Rhodes becomes part of La Jolla Country Day School *1992 – Relocates to the Anglo-American School at 291

Central Park West Eighth Avenue is a major north–south avenue on the west side of Manhattan in New York City, carrying northbound traffic below 59th Street. It is one of the original avenues of the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 to run the length of Manhattan, ...

(89th St.) which then becomes part of the

Dwight School Dwight School is a private independent for-profit college preparatory school located on Manhattan's Upper West Side in New York City. Dwight offers the International Baccalaureate curriculum to students ages two through grade twelve. History Fou ...

*July 21, 2001 – First Rhodes reunion, at TGI Friday's in Rockefeller Center *July 26, 2003 – Second Rhodes reunion, at the Park Avenue Country Club (27th St. and Park Ave.)

Former students

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(Singer/ Songwriter) * Alice Barrett-Mitchell (actress, TV's '' Another World'') *

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(former U.S. Commerce Secretary) *

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(actor, ''

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'') *

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'') *

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(writer, academic, activist) * Juan Pan Guerrero (

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politician) *

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(playwright and actor) *

(actor, TV's ''

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'') * Mark Kellner (technology journalist, ''

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'' News Editor) * Alexis Lass (Author) *

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(actress, TV's ''

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'', ''

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'') *

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'') *

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(financier) * Jane Stern (writer)

References

Rhodes School history

External links

Rhodes School memories

{{authority control Defunct schools in New York City Defunct high schools in Manhattan Private high schools in Manhattan Private middle schools in Manhattan 1911 establishments in New York City Educational institutions established in 1911 1987 disestablishments in New York City Educational institutions disestablished in 1987