Sherman Day Thacher, (November 6, 1861 - August 5, 1931), was the founder and headmaster of The Thacher School at

Ojai, California Ojai ( ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''’Awhaỳ'') is a city in Ventura County, California. Located in the Ojai Valley, it is northwest of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara. The valley is part of the east– ...

Early life, education and degrees

Thacher was the son of Elizabeth Baldwin (Sherman) Thacher, granddaughter of

Roger Sherman Roger Sherman (April 19, 1721 – July 23, 1793) was an early American politician, lawyer, and a Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to sign all four great state papers of the United States: the Continental Association, ...

, and Thomas Anthony Thacher. The family had a history at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

. His mother's father, Roger Sherman, Jr., had obtained his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

from Yale in 1787 and his father obtained his 1835. His father was also both an administrator and a professor of Latin at Yale. He had a sister, Elizabeth Thacher Kent, who married U.S. Congressman

William Kent William Kent (c. 1685 – 12 April 1748) was an English architect, landscape architect, painter and furniture designer of the early 18th century. He began his career as a painter, and became Principal Painter in Ordinary or court painter, b ...

and a brother, William L. Thacher, who would join him in the Thacher School. Thacher attended Hopkins Grammar School in his youth before himself attending Yale, where he served on the eleventh editorial board of ''

The Yale Record ''The Yale Record'' is the campus humor magazine of Yale University. Founded in 1872, it is the oldest humor magazine in the United States."History", The Yale Record, March 10, 2010. http://www.yalerecord.com/about/history/ ''The Record'' is c ...

''. He distinguished himself in English, taking second prize in English composition during his second year. From 1883 to 1884, he worked as a salesman for W. & J. Sloane in New York City, before, in 1886, he earned a

Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

with honors from Yale, taking the Townsend Prize and the

John Addison Porter John Addison Porter (March 15, 1822 – August 25, 1866) was an American professor of chemistry and physician. He is the namesake of the John Addison Porter Prize and was a founder of the Scroll and Key senior society of Yale University. Acad ...

Prize. In 1923, Yale would bestow upon him an honorary

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

. During his college career, he was a member of

Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as ''DKE'' or ''Deke'', is one of the oldest Fraternities and sororities, fraternities in the United States, with fifty-six active chapters and five active Colony (fraternity or sorority), colonies across No ...

Psi Upsilon Psi Upsilon (), commonly known as Psi U, is a North American fraternity,''Psi Upsilon Tablet'' founded at Union College on November 24, 1833. The fraternity has chartered fifty chapters at colleges and universities throughout North America, some ...

, and

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. In 1926,

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of Los Angeles made him an honorary charter member of the Delta chapter of

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Career

After graduation, Thacher moved to California and took up of government land to plant an orange grove. In 1889, he founded the Thacher School at Ojai, California, serving as its headmaster. In 1895, his brother William came to work with the school. He remained as headmaster until his retirement in June, 1931. During his career, he held a number of other positions, honorary and actual. From 1898 to 1912, he was trustee of the San Antonio District School. From 1908 to 1922, he was president of the

board of trustees A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

of Nordhoff High School in California. He stood as president of the Headmasters Association of the Pacific Coast Private Schools for Boys from 1930 to 1931. He was an honorary member of the Headmasters Association of Eastern Private Schools for Boys. From 1918 to 1919, he was the vice president of the Yale Club of Southern California and represented it on the Alumni Board at Yale after 1920. In 1924, he was a member of the Yale Committee for Participation in the Restoration of the Library of the University of Louvain Active in civics as well, he chaired the executive committee of the Ojai Valley Men's League from 1910 to 1920, and in 1912 chaired a standing committee of the Ojai Board of Trade. In 1918, he served the local Exemption Board for

Ventura County Ventura County () is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 843,843. The largest city is Oxnard, and the county seat is the city of Ventura. Ventura County comprises ...

. He was a Four-Minute Man and the director of the Ojai Civic Association. He stood on the advisory committee of the California Junior Republic from 1920 to 1931. He was an honorary trustee of the National Society of Mental Hygiene. He was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and the American Academy of Political and Social Science.

Personal life

On June 24, 1896, Thacher wed Eliza Seely Blake in

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

. Although Blake herself was a graduate of the

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...

(1895), her family were Yale alumni as well. Her father, Charles Thompson Blake, had graduated with a BA in 1847, and her grandfather Eli Whitney Blake had graduated with a BA in 1816. The couple shared nine children. In addition to three sons who died in infancy, they had Elizabeth, George Blake, Anson Stiles, Helen Sherman, Harriet Janet, and Sherman Day, Jr. All three of their sons, George Blake. Anson Stiles, and Sherman Day Jr., carried on the family Yale tradition, in 1925, 1927 and 1936 respectively. (George Blake would go on to attend the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

in 1927.) Two of their daughters, Helen Sherman and Harriet Janet, attended

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

(1930, 1934). Their eldest child, Elizabeth, graduated from the University of California in 1920. Thacher was 69 years old when he died, on August 5, 1931, of operative shock. He left behind his wife, three sons, and three daughters. A

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

, Thacher attended the Ojai Valley Community Church from 1887 until his death. His great-great-grandson, Mateo Thacher, graduated in June 2020, and served as the Thacher School Chair (or head of the student body).

References

External links

Yale Obituary Record, 1931-32, pages 65-66

Charles Thompson Blake Papers (Father-in-law)Sherman Day Thacher, Tribalism & CommunityGreat-Great Grandson Mateo Thacher
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thacher, Sherman Day 1861 births 1931 deaths Founders of American schools and colleges Yale Law School alumni Hopkins School alumni Psi Upsilon