View from the Bridge

Defying all laws of time, space, and physics, Tabor’s founding Principal Clark P. Howland was on campus in mid-September for an All School Meeting.

As part of the recognition of our Sesquicentennial celebration—150 years of history—we have been looking at Tabor’s origins and the amazing growth and transformation of our school and community.

For that early fall ASM, I worked with Chair of the Art Department Jesse Hawley to transform myself into our school’s first principal and speak with students. The setting was a comfortable stage complete with armchairs, a fireplace, and period decor.

During the 10-minute ASM segment, I spoke as Mr. Howland with Student Co-Heads Chloe Fox ’26 and Vince White ’26 about Tabor’s founding and life at school in the late 1870s. We discussed curriculum, athletics, and food—and amusingly, artificial intelligence and oat milk lattes. Needless to say, “Mr. Howland” had to think carefully about those last two topics, but the interview was a wonderful way to bring our students back in time and on Tabor’s long arc of history.

History remains an integral part of the curriculum and a core graduation requirement. Our history and social sciences department offers courses on world and U.S. history, as well as electives such as “Maritime History: The Age of Sail,” “Social History of Sports,” and “Ethics: Theory to Action.” In these classes, students learn to formulate claims, back them with evidence, and develop their own analysis to support their assertions.

As the world changes rapidly, we hope that these classes will help our own students understand the past so they may better navigate their—and our collective—futures.

This edition of Tabor Today features recollections from the past 150 years. I encourage you to dive into the stories and visit our magazine and history pages online for even more details. Tabor Archivist Sophie Arnfield is doing a terrific job curating artifacts from the past century and a half.

If you have the chance to visit campus, I encourage you to stop by to see Sophie in the archives, housed in the Travis Roy Campus Center.

One hundred and fifty years of Tabor Academy. What a thrill it is to celebrate this tremendous milestone with the many students, faculty, staff, parents, trustees, alumni, and friends upon whose shoulders we stand. And who knows, we may have some visits from other Tabor historical figures in future ASMs this year to help us along this path!

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Tony Jaccaci (@tonyjaccaci) • Instagram photos and videos