Darlington School is a private, coeducational, college-preparatory day and boarding school in Rome, Georgia founded in 1905. It serves students from pre-kindergarten to grade 12, and is divided into a Pre-K to 8 division and an Upper School division. The student body represents more than 20 countries each year. The Head of School is Brent Bell, the Upper School Director is Chad Woods, and the Pre-K to 8 Director is Hope Jones.[4][5]
| Darlington School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
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1014 Cave Spring Road SW , (Floyd County) , 30161-4700 United States | |
| Coordinates | 34°13′34″N 85°10′59″W / 34.226°N 85.183°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Private, Pre-K to 12 |
| Motto | Wisdom More Than Knowledge
Service Beyond Self Honor Above Everything |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Nondenominational |
| Established | 1905 |
| Founder | John Paul Cooper |
| Chairperson | Scott Dozier ('73) |
| Head of School | L. Brent Bell |
| Grades | Pre-K to 12 |
| Enrollment | 850 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 8:1 |
| Campus size | 500 acres |
| Houses | Summerbell, Cooper, Moser, Regester, Neville, Thornwood |
| Color(s) | Purple, White |
| Athletics conference | GHSA |
| Mascot | Tiger |
| Team name | Tigers |
| Accreditation | AdvancED,[1] MSA,[2] SAIS[3] |
| Newspaper | Darlingtonian |
| Yearbook | Jabberwokk |
| Website | darlingtonschool.org |
History
editFounded in 1905 by John Paul and Alice Allgood Cooper, Darlington School was named in honor of a teacher by his former students at the J. M. Proctor School for Boys in Rome.
The school opened Sept. 11, 1905, with Founding Headmaster Dr. James Ross McCain teaching 24 boys in eight classes in the upstairs room above the Rome Fire Department station in East Rome. The school moved to East Ninth Street in 1906.
In December 1916, the current site of Darlington School, the 500-acre DeSoto Park was purchased by John Paul Cooper. The school was moved to its current location in 1923, and enrolled 30 boarding students in addition to continuing with day school.
In April 1973, Darlington consolidated with Thornwood School for Girls. The Lower School was situated at the Thornwood campus on Shorter Avenue in downtown Rome, the Middle School continued in the former Junior School building, and the Upper Schools combined at the main campus.
In 1980 and 1988, kindergarten and pre-kindergarten were added, respectively. In 2013, Darlington sold the Thornwood campus to Shorter University and moved the Lower School to the main campus. Annual total enrollment is approximately 850 students from 25 countries in grades PK-12.
Darlington's campus is the location of Alhambra-Home on the Hill, the oldest residence in Floyd County, and now the residence of every Head of School.
Darlington School uses an English public school-style house system in the Upper School. Each house is led by a Head of House faculty member and resident and day student prefects. Boys' houses include Summerbell (first-year house), Moser, and Neville. Girls' houses include Cooper (first-year house), Regester, and Thornwood.
The school participates in Greater Opportunities for Access to Learning (GOAL), a Georgia program which offers a state income tax credit to donors of scholarships to private schools.[6]
Sexual abuse allegations
editIn June 2017, in the wake of teacher-student sexual abuse allegations at Choate, Darlington announced an investigation into sexual abuse between its faculty and students. A student had reported sexually inappropriate behavior by a teacher who served as a dorm master in the 1980s. The student claims the inappropriate behavior was reported to the school administration and nothing was done at the time. Darlington hired a law firm to investigate the claims in 2016, and in 2017 sent a letter to former and current students informing them of the investigation.[7] Twenty male students settled a lawsuit with the teacher in 2021, clearing the way to seek a settlement with the school's insurance company. In 2022 the school unveiled a monument dedicated to the victims of sexual abuse at the school.[8]
Notable alumni and staff
edit- Jane Campbell – professional soccer player
- Ron DeSantis – 46th governor of Florida, former faculty member[9]
- James Dickey – poet, novelist, author of Deliverance. Post-graduate year from 1941 to 1942. Dickey denounced Darlington in a 1981 letter to the principal and asked to be expunged from the rolls saying "a more disgusting combination of cant, hypocrisy, cruelty, class privilege and inanity I have never since encountered at any human institution."[10]
- Elson Floyd – 10th president of Washington State University[11]
- Walter Gilbert – inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame[12][13]
- William M. "Sonny" Landham – actor, politician[citation needed]
- Bruce Levingston – concert pianist[14]
- Adam Marcus – mathematician[15]
- Will Muschamp – co-defensive coordinator for the University of Georgia’s football team and former head football coach at the University of South Carolina[16]
- Shawn Powell – NFL punter[17]
- Tate Ratledge – college football offensive guard for the Georgia Bulldogs[18]
- Melanie Sumner – novelist and writer[citation needed]
- Cy Twombly – artist[19]
- Ernest Vandiver – 73rd governor of Georgia[20]
- Calder Willingham – novelist and screenwriter (The Graduate)[21]
References
edit- ^ "Institution Summary". AdvancED. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^ "Member Directory". MSA-CESS. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^ "SAIS Member Directory". Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^ "Darlington School: About Darlington". Darlington School. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ "darlingtonschool.org".
- ^ Bell, Daniel (October 27, 2009). "GOAL to aid private schools, donors: Saturday is the deadline for a tax break to benefit schools and their contributors". Rome News-Tribune. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2009.
- ^ [Judd, Alan. "Sex abuse inquiry delves into private school's secret past" Atlanta Journal-Constitution June 2, 2017 http://www.myajc.com/news/state--regional/sex-abuse-inquiry-delves-into-private-school-secret-past/oGlTNJIPhjAqyTsoAqVgHP/]
- ^ Judd, Alan (July 23, 2022). "Former Private school students seek $345M over alleged abuse". Atlanta Journal and Constitution. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ Robles, Frances (November 5, 2022). "Pranks, Parties and Politics: Ron DeSantis's Year as a Schoolteacher". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ Hart, Henry (September 8, 2001). James Dickey: The World as a Lie. Picador. ISBN 9781466828650.
- ^ "President's Office - Washington State University - Washington State University". wsu.edu. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ "Auburn Continues 'Suicide Schedule' on Nashville Field". Montgomery Advertiser. October 15, 1934. p. 6. Retrieved July 2, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tigers Name Walt Gilbert". The Huntsville Times. December 19, 1935. p. 10. Retrieved July 2, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Darlington School: April 9 declared Bruce Levingston ('79) Day in Mississippi, observed with Carnegie Hall performance". Darlington School. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ "STAR Region Winners 1959-Present - PAGE Foundation". www.pagefoundation.org. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ "Then & Now, Muschamp an Intense Competitor". DawgPost.com. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
- ^ "Darlington School: NFL: Powell punts five times in NFL debut". Retrieved April 26, 2017.
- ^ Toppmeyer, Blake (May 14, 2019). "Tate Ratledge's dad peels Power T decal off truck after son commits to Georgia over Vols". Knoxville News. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
- ^ "Avant-garde American artist Cy Twombly, 83, dies in Rome".
- ^ "New Georgia Encyclopedia: Ernest Vandiver Jr. (1918-2005)". Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ Museum, Rome Area History (December 1, 2014). Legendary Locals of Rome. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781439648674.