Centennial Celebration
One Hundred Years of Teaching Girls
The year 2006 marked the one hundredth year of The Madeira School. The celebration commenced in April 2006 with 1,130 alumnae and guests present to celebrate The Centennial Alumnae Celebration: A Reunion Like No Other. Alumnae in attendance ranged from the classes of 1925 to 2005. Nancy Miller Redpath '25 of Lexington, MA, was the Grand Marshal of the centennial parade as the most senior alumna in attendance.
The philosophy and practice of serving others are embedded in The Madeira School's mission. To commemorate Lucy Madeira's dedication to community service, A Centennial Day of Service was celebrated and hosted on September 16, 2006. Students, faculty, staff, and alumnae from twenty cities worldwide volunteered at food banks, hospitals, environmental conservancies, homeless shelters, and churches.
Our Centennial Birthday Weekend: A Tribute to Teaching at Madeira was the pinnacle event in our celebration, coinciding with our annual Parents' Weekend. Almost 1,000 alumnae, former faculty or staff, parents, and students registered for the weekend, which featured master classes taught by former and current faculty; a keynote address by Newsweek columnist and author Anna Quindlen; performances by the Capitol Steps; and a Centennial Birthday Gala honoring one hundred years of teaching at Madeira.
The past one hundred years were marked by impressive achievements in education, service learning, and global expansion of the School's mission. As we remember and celebrate the past century of learning at Madeira, we look forward to the next century and beyond.
"Strong in Her Girls: The Madeira School Centennial History, 1906-2006"
Edited by Paula Skallerup Osborn '70 and Mary Ann Livingston '62, Strong In Her Girls tells the story of Miss Madeira's remarkable school. The book demonstrates that the founding of the School was more than a bold business venture by an intelligent and courageous woman. It was a timely enterprise that has played a significant role in securing the future of single sex girls' education in our nation's history.
Strong In Her Girls reveals the brilliant effect this teacher and headmistress had on her students inside and outside of the classroom. It is a scholarly, yet engaging, account of a century of "pushing back the darkness and letting in the light." It reflects Miss Madeira's forward-thinking notions of teaching and learning that remain vital both in the life of the School today and in the lives of thousands of alumnae. "Education is a journey in the country of the mind," Miss Madeira maintained.
Extensive materials drawn from the Kathleen G. Johnson '53 Archives are brought to life in the book, with many archival images reproduced for the first time. The Centennial book is the most comprehensive collection of research and relevant stories of the institution to date.