Madeira School

School in McLean, Virginia, United States

The Madeira School

Oval and Main building

Address

8328 Georgetown Pike

McLean

Virginia

22102

United States

Coordinates| 38°57′55″N 77°14′6″W﻿ / ﻿38.96528°N 77.23500°W﻿ / 38.96528; -77.23500
Information
Other names|

* Madeira School
* Madeira

Type| Private, day and boarding college-preparatory school
Motto| Latin: Festina lente
(Make haste slowly)
Established| 1906 (1906)
Founder| Lucy Madeira Wing
NCES School ID| 02063874[1]
Head of school| Christina Kyong
Teaching staff| 50.3 (on an FTE basis)[1]
Grades| 9–12
Gender| Girls
Enrollment| 321 (2017–2018)[1]
Student to teacher ratio| 6.4[1]
Campus size| 376 acres (1.52 km2)
Campus type| Fringe rural[1]
Color(s)| Red and White
Mascot| Snail
Website| www.madeira.org

The Madeira School (simply referred to as Madeira School or Madeira) is an elite,[2] private, day and boarding college-preparatory school for girls in McLean, Virginia, United States. It was established in 1906 by Lucy Madeira Wing.

## History

[edit]

Founded by Lucy Madeira Wing (1873–1961) in 1906, the school was originally located on 19th Street near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. In 1931, it was moved some 12 miles west to the Northern Virginia suburb of McLean.[3]

## Events

[edit]

In 1973, the body of 14-year-old student Natalia Semler was found bound and beaten on the school grounds.[4][5] John Gilreath, who had been convicted of a sexual assault at the school two years earlier, was convicted of her murder.[6]

In 1980, then-headmistress Jean Harris was convicted of the murder of Herman Tarnower.[7][8][9]

## Demographics

[edit]

The demographic breakdown of the 310 girls enrolled in 2013–2014 was:[10]

* Native American/Alaskan - 0.7%
* Asian/Pacific islanders - 21.6%
* Black - 13.9%
* Hispanic - 3.5%
* White - 55.5%
* Multiracial - 4.8%

## Campus and facilities

[edit]

The campus is on 376 acres (1.52 km2) overlooking the Potomac River (McLean, Virginia) and consists of 34 separate buildings.

Original buildings on the 1931 campus include Main, the dining hall, Schoolhouse, East, West, North, and South Dorms, the Land, the Annex (infirmary), and the two gatehouses at the entrance to the Oval. Buildings added later include the Chapel/Auditorium, the indoor riding ring and Gaines Hall, the science building, a renovated and expanded dining hall, Hurd Sports Center, and Huffington Library.[11]

### Public access

[edit]

The Madeira school has had many disputes over the use of its land. In 1966, Fairfax County proposed to turn 208 of Madeira's 376 acres (1.52 km2) into public parkland.[12] In 1991, Madeira gave a trail easement along Georgetown Pike and $89,000 for construction so that hikers could walk the Potomac Heritage Route without entering the main area of the campus.[13] However, this trail was never completed by the park officials. In 2008, the Fairfax County government attempted to obtain from Madeira an easement near the Potomac River to permit the completion of a 100-mile (160 km) loop of walking trails as a condition of approval for the school's proposed expansion plans. This one-mile (1.6 km)-long trail section through Madeira's property would connect the county's Scott's Run Park to Great Falls National Park. The Madeira School declined this easement, citing concerns about safety and environmental impacts.[14][15]

## Notable alumnae

[edit]

See also: Category:Madeira School alumni

* Brooke Astor, philanthropist, socialite, and writer
* Mary Lincoln Beckwith, descendant of Abraham Lincoln
* Stephania Bell, physical therapist and commentator
* Christina Bellin, model and socialite
* Clara López, former Colombian minister of labour
* Blair Brown, actress
* Campbell Brown, anchor and news reporter
* Mika Brzezinski, journalist, talk show host, commentator, and author
* Charlotte E. Carr, labor activist and state official
* Stockard Channing, actress
* Penny Chenery, sportswoman
* Julia Collins, most successful female Jeopardy! contestant
* Hope Cooke, Queen consort of the 12th Chogyal of Sikkim
* Kathryn Wasserman Davis, philanthropist and scholar of world affairs
* Helen T. Edwards, physicist
* Katharine Graham, publisher
* Mary Helen Wright Greuter, astronomer and historian
* Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt, heiress
* Rory Kennedy, documentary filmmaker[16]
* Kui Kinyanjui, journalist
* Alex Kuczynski, author and journalist
* Eleanor de Laittre, artist
* Diana Oughton, social activist
* Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, art collector and philanthropist
* Naomi Pierce, evolutionary biologist
* Martha Reeves (anchorite), Anglican solitary and author
* Alice Rivlin, economist and budget official
* Carrie Southworth, actress and model
* Frances Sternhagen, actress
* Ruth Carter Stevenson, patron of the arts
* Lally Weymouth, journalist
* Meredith Whitney, businesswoman
* Zach Barack, actor and singer

## Notable faculty

[edit]

* Kate Clifton Osgood Holmes, painter[17]
* Anne Truitt, sculptor and author[18]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for The Madeira School". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
2. ^ Martin, Emmie; Browning, Lauren (January 12, 2015). "The 50 Most Elite Boarding Schools in the US". Business Insider.
3. ^ "The Madeira School". Retrieved August 10, 2010.
4. ^ "GIRL FOUND SLAIN AT MADEIRA SCHOOL". AP via New York Times. October 31, 1973. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
5. ^ "Gilreath Indicted in Slaying". Northern Virginia Sun. January 23, 1974. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
6. ^ "Gilreath v. Robinson, 544 F. Supp. 569 (E.D. Va. 1982)". Justia Law. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
7. ^ Haden-Guest, Anthony (March 31, 1980). "The Headmistress and the Diet Doctor". New York Magazine. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
8. ^ Isaacson, Walter (March 9, 1981). "Jean Harris: Murder with Intent to Love". TIME. Archived from the original on February 22, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
9. ^ "JAN. 17-23: Former Headmistress Freed; Jean Harris, 69 and Frail, Paroled for 1980 Murder - New York Times". Nytimes.com. January 24, 1993. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
10. ^ "Search for Private Schools - School Detail for The Madeira School". nces.ed.gov. US Department of Education. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
11. ^ "History & Vision - The Madeira School". www.madeira.org.
12. ^ "Notable Dates in Madeira's History". The Madeira School. Archived from the original on April 25, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
13. ^ "Madeira Interacts with Local Government". The Madeira School. September 24, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
14. ^ "Letters to the Editor, The Madeira School's Prudence". Washington Post. September 12, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
15. ^ Gardner, A. (September 9, 2008). "Elite Setting's Property Debate: Fairfax County, Madeira School Clash Over Trail". Washington Post. Retrieved September 9, 2008.
16. ^ "Women Who Change the World - The Madeira School". www.madeira.org.
17. ^ Andrew J. Cosentino (November 17, 1983). The Capital Image: Painters in Washington, 1800–1915. Smithsonian. ISBN 978-0-87474-338-8.
18. ^ Bayly, Anne Louise. "Oral history interview with Anne Truitt, 2002 April-August". Smithsonian Archives of American Art. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved August 1, 2022.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Madeira School.

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

McLean, Virginia

Education|

| Primary and
secondary schools|

* Fairfax County Public Schools
* Langley High School
* McLean High School
* Madeira School
* Oakcrest School
* Potomac School

|

Other education|

* Fairfax County Public Library

Landmarks|

* George Bush Center for Intelligence
* Hickory Hill
* Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
* McLean station (in Tysons)

This list is incomplete.

* v
* t
* e

Education in Fairfax County, Virginia

Fairfax County Public Schools

Zoned public high schools|

* Annandale
* Centreville
* Chantilly
* Thomas A. Edison
* Fairfax
* Falls Church
* Hayfield
* Herndon
* Justice
* Langley
* Lake Braddock
* Lewis (former Lee)
* James Madison
* George C. Marshall
* McLean
* Mount Vernon
* Oakton
* Robinson
* South County
* South Lakes
* West Potomac
* West Springfield
* Westfield
* Woodson

Alternative high schools|

* Bryant Alternative High School
* Mountain View Alternative High School
* Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

Independent

Secular private|

* Flint Hill School
* Madeira School
* Potomac School

| Moved|

* German International School Washington D.C. (moved to Maryland)

|

Religious|

* Ad Fontes Academy
* Dominion Christian School
* Immanuel Christian School
* King Abdullah Academy
* Oakcrest School
* Paul VI Catholic High School
* Trinity Christian School

| Closed|

* Islamic Saudi Academy

|

Moved|

* Fairfax Christian School (to Loudoun County)

Other

Tertiary|

* George Mason University
* template
* Northern Virginia Community College

Libraries|

* Fairfax County Public Library

This list is incomplete. This includes schools in the independent city of Fairfax.

* v
* t
* e

Single-gender schools in the Washington, DC area

Private boys' schools|

| District of Columbia|

* Gonzaga College High School
* St. Anselm's Abbey School
* St. Albans School

|

Virginia|

* King Abdullah Academy (boys' secondary classes)

Maryland|

* DeMatha Catholic High School
* Georgetown Preparatory School
* The Avalon School
* The Heights School
* Landon School
* Mater Dei School

Became coeducational|

* Bishop McNamara High School (Maryland)
* Bishop Ireton High School (Virginia)

Private girls' schools|

| District of Columbia|

* Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School
* National Cathedral School

|

Virginia|

* King Abdullah Academy (girls' secondary classes)
* Madeira School
* Oakcrest School

Maryland|

* Academy of the Holy Cross
* Brookewood School
* Connelly School of the Holy Child
* Elizabeth Seton High School
* Holton-Arms School
* Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart

Closed|

* Immaculata Preparatory School
* La Reine High School (Maryland)

Authority control databases |

* ISNI

|

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