The Kindly Club in the 1925 Answer Book, Rosemary Hall’s yearbook.
By Jocelyn Rivard ’28
A century ago, the Choate Rosemary Hall we know and love today was a very different place. In 1925, The Choate School and Rosemary Hall were separate schools: the former in Wallingford for boys, and the latter in Greenwich for girls. With the help of the Choate Rosemary Hall School Archives, however, we can get a glimpse into how students of both institutions lived 100 years ago.
In 1925, classic campus landmarks, such as Hill House and Memorial House, existed, but others were just being designed. Edward P. Mellon, Andrew Mellon’s nephew, served as the architect for the beloved Library. However, some buildings are altogether unfamiliar, like St. Bede’s Chapel on Rosemary Hall’s Greenwich campus, where the girls prayed each morning.
Certain traditions have stood the test of time, with sports like football at the core of community spirit. Impressive plays were celebrated in student publications. The 1925 Brief (Choate’s yearbook) read, “Most spectacular play of the season was Cottrell’s 85-yard run-back of Kent’s kickoff, leading to the Choate touchdown.” Choate also had an all-male cheer squad (akin to today’s BoarPen) who would hype up students on the train ride to Deerfield and in the stands.
Strong friendships were forged on and off the field through clubs and activities. Though options were limited, the Class of 1925 at The Choate School had some unique ones to choose from, such as the Gun Club, and of course, the ever-resplendent Choate News.
Though there were fewer clubs at Rosemary Hall, one of the most popular was the Kindly Club, a group dedicated to spreading kindness and helping the local community through charitable deeds. In 1925, some of their most notable projects included raising money through selling sports-pins made by disabled artisan Paul Rehnborg, and sewing clothes for small dolls, which were given to “our impoverished sisters,” according to the January 1925 edition of The Question Mark, Rosemary Hall’s news, alumni, and literary magazine.
Back then, The Choate School’s daily dress code resembled today’s Special Academic Dress; no sweatpants or hoodies allowed! Students at The Choate School wore suits and ties of their own choosing. Rosemarians, however, were made to follow a mandatory dress code, including “knickers, cape, tam [hat], skirt, stockings, and sashes,” and purchase their school wardrobe from specific order forms given to families by the Rosemary Hall administration.
Friendly competitions between students were prevalent throughout campus life. Students would compete for awards such as “Best Poem” and “Excellence in Bible Study.” Senior superlatives such as “Most Popular,” “Class Snake,” and “Noisiest” exemplify the lively and tight-knit community that we see 100 years later in our 21st century editions of The Brief.
Although the world was vastly different 100 years ago, we must not forget the thousands of students that walked the halls of both The Choate School and Rosemary Hall, nor the lasting friendships and joy passed down through generations.
