A History of Germantown Friends School

In 1989, Bill Koons, an Upper School history teacher, was asked to write a narrative history of Germantown Friends School. Bill began by mining the GFS Archives, then spent hours at the Quaker Archives at Haverford College, reading more than a century of School Committee minutes and researching the early Quakers who formed the school. Bringing his deep knowledge of Philadelphian and American history to bear, he was able to contextualize the school’s history.

Bill’s research languished for several years, until Sid Cook, GFS Archivist, asked us to take it up. With the support of Dick Wade, the Advancement Department, and the SNAVE Foundation, we said yes. While it was daunting to step into Bill Koons’ shoes, we wanted to make sure that his project was finished and available to more people.

We have lightly edited Bill’s original work, added photographs, and added content. Over the next few months we will share this history here.

Kate Stover and Tim Wood

Two Beginnings
The Old School
Master Stanley
A Vision Realized
Irvin Corson Poley: Master Teacher
The Future Is Yours Rather Than Mine
Henry Scattergood: Son of the Meeting