History and Heritage

List of 2 items.

• Trail to Ojai

  Sherman Day Thacher didn’t travel from Connecticut to Ojai with a school in mind. In search of a rejuvenating environment for his ailing brother, Mr. Thacher arrived with him in 1887 and developed a deep appreciation for the stunning landscapes and open, resourceful, and informal attitudes of Western life. When a New England friend asked Mr. Thacher to tutor his son for admission to Yale, he accepted—as long as the boy could come to Ojai for his lessons. The friend agreed, and in 1889 Mr. Thacher’s School was begun.

  
  But while his counterparts in the East were scratching their heads over what to do with the boys during blizzards and mud season, Mr. Thacher wondered only, “Which trail to take the lads on today?” He simply turned the mountains and meadows into a vast classroom without boundaries, one with limitless opportunities for lessons and growth. And the horses? In them he found some of his best teachers.

• Go West

  Sherman Thacher’s education, from his high school years at Hopkins Grammar School to his college days at Yale, included strict academic schedules, classics taught by dedicated scholar-teachers, and seated meals in coat and tie. But with the West as their backdrop, Mr. Thacher and his students forged an expansive path, combining academics with horses and mountain trails, inspiring resourcefulness, perseverance, and the conviction that some of life’s most lasting lessons are learned outside the classroom.
  
  Today, Thacher takes inspiration from its founders vision, but also continues to adapt to meet the needs of today's students. What remains are the timeless and unique elements of a Thacher education. Students and faculty still sit down to family style meals each week, and our innovative curriculum, talented faculty, and state-of-the-art facilities and programs are models for other schools around the country.