Wyoming Seminary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wyoming Seminary |
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View of Wyoming Seminary's campus from above
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| Address | |
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201 North Sprague Avenue
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United States
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| Coordinates | 41°15′48″N 75°53′54″W / 41.26333°N 75.89833°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent boarding school |
| Motto | Latin: Verum, pulchrum, bonum (Truth, beauty, and goodness) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Christianity |
| Denomination | Methodism |
| Established | 1844 |
| CEEB code | 392040 |
| Head of school | Martin J. Mooney |
| Nickname | Knights |
| Annual tuition | $29,900 |
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Wyoming Seminary
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| Location | Sprague Ave., Kingston, Pennsylvania |
| Area | 1.2 acres (0.49 ha) |
| Built | 1853 |
| Architectural style | Mid 19th-century revival, classical revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002291 |
| Added to NRHP | August 6, 1979 |
Wyoming Seminary is a private school in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It was started in 1844. The school helps students get ready for college.
It has two main parts:
- The "Lower School" is for students from preschool to 8th grade. It is in Forty Fort.
- The "Upper School" is for students from 9th grade to a special "postgraduate" year. It is in Kingston.
The school is often called "Sem" by local people. It is a boarding school, which means some students live on campus. About one-third of the Upper School students live at the school.
Contents
History of Wyoming Seminary
Wyoming Seminary has a long and interesting history. It started small and grew into a well-known school.
How Wyoming Seminary Began (1844–1892)
Leaders of the Methodist Church started Wyoming Seminary in 1844. Reverend George Peck helped make it happen. Rueben Nelson was the first president.
In its first year, 138 students joined the school. There were 69 boys and 69 girls. They came from Pennsylvania and New York. Kingston was a small farming town back then. The school even raised animals and grew its own food.
As the town grew with factories, the school also expanded. It added a business program and a college prep program. Wyoming Seminary is still connected to the United Methodist Church. However, it welcomes students from all religions.
Growth and Changes at Sem (1892–1967)
Wyoming Seminary became a famous college prep school thanks to Levi Sprague. He was a graduate of the school. Sprague was president for 50 years, from the 1880s to the 1930s. He worked at the school for most of his life.
The Upper School campus has a street named Sprague Avenue. The main building for classes is Sprague Hall. It even has a statue of Sprague inside. Since 1993, a special scholarship for senior student leaders is called the Levi Sprague Fellowship.
In 1892, the Wyoming Seminary football team made history. They played in the world's first nighttime football game. They played against Mansfield University. The game stopped at halftime because it was too dark. Neither team scored any points.
The school kept growing in the early 1900s. From 1917 to 1919, parts of the campus were used to train American soldiers during World War I. By the 1950s, Sem added what is now the "Lower School." This included students from nursery school to eighth grade.
In 1951, Sem joined with the Wilkes-Barre Day School. This made it the only private school in the area. It offered programs from nursery school all the way through high school. In 1998, the Lower School added a program for 3-year-olds.
In the 1960s, the school stopped its business and music programs. It decided to focus only on preparing students for college. Dr. Wallace F. Stettler became the ninth president in 1967.
In 1972, a big flood from Hurricane Agnes badly damaged the Upper School campus. President Stettler got a lot of help from the government. A former student, Frank Carlucci, who worked for President Nixon, brought a check to help rebuild.
This money, plus donations, helped build many new things. These included the Bell Tower and the Buckingham Performing Arts Center. They also built the Pettebone-Dickson Student Center. Sprague Hall was updated, and a new Learning Resources Center was built. This center now holds the library and classrooms. It is called the Stettler Learning Resources Center.
All these changes happened quickly, between 1974 and 1978. The school's money grew a lot. The football team also became very successful. Coach Marvin Antinnes led the team to over 30 wins in a row. When President Stettler passed away, people remembered how he made the school even stronger after the flood.
The Packard Years (1990–2007)
Dr. H. Jeremy Packard became the tenth president in 1990. Under his leadership, the school continued to expand. They improved academics, arts, sports, and technology. This was when the Internet was becoming popular.
The Upper School campus got more updates. In 2006, Klassner Field was built for field hockey and lacrosse. It was named after Karen Klassner, the athletics director. Sem also bought an old bank building. It became the Great Hall, used for wrestling practice.
Sprague Hall, the main academic building, got a new, modern wing in 1999. The Lower School also saw changes. It got a new wing for fourth and fifth graders.
In sports, Kristina Benson became the first girl to join the boys' varsity ice hockey team in 1993. In 2001, the boys' tennis team won the state title. This was the first state title for any team at Wyoming Seminary. The field hockey team also won the state championship that same year.
The field hockey team, led by coach Karen Klassner, won four more state championships. They won in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2011. The wrestling team also became very strong. Since 2007, they have won five state prep championship titles in a row. They are ranked high among private high schools in the nation.
Outside of sports, the Model United Nations and Mock Trial groups also did very well. They won championships in their region and even nationally. The school also started using Mac computers in classrooms.
The way the Upper School was run also changed. Karen Klassner was the first woman to hold high positions, like Dean of Students. Later, the Dean of Students role was combined with the Upper School Dean. New roles were created, like Dean of Faculty. A new system of Class Deans was started. Each class had a dean who stayed with them for all four years. The Lower School also changed its dean system.
The Nygren Years (2007–2015)
Dr. Kip P. Nygren became president in 2007. He continued to make improvements to the school. Sprague Hall got a new third floor. The Lower School's first floor was completely updated. The dorms for Upper School students were also restored.
A big new building, the Kirby Center for Creative Arts, opened in 2014. It was built after Sprague Avenue was closed to cars. Even with all these changes, the football program was paused in 2011 and 2012. This was because fewer students were interested.
However, a plan was made to bring football back. Nesbitt Memorial Stadium was completely renovated. The football program started again in 2014. Other sports continued to succeed. The field hockey team won three state championships in four years (2010, 2011, and 2013). The Mock Trial team won the state championship in 2011 and placed sixth nationally.
President Nygren announced his retirement in 2014. Kevin Rea became the 12th president of Sem.
Wyoming Seminary Today (2015-)
Wyoming Seminary temporarily closed both schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. They started reopening in the 2020-2021 school year. In 2023, Martin Mooney became the 15th president of Wyoming Seminary.
How Wyoming Seminary is Run
The current president of Wyoming Seminary is Martin Mooney. He started his job in May 2023. William E. Sordoni is the head of the school's Board of Trustees. Rachel Bartron is the Dean of the Upper School.
Many people serve on the school's board of trustees.
What Students Learn at Sem
Wyoming Seminary prepares students for college. About 15% of Upper School graduates go to very competitive colleges. Almost all graduates (98%) successfully finish college.
About 32% of Lower School teachers have master's degrees. At the Upper School, 51% of teachers have master's degrees. Also, 13% of Upper School teachers have doctorates.
An average class in the Upper School has 14 students. The Upper School offers over 160 courses in total. This includes 25 Advanced Placement (AP) classes. This is more than many other schools in the United States. Wyoming Seminary welcomes over 80 international students each year. They come from more than 20 different countries. Students also come from 15 different states.
Fun Activities and Sports
Many students at the Upper School get involved in the arts. About 300 students participate in performing arts. Also, 86% of students play at least one sport. Over the last 30 years, 700 Sem football players have gone on to play college football.
The Upper School field hockey team has had 17 seasons without a loss. They have won five state championship titles. In 2011, they won their second state title in a row. This was the first time they won back-to-back championships. The boys' basketball team won their division title four times in a row.
The boys' tennis team has also been very successful. They have won 72 conference matches in a row. In 2012, they were state runner-up. The Upper School wrestling team has won the Pennsylvania Prep State Tournament five years in a row.
Wyoming Seminary has a very strong Mock Trial program. They have won many awards in competitions. In 2011, they won the State Championship. They then placed 6th in the National High School Mock Trial Championship. The team has also done well in other big tournaments.
Art, Music, and Drama at Sem
Students at the Upper School must take art history and music history classes. They can also take many other art and drawing courses. There are music courses and a choir. Sem has two art studios, a ceramics studio, and a darkroom.
Art students show their work in The Great Hall and Nesbitt Hall. Photography students have shows at the Buckingham Performing Arts Center. Students can also work on art projects at the Performing Arts Institute (PAI) in the summer. This program brings in famous artists.
The Upper School's Madrigal Singers are a 28-voice choral group. They are very talented. The group has traveled all over the world. They toured Asia in 2006 and Germany in 2007. In 2009, they competed in the Czech Republic. They won two gold and two silver medals. The group is led by John M. Vaida.
Students can join the orchestra, jazz band, and other music groups. Sem also hosts the Wyoming Seminary Civic Orchestra. This group includes local students and musicians. Students can also play in the pit orchestra for school shows.
The Upper School drama department is led by Jason Sherry. They put on a musical in the fall. They also have an acting workshop in the winter and a play in the spring. All students can try out, even if they have no experience.
Wyoming Seminary Campus
Wyoming Seminary has two campuses: the Lower School and the Upper School. The Upper School campus has many buildings for students. Sprague Hall is the main building for classes. Nesbitt Hall is a science center. The Back Campus is a social hub. The "SNOOK" (Sem Nook) is also there.
The Pettebone-Dickson Student Center has sports and office facilities. The Carpenter Athletic Center has two gyms, a pool, and fitness studios. It also has the Charles Lull Tennis Center. Klassner Field and Nesbitt Stadium are on the edge of campus.
Wyoming Seminary has several dorms for students who live at school. Older boys live in Carpenter Hall. Older girls live in Swetland, Fleck, and Darte Halls. Most first-year students also live in these buildings.
The Buckingham Performing Arts Center, built in 1975, has classrooms and an auditorium. The Kirby Center for the Performing Arts opened in 2014. The Stettler Learning and Resource Center holds the admissions office and the Kirby Library. The Great Hall is used for sports, especially wrestling. A walkway connects it to the rest of the campus.
The Lower School is mostly in one main building. It also has fields and a learning center for toddlers.
Campus Buildings and Design
Since 1979, the Upper School's old buildings have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.
Since 2006, parts of the Upper School campus have been updated. The outside of the dorms (Swetland, Darte, and Fleck Halls) were renovated. The Kirby Library was updated. Sprague Hall got a new third floor. Klassner Field and the O. Charles Lull Tennis Center were built. The Lower School's first floor was also renovated.
In 2013, Nesbitt Memorial Stadium was updated. It now has two turf fields for many sports. It also has new locker rooms and a new grandstand. The Kirby Center for Creative Arts was finished in 2014. It supports the school's music, theater, and dance programs.
Famous People Who Went to Sem
- William H. Bartran, a politician and doctor from Wisconsin
- Lorna Breen, an emergency doctor
- Chuck Bresnahan, a football coach for the Las Vegas Raiders
- Lisa Caputo, who worked for Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton
- Frank Carlucci, who was the United States Secretary of Defense
- Mary Helen Peck Crane, an activist and writer, mother of Stephen Crane
- Howard Gardner, a famous psychologist known for his theory of multiple intelligences
- Dan Harris, a Hollywood director and screenwriter
- Quentin Harris, a vice president for the Arizona Cardinals football team
- Harry Hiestand, a football coach for the Chicago Bears
- Henry M. Hoyt, a general in the Civil War and a governor of Pennsylvania
- Robert Wood Johnson I, who started Johnson and Johnson
- Steven Johnson, a football player for the Denver Broncos
- Paul Kanjorski, a United States Representative
- W.S. Merwin, a U.S. Poet Laureate
- Lauren Powley, a member of the U.S. women's national field hockey team who played in the Olympics
- Elwood Quesada, a Lieutenant General in the Air Force and first head of the Federal Aviation Administration
- Sukanya Roy, winner of the 84th Scripps National Spelling Bee
- Don Sherwood, a Republican U.S. Congressman
- Joe Torsella, who was the Treasurer of Pennsylvania and worked for the United Nations
- Arthur J. Weaver, a Governor of Nebraska
- John Yudichak, a State Senator for Pennsylvania
Teachers at Sem
- Cecilia Galante, author of The Patron Saint of Butterflies
