THE HISTORY OF CATHEDRAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS
The story of Cathedral’s history can be wrapped up in four words familiar to any member of the Cathedral community: minds, hearts, hands, voices.
Cathedral’s founders were distinguished by their whole- person approach. They aspired to establish a boys’ school in San Francisco that had both a strong academic program as well as a spiritual element in the Episcopal tradition. The conversation began in 1957 with Bishop James Pike, Dean Julian Bartlett, and The Rev. Canon David Forbes, who had a vision for an Episcopal school for boys. Canon Forbes is quoted in a newspaper article from around the time of Cathedral’s founding: “Most cathedrals have their own schools, from which the choir boys are recruited. As the third largest Episcopal cathedral in the United States, Grace Cathedral should certainly have its own school.” Having recently been installed as Dean of the church, Bartlett helped form a committee comprising about 20 “ladies” involved at the Cathedral to strategize how to make this a reality. The addition of students on the Cathedral Close * would also provide a steady source of angelic voices to the Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys. But according to newspaper articles from the time, the Nob Hill neighborhood was not ready for the noise (and presumably * Cathedral Close refers to the area immediately surrounding a cathedral and, in the middle ages, would have been under the control of the bishop of the cathedral’s legal jurisdiction, rather than that of the city.
traffic congestion) that a school for rambunctious young boys would add. It appears that there may be have been considerable resistance. One newspaper article is ominously entitled “New Boys’ School Will End Cathedral Calm.” Canon Forbes did nothing to quell that concern when he was quoted in that same article saying, “the new Cathedral School for Boys will probably need fire walls to contain the noise.” True to this day, as one approaches Cathedral School for Boys, one may hear the sweet sounds of choir boys rehearsing, the School community harmonizing during Hymn Sing, or boys laughing and yelling as they play soccer or basketball on the roof. Regardless of the source, the joyous sound of boys’ voices playing fill the air in the Cathedral Close. Backing up a bit, it’s essential that we don’t overlook the women who were instrumental in helping to find funding for the School. Without these women and their families, the dream of Cathedral would have been nothing more than just that. The deep devotion of parents and friends has long made Cathedral School what it is and what it remains today. Mrs. Charles F. Lowrey (Mimi) was one of those women, and she remained a lifelong Trustee until her death in 2016. The Lowrey family and others (including the Gillettes, Hopkins, McKeevers, Morsheads, Orricks among them) were driven
Early supporters survey site of new school
Minds, Hearts, Hands, Voices BY TARA BOLAND, Director of Admission
C. Julian Bartlett, Dean of Grace Cathedral, and Rev. Canon David Forbes, Headmaster, along with boys lay the School's cornerstone
FALL 2018 • RED & GOLD | 15
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