175th Anniversary
Germantown Friends School
Celebrating our creative community, highlighting our storied history, and looking toward our future.
175th Anniversary Celebration
Celebrating 175 Years of Quaker Education
We are delighted to commemorate our 175th anniversary—a year of celebrations that highlight our school’s history and milestones, recognizes our remarkable community, and launches us toward a bright and purposeful future guided by our strategic vision.
Read a letter from Head of School Dana Weeks to learn more about our celebration plans.
Attend an Event
A Virtual 175th Celebration!
May 15, 2021
Please join us for the culminating celebration of the year! Emceed by GFS parent and 6ABC anchor Nydia Han, we will gather for a virtual “evening in” fundraiser for scholarship at GFS. In addition to enjoying the musical talents of the Alex Levin Trio, Maya Keren, and G. Love, we will hear a few exciting surprise announcements! Admission is free, but donations are graciously appreciated and sponsor packages are available
Music Showcase
May 1, 2021, 6:30 p.m.
Let's gather to sing, dance, and enjoy the musical talents of our students and other members of our community! At 6:30 p.m., Lower School music teachers Renee Warnick and Vicki Spaeth Nyce will host a lively sing-a-long for our young friends. At 7:15 p.m., all are welcome to join for tunes from the Deb Callahan Band—a blues-soul band featuring GFS parents Callahan and Allen James.
Afterward, we will hear from our incredible Middle and Upper School musicians, including the GFS Orchestra, Jazz Ensembles, World Percussion, Chamber Ensembles, and more! A full lineup will be shared soon.
Alumni Week(end)
May 12–16, 2021
Virtual plans are underway with special reunion activities planned for classes with years ending in '0, '1, '5, and '6. There will be events all week long, concluding with the 175th Anniversary Celebration. If you would like to get involved, please contact Brandon Jones '00, Director of Alumni Relations, at bjones@germantownfriends.org.
Learn more about Alumni Week(end) below!
GFS History: A Timeline
175th Anniversary History Series
Former GFS history teacher Bill Koons began a history of the school in 1989. Building on his work, Tim Wood and Kate Stover, archivists and former GFS parents, have brought these stories to our community. Read more about the project here.
As you read these seven installments, you will walk through more than a hundred years of Germantown Friends School history. Along the way, you will discover how and why the school was founded, meet the people at the heart of the school, witness the evolving campus, become more familiar with curricular advances, and learn how the school responded to local and national challenges. Stories, analysis, photos, and rich details will make the history of the school from 1845-1970 come alive.
Please enjoy the newest feature "Master Stanley," about Stanley Yarnall, one of the most influential figures in GFS history.
Anniversary Event News
![GFS Alumni Kristen Welker]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1612986280/germantown/smw5mch40vhiqoq8idzn/Kristen-Welker-web.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1612986280/germantown/smw5mch40vhiqoq8idzn/Kristen-Welker-web.jpg","width":400}])
![Jerome Allen]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1623681028/germantown/m1ewkqtdrwexofz7g92d/Jermone-Allen-web.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1623681028/germantown/m1ewkqtdrwexofz7g92d/Jermone-Allen-web.jpg","width":500}])
NBA assistant coach and acclaimed author and speaker Jerome Allen recently spoke about his life experiences and his latest memoir.
![Ari Berman]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1611350224/germantown/wk48munsq9ultefswlcw/Ari-Berman.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1611350224/germantown/wk48munsq9ultefswlcw/Ari-Berman.jpg","width":300}])
In March, journalist Ari Berman shared his experiences covering politics and his journey to becoming a national reporter.
![Giving Day: #ShowYourLoveGFS]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1614100764/germantown/hrtpval6x3hfoj4h2v8v/Giving-Day-14-web.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1614100764/germantown/hrtpval6x3hfoj4h2v8v/Giving-Day-14-web.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1614100764/germantown/hrtpval6x3hfoj4h2v8v/Giving-Day-14-web.jpg","width":800}])
Giving Day, held on Friday, February 12, was a huge success this year thanks to our entire community.
![GFS alumnus Ben Thomas '14]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1607362280/germantown/xsqtfbgaiei0tzo9duuo/Ben-Thomas-web.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1607362280/germantown/xsqtfbgaiei0tzo9duuo/Ben-Thomas-web.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1607362280/germantown/xsqtfbgaiei0tzo9duuo/Ben-Thomas-web.jpg","width":800}])
In December, we welcomed Ben Thomas '14 as our annual Alumni Assembly speaker.
![Natalie Weathers Nixon]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1607362117/germantown/uojeadch4a4sfyvbsleo/Natalie-Nixon-web.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1607362117/germantown/uojeadch4a4sfyvbsleo/Natalie-Nixon-web.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1607362117/germantown/uojeadch4a4sfyvbsleo/Natalie-Nixon-web.jpg","width":800}])
To kick off our 175th Anniversary, we welcomed Natalie Weathers Nixon '87 and Sarah Stein Greenberg '96 for a community conversation about embracing your creative side.
![GFS 175th Anniversary Celebration]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1607362532/germantown/fg7n2awzmxywz6f7lof7/175-celebration-2-web.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1607362532/germantown/fg7n2awzmxywz6f7lof7/175-celebration-2-web.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1607362532/germantown/fg7n2awzmxywz6f7lof7/175-celebration-2-web.jpg","width":800}])
Read a letter from Head of School Dana Weeks as she reflects on our school's history
GFS Trivia
![DID YOU KNOW?]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1606942051/germantown/cxoytsgtrhuf43cctawg/GFS-1845-notice-TheFriend.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1606942051/germantown/cxoytsgtrhuf43cctawg/GFS-1845-notice-TheFriend.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1606942051/germantown/cxoytsgtrhuf43cctawg/GFS-1845-notice-TheFriend.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1606942051/germantown/cxoytsgtrhuf43cctawg/GFS-1845-notice-TheFriend.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1606942051/germantown/cxoytsgtrhuf43cctawg/GFS-1845-notice-TheFriend.png","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1606942051/germantown/cxoytsgtrhuf43cctawg/GFS-1845-notice-TheFriend.png","width":1700}])
DID YOU KNOW?
The announcement for GFS' opening was published in the Quaker publication, The Friend, in 1845.
