Letter from the Head of School

Integritas, Virilitas, Fidelitas

Futurists forecast exponential change that is truly stunning. In the context of the inevitable unknown, with its opportunities and trials, I’ve been considering the role of Mercersburg. The faculty and I believe that Mercersburg, like other exceptional boarding schools, educates young people remarkably well; in the purest sense, we prepare them to succeed, whatever their environment. And yet, all of us who know Mercersburg well know that there’s something singular that separates us, something beyond our obvious mission and modus operandi. We are a quiet school—modest yet bold. Tucked between mountain ranges and at a geographic crossroads, we are a place where students can learn to be themselves fully and honestly. I see in our faculty, students, and graduates a self-assurance that rarely shouts (unless you count the cheering that goes on during Irving-Marshall Week or a baseball game against the Hill). Mercersburg measures success in the vitality of our community and, especially, in the happiness and integrity of our students and alumni, as they choose how best to help steady and guide the dizzying evolution
of our society.

The role of U.S. District Court Judge John E. Jones III ’73 in the recent Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District trial underscores my belief and pride in what students learn here. The Kitzmiller case, which grappled with the question of whether teaching intelligent design in public schools violates the U.S. Constitution, attracted international media attention—John’s decision was featured in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, the New Yorker, Time magazine, the LA Times, on National Public Radio, and around the world—and became one of the most scrutinized trials in a generation. In the middle of this tempest, John kept a calm courtroom and presented a decision based on his understanding of, and belief in, the American legal system. Set aside for a moment whether you agree with his ruling that teaching intelligent design is unconstitutional. Instead, read in our interview with him that he “cannot and does not worry” about inevitable criticism. The simplicity of that modest self-assurance is profound, to my mind. John doesn’t worry because exposure isn’t a threat to those who have done what they do well and to the best of their ability. In John’s principles—and here I should also note his signature sense of good humor, which must also serve him well—I see a little bit of Mercersburg. In furthering the intellectual development of students, the Mercersburg community allows for, and encourages, different kinds of honest, individual achievement.

We trust that graduates choose their life’s work thoughtfully because they know themselves well and weigh carefully what they might contribute; in fact, I regularly see evidence of this. Mercersburg upholds, as it always has, Integritas, Virilitas, Fidelitas, qualities put forth in the School’s historic motto. Integrity, Strength, and Loyalty are part of our shared past and part of a deeply embedded Mercersburg ethos. More importantly, they also represent the present and future of our school: They will strengthen us as we develop new ways to accept and harness great change both within Mercersburg, a spiritual home to so many of us, and well beyond our 300 acres and the proud mountains that frame our experiences here.

Douglas Hale
Head of School