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Frank S. Hackett

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Frank S. Hackett
Born
Frank Sutliff Hackett

1878 (1878)
DiedFebruary 6, 1952(1952-02-06) (aged 73–74)
EducationColumbia University
OccupationHeadmaster
Known forFounder of Riverdale Country Day School
Proponent of the Country Day School movement
Term1907–1949

Frank Sutliff Hackett (1878 – February 6, 1952) was an American educator and founder of Riverdale Country Day School.[1] He was a pioneer in the Country Day School movement.[2]

Biography

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Hackett was born in Albany, New York,[3] and was educated at Trinity School and Columbia College, where he received his BA in 1899.[4][5] He taught English at Columbia after graduation and worked for Henry Holt and Company before serving as assistant headmaster of the Berkeley School in New York City.

An early proponent of the Country Day School movement,[6] which envisions an environment where students can receive scholarly, intimate teaching in locales with abundant recreation space, Hackett founded Riverdale Country School with his first wife, Frances Dean Allen,[7] in 1907 and served as headmaster until 1949.[1][8]

During World War I, Hackett served as a Dollar-a-year man in Washington, D.C. to assist with war efforts. He was also an early organizer and former president of the Adirondack Mountain Club. He founded Camp Riverdale, a summer camp for boys nine to sixteen.[9] He was an organizer of the Guild of Independent Schools of New York City and the New York State Association of Independent Schools. He also served as an American delegate to UNESCO conferences and held key posts in a number of educational organizations, including the Schoolmasters Association of the United States and the National Camp Directors Association.[10][11][12]

He was the recipient of honorary degrees from Williams College and Columbia University.[10]

Hackett died on February 6, 1952, at age 74. Hackett Park in Riverdale, Bronx, is named after him.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b "DR.FRKHA(KETT, RETIRED EDUCATOR; Founder of Riverdale. Country School Dies at 74--Started !hsti(ution in 1907 With $500". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  2. ^ "NAIS - The Truth About Making Real Change for Racial Justice". www.nais.org. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  3. ^ a b "Hackett Park". New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  4. ^ Columbia University (1897). Catalogue. Columbia University Libraries. New York.
  5. ^ Columbia Alumni News. Alumni Council of Columbia University. 1913.
  6. ^ "A SOCIAL OUTLOOK GROWS IN EDUCATION; Riverdale Headmaster Tells of the New Efforts to Develop a Cooperative Spirit. GROUP WORK IS STRESSED Youth Must Be Set to Tasks That Contribute to Better General Living, Dr. Hackett Says". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  7. ^ "MRS. F. S. HACKETT, CIVIC LEADER, DIES; She Aided Husband in Founding Riverdale Country School for Boys 30 Years Ago". The New York Times. 1937-02-14. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  8. ^ "Education: Tomorrow's Children?". Time. 1947-05-12. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  9. ^ "Camp Riverdale records | Adirondack Experience". adirondack.pastperfectonline.com. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  10. ^ a b "DR. HACKETT HONORED ON HIS 72D BIRTHDAY". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  11. ^ "F.S. Hackett Heads Camp Directors". The New York Times. 1931-03-19. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  12. ^ Hackett, Frank S. (1938-07-10). "PRAISES GUIDANCE IN VACATION CAMPS; Former Association Head Cites Values in Supplementing Influence of Schools Former President of the American Camping Association, Headmaster of Riverdale Country School". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-03.