This year marks the 95th anniversary of the founding of Northampton School for Girls, from which we derive the “Northampton” part of Williston Northampton School’s name and heritage. Founded in 1924 by two visionary educators, Sarah Whitaker and Dorothy Bement, NSFG shaped the lives of generations of young women. Today, NSFG’s values of academic excellence, community life, and girls’ leadership are very much alive on our campus.
Given this historic anniversary, Williston Northampton School’s Board of Trustees has unanimously voted to name a new girls dormitory, now under construction, after Northampton School for Girls alumna Emily McFadon Vincent ’49. Emily arrived at NSFG in 1948 from Tacoma, Washington, with an adventurous spirit and a passion for helping others that she has carried throughout her career and life. This dedication recognizes decades of commitment to the school by Emily and her husband, Bob. There is no more fitting person for whom to name this new residence for girls, especially since it marks the first building in the history of either Williston’s or NSFG’s campus to be named for an alumna. It’s a momentous milestone indeed.
Emily McFadon Vincent House will open next September on the new Residential Quad. Like its companion house, John Hazen White, the newest dorm will be home to 40 new students and four faculty families. Its opening will complete phase two of Williston’s Residential Quad, which has already dramatically expanded the school’s living, studying, and community space. When Emily McFadon Vincent House opens, close to 60 percent of our boarding community will live in this vibrant new part of campus.
We look forward to formally dedicating the new building next fall. For those curious about changes on campus, here’s a fly-through rendering of the new Residential Quad, and a live web-cam capturing construction progress. Photos of the groundbreaking are at this link.