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January
1974

The two schools merge to become Buckingham Browne & Nichols

Fall
1980

Head of School Peter Gunness creates BB&N's motto

Fall
1992

Mary Newmann becomes Head of BB&N

Fall
2001

Rebecca T. Upham becomes Head of BB&N

Fall
2018

Dr. Jennifer Price becomes the Head of BB&N

Leadership, Mission, and Values

Buckingham and Browne & Nichols officially merged on January 1, 1974, but the two schools had collaborated for several years leading up to signing the paperwork. Several co-educational classes were offered in the early 1970s, and the schools had put on joint theater productions since Oklahoma! in 1958. Buckingham Head Elizabeth Stowe retired in January 1974, and Browne & Nichols Head Peter Gunness continued on through the merger as the first Head of BB&N. 

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Below: a co-educational class, 1972.

A co-education group of students sit around an oval table, along with a teacher. Books and papers are spread all across the table, and the students are in the middle of a discussion. The table is located in the Pratt Room of Browne & Nichols' Upper School; in the background, there are windows and a piano, with a couch sitting on a rug partially out of frame on the righthand side.
This is a black and white photographic cover of a periodical; the title "Buckingham Browne & Nichols Bulletin, Spring 1974" appears in black text in the upper right of the cover. In the photo, seven people stand in front of the school sign along Gerry's Landing; two students from the group are standing on stepladders at the sign and adding the word Buckingham above Browne & Nichols; in front of the sign, two other students and a board member stand with Elizabeth Stowe, head of Buckingham, and Peter Gunness, head of Browne & Nichols and then BB&N.

Above: the well-known photo from the Spring 1974 issue of the Bulletin, showing Elizabeth Stowe, Peter Gunness, and several students updating the school sign. 

A black and white photo of Peter Gunness, taken at an unknown event. He is smiling at the camera, and wearing a fedora, a polkadot bowtie, a sweater with BB&N on the front, and a raincoat.
This is a black and white photo of Mary Newmann, taken during a photoshoot in her office. She is smiling directly at the camera, and leaning both her arms on the desk in front of her, which is out of frame. Her hands are up in front of her chin, and clasped together. She is wearing a sweater over a button-up shirt.
A color photo of Dr. Jennifer Price, taken in front of her home. She is standing and smiling at the camera, and wearing a navy shortsleeve t-shirt with a colorful patterend scarf around her neck.

Above: BB&N's Heads of School, left to right: Peter Gunness, Mary Newmann, Rebecca Upham, and Dr. Jennifer Price.

 

Fifty years later, BB&N has seen four different Heads of School help to steer BB&N through the decades: Peter K. Gunness (1969-1991), Mary Newmann (1992-2001), Rebecca T. Upham (2001-2018), and Dr. Jennifer Price (2018-present). Each Head of School has created their own unique legacy at BB&N, but those legacies are not made by the Heads on their own. Campus Directors have shaped each campus over the course of the last 50 years, and BB&N's current Senior Leadership Team works closely with Dr. Price on decisions at the school. 

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Below: BB&N's Campus Directors from the last 50 years.

This is a color photo of Rebecca Upham, taken outside. She is standing and smiling at the camera, and wearing a colorful green and grey print dress with a light pink jacket over it, which has a black breast pocket and white sleeves.

The Boards of Trustees at both Buckingham and Browne & Nichols were instrumental in supporting the process of merging the two schools. Since then, the Board has continued to collaborate with the Head of School to support BB&N's strategic plan. Thank you to all members of the Board over the past 50 years, and a special note of appreciation to the following Chairs of the Board:

Leonard Dowse '35 (1974-1975)
Lloyd Weinreb (1975 - 1979)
Cyrus Durgin '55 (1979 - 1984)
David Roberts '67 (1984 - 1988)
Nathaniel Gorton '56 (1988 - 1993)
Berenice Ronthal (1993 - 1995)
Stuart Cable '71 (1995 - 1998)

Paul Maeder (1998 - 2001)
Steve Woodsum (2001 - 2006)
Laura Hodges Taylor '74 (2006 - 2010)
Peter Slavin '75 (2010 - 2012)
Brace Young (2012 - 2018)
Chuck Brizius (2018 - 2024)

After the merger, BB&N needed a new motto, and Head Peter Gunness settled on "Honesty, Scholarship, Kindness". In an oral history interview in 2014, Peter Gunness explained the origins of the phrase: “In 1980 with the Centennial Celebration of the founding in 1883 of Browne & Nichols School approaching, we commissioned a history to be written by our graduate Thomas H. Eliot. By this time I knew we should have a motto to inspire and raise our sights. As two secular institutions we didn’t have the inspiration of a religious identity. As I read the proofs of Tom’s history, the words of Willard Reed [Co-Head of School of Browne & Nichols, 1910-1928], “Honor, scholarship, but most of all kindness”, captured the essence of what I hoped BB&N could become.”

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Today, BB&N moves toward the future with newly adopted mission and value statements, which reflect the core of the school and its community. Both statements were crafted through a collaborative process involving all faculty and staff in the decision-making process. 

Mission

BB&N is an academically excellent, diverse, and inclusive community where students develop into lifelong learners who lead with kindness, curiosity, and integrity. We prepare students to be responsible and open-minded as they engage with the world around them.

Core Values

Inquiry

We promote curiosity and critical thinking to inspire a lifelong love of learning.

 

Integrity

We strive to be honest, conscientious, and accountable in our actions even when no one is watching.

 

Belonging

We foster a culture of respect, well-being, and connection that values all individuals and empowers them to discover and be their authentic selves.

 

Kindness

We strengthen our communities by recognizing our common humanity and treating ourselves and others with respect and compassion.

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