Madeira School

The Madeira School (simply referred to as Madeira School or Madeira) is an elite,^[2] private, day and boarding college-preparatory school for girls in McLean, Virginia, United States. It was established in 1906 by Lucy Madeira Wing.

The Madeira School
Oval and Main building
Location
8328 Georgetown Pike McLean , Virginia 22102 United States
Coordinates	38°57′55″N 77°14′6″W
Information
Other names	Madeira School Madeira
Type	Private, day and boarding college-preparatory school
Motto	Latin: Festina lente (Make haste slowly)
Established	1906 (1906)
Founder	Lucy Madeira Wing
NCES School ID	02063874[1]
Head of school	Christina Kyong
Teaching staff	50.3 (on an FTE basis)[1]
Grades	9–12
Gender	Girls
Enrollment	321 (2017–2018)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	6.4[1]
Campus size	376 acres (1.52 km2)
Campus type	Fringe rural[1]
Color(s)	Red and White
Mascot	Snail
Website	www.madeira.org

History

Founded by Lucy Madeira Wing (1873–1961) in 1906, the school was originally located on 19th Street near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. In 1931, it was moved some 12 miles west to the Northern Virginia suburb of Greenway, Virginia - later changed to the more recognizable town of McLean.^[3]

Events

In 1973, the body of 14-year-old student Natalia Semler was found bound and beaten on the school grounds.^[4][5] John Gilreath, who had been convicted of a sexual assault at the school two years earlier, was convicted of her murder.^[6]

In 1980, then-headmistress Jean Harris was convicted of the murder of Herman Tarnower.^[7][8][9]

Demographics

The demographic breakdown of the 334 girls enrolled in 2021–2022 was:^[10]

• American Indian/Alaska Native - 0
• Asian - 75
• Black - 40
• Hispanic - 30
• Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander - 1
• White - 157
• Two or More Races - 31

Campus and facilities

The campus is on 376 acres (1.52 km²) overlooking the Potomac River (McLean, Virginia) and consists of 34 separate buildings.

Original buildings on the 1931 campus include Main, the dining hall, Schoolhouse, East, West, North, and South Dorms, the Land, the Annex (infirmary), and the two gatehouses at the entrance to the Oval. Buildings added later include the Chapel/Auditorium, the indoor riding ring and Gaines Hall, the science building, a renovated and expanded dining hall, Hurd Sports Center, and Huffington Library.^[11]

Public access

The Madeira school has had many disputes over the use of its land. In 1966, Fairfax County proposed to turn 208 of Madeira's 376 acres (1.52 km²) into public parkland.^[12] In 1991, Madeira gave a trail easement along Georgetown Pike and $89,000 for construction so that hikers could walk the Potomac Heritage Route without entering the main area of the campus.^[13] However, this trail was never completed by the park officials. In 2008, the Fairfax County government attempted to obtain from Madeira an easement near the Potomac River to permit the completion of a 100-mile (160 km) loop of walking trails as a condition of approval for the school's proposed expansion plans. This one-mile (1.6 km)-long trail section through Madeira's property would connect the county's Scott's Run Park to Great Falls National Park. The Madeira School declined this easement, citing concerns about safety and environmental impacts.^[14][15]

Notable alumnae

See also: Category:Madeira School alumni

• Brooke Astor, philanthropist, socialite, and writer
• Zach Barack, actor and singer
• Mary Lincoln Beckwith, descendant of Abraham Lincoln
• Stephania Bell, physical therapist and commentator
• Christina Bellin, model and socialite
• Blair Brown, actress
• Campbell Brown, anchor and news reporter
• Mika Brzezinski, journalist, talk show host, commentator, and author
• Janelle Bynum, member of the House of Representatives^[16]
• Charlotte E. Carr, labor activist and state official
• Stockard Channing, actress
• Penny Chenery, sportswoman
• Julia Collins, most successful female Jeopardy! contestant
• Hope Cooke, Queen consort of the 12th Chogyal of Sikkim
• Kathryn Wasserman Davis, philanthropist and scholar of world affairs
• Helen T. Edwards, physicist
• Katharine Graham, publisher
• Mary Helen Wright Greuter, astronomer and historian
• Lois Cowles Harrison, civic leader, women's rights activist, and philanthropist
• Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt, heiress
• Rory Kennedy, documentary filmmaker^[17]
• Kui Kinyanjui, journalist
• Alex Kuczynski, author and journalist
• Eleanor de Laittre, artist
• Clara López, former Colombian minister of labour
• Diana Oughton, social activist
• Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, art collector and philanthropist
• Naomi Pierce, evolutionary biologist
• Martha Reeves (anchorite), Anglican solitary and author
• Alice Rivlin, economist and budget official
• Carrie Southworth, actress and model
• Frances Sternhagen, actress
• Ruth Carter Stevenson, patron of the arts
• Lally Weymouth, journalist
• Meredith Whitney, businesswoman

Notable faculty

• Kate Clifton Osgood Holmes, painter^[18]
• Anne Truitt, sculptor and author^[19]