Robert Wheaton Rivers - Headmaster from 1915-1929

Mr. Rivers, a Harvard College graduate, was head of the English Department at Noble and Greenough School, when the physicians convinced him to join their new venture. For the next 14 years, he led the school through its early years, ensuring that the goal of open-air education was followed.

That first year, the school welcomed three students in grades one to four. Mr. Rivers and two other teachers led classes, and in the afternoon, the students played in a park across the street. By the end of the second school year, enrollment had jumped to 47, and Mr. Rivers realized that the school’s physical plant was insufficient. So, he led the move to the Dean Road site in Brookline for the 1917-18 school year. According to school records, he purchased part of the Pierce family farm on Dean Road for a modest sum.

In response to growing interest in the school and increasing enrollment, Mr. Rivers oversaw a fairly ambitious building plan over the next several years. In 1924, Rivers inaugurated a four-year expansion project which led to a Lower School gym, built with lumber from his father-in-law’s near-by sanatorium; and four octagonal classroom buildings for the Upper School. The school also purchased an adjacent piece of land developed into a Lower School playing field and locker room.

That same year, a science laboratory was built, much to the delight of students. According to Rivers legend, the students had fun creating explosions in the new lab. One day, a student blew a hydrogen generator out of the lab window, and it soared into another window, in the headmaster’s office. Mr. Rivers warned the Upper School students that “explosions in and out of school are becoming so numerous that they no longer form an excuse for an attempt at humor.”

During his tenure, Mr. Rivers initiated daily speeches, delivered to students gathered in the music room for non-denominational chapel services. Sometimes, he read passages from the Bible, or spoke on specific topics, such as ‘Why Boys Can’t Get Out of Going to School.’ A version of Mr. Rivers’ daily speeches continues to this day; students gather weekly at an all-school meeting for general announcements and special talks by members of the community.

As headmaster, Mr. Rivers strove to offer a boarding school program in a day school environment. According to school records, city boys from Brookline, Newton, and the Back Bay enrolled to enjoy “the benefits of a full day in the country without unduly separating them from the influences of home life.” Due to illness, Mr. Rivers retired in 1929. He moved to Santa Barbara, CA where he lived until his death in 1945.