Boston Latin Academy

Established in 1877, Boston Latin Academy has witnessed a fascinating evolution. It originally opened its doors as the Girls’ Latin School. It offered a classical education and college preparatory training to young women. This made it the first public high school of its kind in the United States. Boston Latin Academy began its journey on West Newton Street. It shared a building with the Girls’ High School. The first class in 1880 consisted of only six graduates. All six were accepted to Smith College. The school’s newspaper, the Jabberwock, has a unique origin. Three students in 1888, Abbie Farwell Brown, Sybil Collar, and Virginia Holbrook, chose the name from Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky”. They even received a handwritten letter from Carroll himself granting permission to use the name. The Jabberwock stands as one of the oldest school newspapers in the country. Over the years, Boston Latin Academy outgrew several locations. The growing student body led to moves to Copley Square in 1898, a shared building with Boston Normal School in 1907, and the former Dorchester High School for Girls building in 1955. A significant change came in 1972 when Boston Latin Academy became coeducational. The name officially changed to Boston Latin Academy in 1975. The school found a home near Fenway Park in 1981 before finally settling into its current location on Townsend Street in 1991. This building once housed Roxbury Memorial High School and later Boston Technical High School. Boston Latin Academy continued to break new ground in 2001 by establishing the first official Eastern Massachusetts High School Red Cross Club. Today, Boston Latin Academy boasts a 94% college placement rate. In 2010, it earned a Silver Medal from U.S. News & World Report. This recognized it as one of the top public high schools nationwide. The school continues its tradition of rigorous academics and commitment to preparing students for success.