Founder's Day

One Ambitious Idea

SYA started with one ambitious idea and a few people eager to keep moving it forward.

Clark Vaughan, a Spanish teacher at Wilbraham Academy and SYA’s first Resident Director, first conceived what was then called Schoolboys Abroad. Wilbraham Academy planned to launch the program in 1963–1964 and had already processed nearly 20 applications when an emergency expenditure put those plans on hold. But Vaughan didn’t let the idea end there. He brought it to Phillips Academy (Andover), where Headmaster John Kemper backed Schoolboys Abroad and provided space on campus for an administrative office. Daniel (Dan) Olivier, head of the French Department at Germantown Friends School, joined Vaughan in helping move the idea forward and bring Schoolboys Abroad to life. Col. Edward M. Harris, a Spanish teacher at Phillips Academy, became Schoolboys Abroad’s first executive director.

Olivier, along with Ted Hammond, a math teacher at Phillips Academy, and their wives, accompanied the first group of students overseas. Olivier also taught English during the first year. He would go on to play an important role in SYA’s growth, helping identify Rennes as the home of SYA France, which opened in 1967. He later served as executive director and as Resident Director in France.

Setting Sail

On September 9, 1964, two teachers and 11 students boarded the MS Aurelia in Hoboken, New Jersey, bound for Le Havre, France. Their eastbound fare was just $196. Tuition for the year was $3,200 and covered the voyage along with most other expenses.

From France, the group continued on to Barcelona, where the original school was housed at the Instituto de Estudios Norteamericanos.

Those 11 students couldn't have known what their departure would set in motion, but more than six decades later, more than 9,000 SYAers have followed in their footsteps.

Meet Our Newest Class

A new SYA chapter is just beginning. Meet the students who make up the Class of 2027 — where they come from, what they love and the experiences they’re bringing with them to France, Italy and Spain!