Founder's Day

Meet the founders

Schoolboys Abroad was conceived by Clark Vaughan, a Spanish teacher at Wilbraham Academy, and SYA's first Resident Director. Wilbraham Academy wanted to launch the program in 1963-64 and had at least 20 processed applications for that fall, but an emergency expenditure at the school put the program on indefinite hold. Vaughan then took the idea to Phillips Academy (Andover) where Headmaster John Kemper backed the program and gave it space for an administrative office. Daniel (Dan) Olivier, head of the French Department at Germantown Friends School, was Vaughan's assistant in setting up the program and taught English for SYA.

Col. Edward M. Harris, a Phillips Academy Spanish teacher, was the first executive director for Schoolboys Abroad.

American-based faculty members Olivier and Ted Hammond (math teacher from Phillips Academy) and their wives accompanied the first group of boys aboard the ship. Olivier was also instrumental in identifying the location for SYA France, which opened in Rennes in the fall of 1967. He served as executive director in 1972-73 as well as resident director in France in 1977-80.

Setting sail

On September 9, 1964, two teachers and the original 11 "schoolboys" set sail from Hoboken, New Jersey to Le Havre, France aboard the MS Aurelia. Their eastbound fare was $196. At $3,200, tuition covered this travel expense and most others for the year. The original school was located at the Instituto de Estudios Norteamericanos in Barcelona.

Founder’s Day is a time to reflect on SYA’s history as well as renew our commitment to promoting intercultural understanding and appreciation through the immersive adventure of fully engaging with different languages and peoples. For 60 years, SYA has guided its students through a challenging curriculum focused on developing skills and cultural competencies for an increasingly interdependent world.