At Buckley, we move forward by building on over a century of history, tradition, and excellence.
Founding & Early Vision
B. Lord Buckley, a professional educator and an innovator in his time, founded The Buckley School in 1913 as a boys’ elementary school. Mr. Buckley’s dedication to teaching quickly earned the School a reputation for excellence. Buckley offered a rigorous classical curriculum and stressed the importance of diligence, respect, strength of character, leadership and compassion. Honor et Veritas—Latin for honor and truth—became Buckley’s motto.
Campus Growth & Facilities
Originally located above a milliner’s shop on Madison Avenue, the School moved in 1917 to 74th Street and now includes three buildings: Walsh, which houses most of our academic program, Arts & Sciences, which accommodates art, crafts, music, science and technology classes, and Hubball, which comprises gymnasiums, the kindergarten classrooms, and administrative offices.
Leadership & Legacy
Five heads of school have succeeded B. Lord Buckley: Evelyn Adams (1932-1947), James Hubball (1947-1972), C. Brett Boocock (1972-1982), Brian Walsh (1982-2001) and Buckley’s current headmaster, Greg O’Melia (2001-present). Strong secondary school placement, low attrition, two major capital campaigns, a $70 million building project, increased alumni involvement, a more diverse community, and an atmosphere in which every boy counts have been the hallmarks of the last decade. The School continues to emphasize its original values, including the belief that boys should have a strong foundation of skills in multiple disciplines to prepare them for success in secondary school and college. The pursuit of excellence within a core curriculum remains at Buckley to this day.
Traditions
A few of the things that make Buckley . . . Buckley.
Keep on learning . . . for it is just about the most interesting thing in the world to do.
-B. Lord Buckley
