The Newman School was founded in 1945 by the late Dr. J. Harry Lynch and a group of colleagues, all alumni of Boston College. Naming their school after the greatly admired John Henry Cardinal Newman, the founders started out by educating young men returning from military service at the end of World War II, and gradually expanded to serve young men and women in their high school years.
In 1948, The Newman School accepted its first international student, a young man from Korea who was homeless. Sponsored by a group of Boston College alumni, who were friends of Newman’s founders, Thomas Song became Newman’s first international student.
The Newman School's commitment to international education began in these early years of the school’s existence, and led to the development of a successful English as a Second Language program for many years.
Since 1985, under the leadership of J. Harry Lynch Jr., the school developed its curriculum in the liberal arts tradition embraced by John Henry Newman.
Today, these commitments are carried forward by Head of School Michael J. Schafer through the International Baccalaureate program, which provides intellectual challenge and a dynamic learning environment for students of broadly diverse backgrounds.
