Students in the Alter Middle School gathered this week to celebrate one of Germantown Academy’s most meaningful traditions: Founders’ Day. The day offered a lively mix of school spirit, historical discovery, and community pride.

The celebration kicked off at Break, where students enjoyed a sweet nod to GA’s colors with festive red, black, or blue frosted cupcakes. In the afternoon, Head of School Rich Schellhas 1760 delivered a special Founders’ Day history lesson, sharing stories that brought GA’s 266-year legacy to life.

Students learned that when Germantown Academy was founded, it originally operated under two headmasters, James Dove and Hilarious Becker, who approached teaching very differently. Dove was known for his strict discipline and sharp wit, while Becker’s forward-thinking style emphasized kindness, empathy, and encouragement. Becker quickly earned admiration for his compassionate approach, and over time, the school transitioned to the more familiar single-headmaster model that continued to flourish.

The lesson also explored the origins of GA’s school colors. In the 1870s, Academy students formed a cricket team to compete with other local clubs. At the time, teams distinguished themselves by the colors of their caps, and GA athletes initially chose red, white, and blue. But after long days of summer play, the white portions of their caps faded to yellow, which unfortunately mirroring the colors worn by the rival Philadelphia Cricket Club. To avoid confusion and honor the rising national reverence for President Abraham Lincoln, who had been assassinated just a decade earlier, the team adopted red, black, and blue around 1875. Those colors have represented Germantown Academy ever since.

Students also learned the remarkable story of GA’s iconic bell. Cast in the same foundry as the Liberty Bell, the school bell was shipped to Philadelphia aboard the tea ship Polly in 1774. Due to political unrest in the colonies, the ship was forced to return to England with its cargo. The bell finally made its way back to the Academy in 1784.

The Founders’ Day festivities concluded with a beautiful a cappella performance of the GA alma mater, bringing students together in a moment of pride.