Boston Latin School

The Boston Latin School is a selective public exam school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was established on April 23, 1635, making it both the oldest public school in British America and the oldest existing school in the United States. The school's admission policies and demographics have been controversial. History Boston Latin School was founded on April 23, 1635 by the Town of Boston. The school was modeled after the Free Grammar School of Boston in England under the influence of Reverend John Cotton. The first classes were held in the home of the Master, Philemon Pormort. John Hull was the first student to graduate (1637). It was intended to educate young men of all social classes in the classics. The school was initially funded by donations and land rentals rather than by taxes. A school established in nearby Dedham was the first tax-supported public school. Latin is the mother of modern Romance languages and was an educational priority in the 17th century. The ability to read at least Cicero and Virgil was a requirement of all colonial colleges, and to write and speak Latin in verse and prose was the first of the “Harvard College Laws” of 1642. Boston Latin prepared many students for admission to Harvard, with a total of seven years devoted to the classics. However, most graduates of Boston Latin did not go on to college, since business and professions did not require college training.