History of The Pingry School

The history of the Pingry School from its beginnings in 1861 to the present, is the story of a man who took a small school, hardly known beyond the limits of its city in the nineteenth century, stamped it with his ideals of education, and transformed it into a nationally recognized institution. Dr. John Francis Pingry gave the school its basic character through the strength of his own good qualities. It is a legacy that continues to this day. Dr. John F. Pingry founded the school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1861 to provide both scholastic training and moral education for boys. By exposing them to the rigors of a strict classical education, Dr. Pingry instilled in his students the mental discipline they needed to meet the challenges of their future life.

Dr. John F. Pingry

Parker Road campus with buses, circa 1937

The School remained at its original site until 1953, when the Pingry School moved from Elizabeth only a few blocks away to the edge of Hillside, New Jersey. Early in 1970s two important changes occurred: Pingry began the transition to a coeducational school. The first female students, who graduated in 1976, were succeeded by other young women who today represent half the student body. Pingry grew again by merging with the Short Hills Country Day School to become a school with grades from Kindergarten through grade 12. Today over 300 children attend the Pingry Short Hills Campus.

In 1983 the School moved again, to Martinsville, a rural area in the Watchung and Somerset hills. The campuses are approximately 25 minutes apart, and both are located conveniently near the New York metropolitan area, which continues to provide many outside resources to supplement the classroom. Today, Pingry has 1,057 students on its two campuses. Students come from twelve counties and over ninety municipalities.

Nathaniel E. Conard Headmaster