On Oct. 9, Stephen S. Murray was installed as the Lawrenceville School headmaster by Thomas L. Carter, Jr., president of the school’s board of trustees.
Mr. Murray is the 13th person to lead the school in its 205-year history. The ceremony, held in the school’s Lavino Field House, was warm and welcoming, with representatives from all parts of the school community sharing their well wishes for Mr. Murray.
Mr. Murray, who began his duties on July 1, spoke of the important purpose of what he called “one of the very great schools,”: “To equip our young people to go off into the world with a clear-eyed sense of hope, and the tools of empathy and compassion and understanding required to make it a better place.”
The theme of his installation address, optimism, was especially apt as he stood before not only some of the world’s finest students, but also a “virtual” audience of alumni and parents, watching via the Internet.
Lawrenceville, Mr. Murray said, “is preserved as a place of enduring beauty and strength because what we do here is important, it is important for the world. We practice a certain hope and optimism each and every day in our approach to educating and preparing our students to launch, to go out and make a difference.”
He spoke of nearly a dozen Lawrenceville alumni who have done exactly that, including educators, philanthropists, and a law enforcement officer — graduates “whose hearts and souls (were) so painstakingly developed and nurtured in this environment, so well prepared to take on the challenges they encounter.”
The headmaster also lauded the work of the school’s staff and faculty who, he said, perform their duties with “great care, love, and dedication.” This careful work, he noted, has been going on for more than two centuries and “the charge to us is to see that it endures for a very long time to come.”
He expressed his confidence that Lawrentians leave campus “recognizing the privilege of being associated with a great school untouched by cynicism, where good character matters deeply, where lessons learned around a Harkness table will guide you in life as you seek to make a difference.”
While Mr. Murray has only been on campus for a few months, he’s already made a tremendous impression. Ashley Lyu, co-president of Parents @ Lawrenceville, said she was confident that Mr. Murray will “inspire our children to become better adults” and said the headmaster has already connecting in a “real way” with the school community.
Jennifer Ridley Staikos, president of the Alumni Association, said she was confident Mr. Murray would continue to “set the stage for Lawrenceville to be at the forefront of independent school education.”
English teacher Champ Atlee welcomed Mr. Murray on behalf of the faculty, speaking about the importance of teachers. And student body President James Stevenson, donning a “Murray-esque” mustache, noted that the headmaster had already passed the test with students, having “survived” an outing on the school’s ropes course, a faculty hockey game, a bike ride across campus, and an evening with all of the senior boys.
Citing Mr. Murray’s “unwavering optimism and positivity,” James said he’s certain that Mr. Murray will be someone students “can look up to as a shining example of what it means to be a Lawrentian.”
