In the spring of 1922, three teachers, Mary Kent Wallace, Mary Austin Bogue and Mary Louise Rathvon—known affectionately as the "Three Marys" (pictured at right, c. 1940)—went on a mountain retreat. When they returned to Denver, they had plans to open their own school. 

By the fall, the Three Marys had secured thirteen faculty members, 82 students (including a few boys in the elementary grades!) and a mansion-turned-school-building at 933 Sherman Street in Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood. On September 18, 1922, the newly christened Kent School for Girls—named for founding principal Mary Kent Wallace—held its first day of classes.

One hundred years later—after three campuses, a merger with the all-boys Denver Country Day School, and countless other evolutions—we will celebrate the school's Centennial anniversary with a year of programs for the entire Kent Denver community. We aim not only to highlight school history, but also to connect our past with the decisions we are making today and the plans we are laying for the next 100 years of Kent Denver!

2022: A Year of Celebration

Starting with events for our student and family communities in the spring, we will:

• Spotlight our winter and spring athletes
• Gather in April for the Kent Denver Parents' Association Kentennial Auction
• Host the Centennial edition of our signature Ethics Day program with an April series of events focused on the Ethics of Equity
• Celebrate Commencement in June with our Centennial Class, the class of 2022

For alumni, 2022 will also feature opportunities to honor our school's past, present and future. We hope you'll join us for all the celebrations we have in the works, including:

• Thursday, January 27: Regional alumni reunion in Austin, TX featuring Director of Equity & Community Engagement Jason Mundy
• Sunday, February 6: Alumni event at the Tattered Cover Stanley Marketplace celebrating books and reading (bring your kids!)
• Thursday, February 24: Regional alumni reunion in Los Angeles
• Wednesday, April 13 (daytime): Recognition of our Centennial Distinguished Alum during the Ethics Day assembly
• Wednesday, April 13 (evening): Alumni event at Meow Wolf celebrating art and innovation on campus and in the city
• And much more to come!

100th Birthday Bash

Looking ahead to fall 2022, we are currently planning a 100th birthday bash for Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. Look for a save-the-date mailer and additional details in the coming months.

Centennial Publication

We will cap off the Centennial year with a special publication featuring historical materials from the school archives (check out highlights from the first school catalogue below!), plus stories and memorabilia from the entire Kent Denver community. If you would like to contribute to the content or share a memory or artifact from your personal archives, please contact Elyse Rudolph, Director of Alumni Relations & Special Events by email (erudolph@kentdenver.org) or phone (303-770-7660 ext. 228).

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Make sure to check our monthly Alumni Connection e-newsletter for additional event details and regular updates on our Centennial plans!
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A Peek Into the Archives

As part of our Centennial celebration, an archivist is bringing order to Kent Denver’s vast collection of historic materials. We’ll be highlighting images and stories from our collections throughout the year, starting with this peek at the Kent School's earliest promotional catalogue, where the Three Marys shared their philosophy of education, a philosophy that is still reflected in Kent Denver’s core values today.

"The Kent School is established to further the development of character, which it believes to be the ultimate purpose of a true education."

"It will stamp those who come under its influence with the generous qualities which admit them to a community with all who seek true cultivation and the fellowship of gentle service."

The founders promised to produce graduates capable of attending the best womens’ colleges in the East, but they also were committed to teaching subjects which “appeal more directly to the imagination and awaken an interest and a kinship with what is great and permanent and beautiful.”