The Birch Wathen Lenox School is a college preparatory K-12 school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Birch Wathen Lenox comprises approximately 500 students from all around New York City. The Birch Wathen Lenox School is one of 322 independent schools located in the city.
History Birch Wathen Lenox was created in 1991 through the merger of the Birch Wathen School (founded in 1921 by Louise Birch and Edith Wathen), and The Lenox School (founded in 1916 by Jessica Garretson Finch).
The Lenox School had been an all-girls school until 1974, when it went co-educational.
Between 1962 and 1989, Birch Wathen was located in the Herbert N. Straus House, an ornate French-style building at 9 East 71st Street across from the Frick Collection
Sports Birch Wathen Lenox fields teams in soccer, volleyball, swimming, basketball, baseball, cross country, track and field, golf, tennis, hockey, and robotics.
Athletic teams play under the auspices of the Independent Schools Athletic League (New York) or the Girls Independent School Athletic League, which are leagues in the NYSAISAA (New York State Association of Independent Schools Athletic Association).
The robotics team plays in the FIRST Robotics Competition, more commonly referred to as FRC.
Notable alumni
Kathy Acker, writer Josh Bekenstein, businessperson Joan Birman, mathematician Hope Cooke, last Queen of Sikkim Barbara Costikyan, food writer Joel Crothers (BW '58), actor Viola Essen, dancer Robert Gottlieb, president of Knopf Publishing. John Katzman, edupreneur, CEO of Noodle Alfred A Knopf, Jr., publisher Judith Krantz (BW '44), novelistRuark, Liz (February 13, 2001). "Person of the Week: Judith Krantz ". Wellesley College. Wendy Mogel, psychologist and author Murray Rothbard (BW '42), Founder of anarcho-capitalism Edwin Schlossberg, designer Mary Stolz (BW '36), novelistMary Stolz Biographical Sketch . Gardiner L. Tucker (BW '43), former director of IBM Research, Assistant Secretary of State, Assistant Secretary General of NATO Barbara Walters, journalist, writer, and media personality
References
External links Birch Wathen Lenox School website Birch Wathen Lenox School at Private School Review The Birch Wathen Lenox School listing in the Bunting & Lyon Blue Book Architectural essay on the midcentury BW building. Architectural essay on the midcentury Lenox building.