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Berkshire School Archives: Trailblazers

Landing Page for the Berkshire School Arichives

Berkshire Founders, 1907

Founders, 1907
Mr. and Mrs. Buck founded Berkshire in 1907. Mrs. Buck was the first female board member in 1919.

First Known Asian Graduate, 1924

Jujun Saigo, 1924
Jujun, also known as John, traveled from Tokyo to Berkshire in 1921 for his junior year.

First Known Native American Graduates, 1996

Angela Charwood and Eugene Walters, Class of 1996
Angela Charwood '96 and Eugene Walters '96 were the first known Native American students to graduate from Berkshire. Berkshire welcomed Charwood and Walters as the first two students, followed by two more the following year.

First Graduate, 1908

First Graduate, 1908
Dows Dunham graduated from Berkshire in 1908

First Student Pilot & First Aviation Program, 1944

Jim Geier, 1944C
Geier was the first student to receive a pilot's license in Berkshire's aeronautical program Education with Wings, the first of its kind.

First Woman and Black Recipient, distinguished Alumni Award, 2014

Dr. Rhonda Bentley-Lewis, 2014
In 2014, Berkshire awarded Dr. Bentley-Lewis with the Distinguished Alumni Award, which is the highest award Berkshire confers to its alumni.

First Known LGBTQ Graduate, 1920

Lucius Beebe, 1920
Many credit Beebe with being the first gay man and celebrity to have a publically open relationship.

First Known Black Graduates, 1969

Joseph Dirl and Fred Williams, 1969
Joe and Fred were the first Black graduates from Berkshire in 1969.

First Woman Board Chair, 2014

Alice Ehrenclou Cole, Class of 1976
After fourteen years serving on the School's Board of Trustees, Alice Cole became the first woman chair in 2014, leading the school in its 107-year history.

First International Graduate, 1921

Joaquin Edwardo Bacardi, 1921
Bacardi, a native of Cuba, was the first international student to graduate from Berkshire.

First Female Graduate, 1971

Mary Jane Anderson, 1971
In the fall of 1969, after more than six decades as an all-male institution, Berkshire School admitted female students.