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1975 Yearbook Cover

The GDS Founding Story

In 1945, a group of courageous parents in Washington, DC came together with a revolutionary idea: to open a school where children of all races, religions, and backgrounds could learn side by side. At a time when segregation was the law, they envisioned something radically different—a community rooted in equity, intellectual freedom, and shared humanity.

That idea became Georgetown Day School—the first integrated school in the District of Columbia, and one of the first in the nation. With just seven students gathered in a small house on G Place, NW, the school’s founding families set out to build something bold: an institution that would prepare young people not just for college, but for a life of purpose and justice.

The image shows two young women standing in front of a building with the name "Georgetown" displayed on it.

 

Visionaries at the Helm

The founders of GDS were civil rights leaders, educators, and advocates for social change. They believed education could be a powerful force for equity—and that students should grow up learning not only how to think critically, but how to act ethically. From the very beginning, GDS was as committed to community and character as it was to academic rigor.

Edith Nash
Edith Nash

1961-1975

When founding parent Edith Nash succeeded Head Aggie O’Neil in 1961, she drew on her intimate knowledge of GDS’s formative years, led with a fierce moral conviction, and leaned into her plain-spoken style.

 

Read More about Edith Nash
The image shows an older man in a suit playing a guitar while a younger woman stands next to him, both appearing to be engaged in a musical performance.
Philleo Nash

GDS Board Chair, 1945-1952

Not every school gets to claim a founder who faced a direct attack from Senator Joseph McCarthy. But Philleo Nash was the first member of President Truman's White House staff to be branded a communist by the infamous Wisconsin lawmaker.

 

Read More about Philleo Nash
Gladys Stern
Gladys Stern

1975-1996

By the time Gladys Stern concluded her 21-year run as Head of School, she was inextricably linked to GDS’s identity and a defining force in the DC independent school arena. A deeply committed educator, Gladys launched the High School and cemented the institution’s reputation as an academic powerhouse.

 

Read More about Gladys Stern
Peter Branch
Peter Branch

1996-2010

During his 14 years as Head of School, Peter Branch upgraded GDS’s facilities to match its distinguished stature and doubled down on its commitment to diversity.

 

Read More about Peter Branch
A man in a suit and tie leans on a table in front of a blurred background of bookshelves.
Russell Shaw

2010-2026

In the summer of 2010, GDS officially welcomed Russell Shaw as its fifth Head of School—and the intellectual curiosity, warmth, and energy that made him stand out during the search process quickly became familiar to the entire community.

 

Read More about Russell Shaw

Our History through Buildings

Georgetown Day School has occupied eight addresses—none of them in Georgetown. While several of the School’s founders lived in the neighborhood and expected GDS to settle there, the "Georgetown" in our name remains one place we’ve never actually called home. Throughout its 80-year history, the School continuously sought the ideal environment to sustain its learning community.

A crowded indoor space with people standing in line, surrounded by brick walls and various plants.
1945

The Rowhouse Roots
13th Street and G Place NW

The School’s first home was a small rowhouse in what is now known as Chinatown. 

 

A crowded indoor space with people standing in line, surrounded by brick walls and various plants.
1946-1956

The Grasslands Era
4001 Nebraska Avenue, NW

At the beloved Grasslands campus, GDS was housed in a rambling federal-style mansion set on 10 wooded acres.

4530 MacArthur Boulevard (LMS) - 1965-present (owned)
1965-June 2020

LMS Home for 55 Years
4530 MacArthur Boulevard

Under the second Head of School, Edith Nash, GDS broke ground on the campus it would own for the next 55 years. 

5005 MacArthur Boulevard - 1956-1965 (owned)
1956-1965

Owners at Last!
5005 MacArthur Boulevard, NW

GDS purchased its first building at the corner of MacArthur and Chain Bridge Road, close to parks and the Potomac River. 

 

4200 Davenport Street (HS) - 1986-present (owned)
1970-2020

The Great High School Migration

While the Lower Middle School remained at 4530 MacArthur Boulevard until 2020, the High School occupied a series of unconventional sites as it grew.

A large, well-maintained baseball field surrounded by lush greenery and buildings in the background, with a clear blue sky overhead.
2020

The Unified Campus
4200 Davenport Street, NW

The dream of a unified PK–12 campus was realized with the One GDS campaign.

 

Celebrating 80 Years

 

Eighty years later, Georgetown Day School continues to live out that founding promise. We honor the trailblazers who started it all, the educators who shape our students each day, and the generations of graduates who carry GDS values into the world. 

GDS Founding Charter, October 1945

Washington needs, and we are trying to provide, a school which:

  • Provides the best in modern education at a price government workers can afford.
  • Has an educational program that makes full use of Washington's resources and potentialities.
  • Is international and interracial in its outlook and membership.

To attain this goal, Georgetown Day School is building a curriculum that begins with thorough proficiency in the fundamental skills of reading, writing, computations and spelling, but goes on to a study of the home, the community, the nation, and the community of nations. 

At the same time, the school is building up a faculty and student body which is broadly representative of the many racial, cultural, and national groups which make up the Washington community.

The children in the Georgetown Day School should and do work hard to become proficient in fundamental skills, but they do it in a warm and friendly atmosphere which is as free of strain as the staff can make it. In a world in which cooperation and flexibility of approach are increasingly more necessary and difficult, we believe that children should begin as early as possible to learn about their relationships to the wider world of community and nation.