http://www.boston.com/news/local/articl ... _of_favor/



Dummer name falls out of favor
By Kathy McCabe, Globe Staff | December 22, 2005

With his flowing locks and fancy waistcoat, Colonial-era Governor William H. Dummer would seem a bit eccentric on the leafy campus of the boarding school in Newbury named for him.

Now his name is also out of style at Governor Dummer Academy, the nation's oldest boarding school, which has stood on his former estate on Route 1 since its founding in 1763.

Trustees voted Dec. 3 to dump ''Dummer" from its name. Beginning in July, the school will be known simply as ''The Governor's Academy." The change, which outraged alumni when first proposed, aims to make the school more appealing, especially to 13-year-olds who don't fancy going to a school called ''Dummer."

''If you don't know us, we don't want the first thing you learn about is that we are 'Dummer,' " said Judith Klein, a school spokeswoman.

Governor Dummer Academy will remain the school's legal name, as it now appears on trusts, wills, estates, and other papers. In a nod to tradition, the phrase ''established in 1763 by Governor William Dummer," will appear on stationery and the school seal. ''We are not getting rid of him," Klein said.


But on everything else, including sports uniforms, signs and its website, where potential students troll for schools, the name will be The Governor's Academy. ''We're prioritizing which things to change first," Klein said.

Old Governor Dummer, an early 18th-century governor of Massachusetts who died in 1761, probably never thought his name would one day cause such a fuss. Then again, he hasn't been around to see his noble name become the butt of dumb jokes. (''The only school where you come out Dummer.")

''Dummer" has always been part of the school name, opening in 1763 as the Dumm'r Charity School, and later changing to Dummer Academy. Since the early 1930s, the high school has been known as Governor Dummer Academy. But those names now have gone the way of the waistcoat.

''I'm sorry to see his name go," said Nathaniel Dummer, 80, of Rowley, a family descendant who graduated from the school in 1944.

''I want what's best for the school, but I think Dummer is a very good name."

I think this is funny. GDA (although I suppose we can't use that abreviation anymore) is one of the most prestigious schools in new England (right up there with St Pauls, Andover, Phillips Exeter, Milton Academy, etc). I've been there for sports and it's an amazing campus. It's the oldest boarding school in the country and they have decided to change their name because they don't lik having the word "dummer" in it.

How mature and prestigious does that reflect on them as being?

That's just dumm.

I hope the Sargent P. Enis School Of Arts in Seattle doesn't follow suit.

http://www.gda.org/


The campus is nicer than some colleges.