John A. Browning(1888–1920) Arthur Jones(1920–1948) Lyman B. Tobin(1948–1952) Charles W. Cook(1952–1988) Stephen M. Clement, III(1988–2016) John M. Botti( 2016 - Present)
The school was founded in 1888 by John A. Browning to instruct the Rockefeller brothers, includingPercy andJohn D. Rockefeller.[1][2] Arthur Jones succeeded Browning as headmaster, in 1920, moved the school from West 55th Street to its present location on East 62nd Street, and expanded extracurricular activities. Jones retired in 1948; Lyman B. Tobin, a Browning teacher for more than 30 years, became the school's third headmaster.
In 1952, upon Tobin's retirement, the school named teacher Charles W. Cook (class of 1938), as its fourth headmaster. Under his 36-year leadership, the Browning School expanded rapidly. After a lengthy fundraising drive, the school bought the adjoining carriage house and rebuilt it, and the new building opened in 1960. The school's expansion continued in 1967, with the building of a larger gymnasium on the roof and, in the late 1970s, with the acquisition of an interest in the building next door.
In 1988, Stephen M. Clement, III became Browning's fifth headmaster and served a tenure of 28 years. John M. Botti was appointed head of school in 2016. And currently still is.
Serving over 400 students, the school has more than doubled its size over 50 years. A new library, four new science laboratories, two new art studios, and additional classrooms were built in 2013.[3] In 2022, the school announced renovation plans to expand its upper school, renovating a former parking garage to house its new high school grades at 337 East 64th Street, a few blocks northeast from the main campus building. This renovation finished in the 2025-26 school year, a massive change for middle, lower, and upper school, but also for the school's history up-front.[4]
In 2021 Browning began publishingBuzzwords, a new digital magazine, designed to tell the school's story in a fresh and compelling way. Browning is a part of theInterschool. Per tradition, the school year commences and closes with an assembly inChrist Church United Methodist.[5][6]
Browning has a highly selective admissions process. There are approximately 25-34 boys per grade at the school, averaging about 32 per grade with a student-teacher ratio of 6:1.[7] A financial aid program ensures that the boys remain heterogeneous; as with many of its peer NYC schools. The school is private, functioning under a New York City non-profit statute enacted in the 1940s. The school is governed by a board of trustees and administered by a head of school.
The school is divided into three schools that serve boys from kindergarten through 12th grade. It has a rigorous academic curriculum, with the majority of graduates going onto enroll in college.[8]
The Middle school consists of fifth through 8th grades and is located at the 52 E 62nd Street location along with the Lower School. Middle school curriculum[10] expands upon the foundations from the Lower School:
English (Literature, Reading, Writing)
History (Ancient World, Atlantic World, American History)
The Upper School consists of high school, 9th-12th grades.[12] It is ranked as one of the top ten high schools for boys in the United States.[13] In 2024, the Upper School will open a newly constructed facility at 337 E 64th Street.[14] The campus expansion houses 13 new classrooms, four stories of offices, a library, cafeteria, gymnasium, and green roof and rear yard.[15]
Upper-level curriculum consists of:
English (Creative Writing, World Literature, American Literature)
History (European, United States, World History)
Mathematics (Geometry, Algebra, Calculus, Data Science)
Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
World Languages (Latin, French, Mandarin, Spanish, Greek).
Curriculum also includes specialty classes:
Fine Arts (Music, Studio art, Drama, Public Speaking),
Computer Science and Engineering (Computer Engineering, Data Science)
Health and Wellness (Health, Modern Masculinities)
Peer Leadership (12th grade students advising 9th grade students)
Social Impact (Community Involvement)
Browning Senior Class partners with Grassroots Grocery[16]
The Browning School partners with Daniel's Music Foundation[17][18]
Physical Education (either in-school PE classes or interscholastic team athletics).
Seniors also participate in a Senior Project.
The Upper School also offers a signature program called Certificates of Distinction[19] to students who pursue specific independent projects in one of four disciplines: engineering, data science, humanities, and fine arts. In April 2024, A Browning high school student created an AI algorithm that improved EMS accuracy in predicting what assistance 911 callers need.[20]
Graduates of the school often consider or enroll at variousIvy League and higher ed institutions.[21][22]
Browning teams compete in interscholastic soccer, cross country, basketball, squash, baseball, tennis, table tennis, golf, and track.[23] Interscholastic team sports are open to students in Grades Six through Grade Twelve in good academic standing. Interscholastic competition in basketball begins at Grade Six. There are also intramural opportunities at Browning in the fall, winter, and spring.
In anticipation of the fall and spring seasons, coaches provide preseason training to support boys in the honing of their game skills. Fall preseason camp takes place in theBerkshires at the end of August, and the spring camp is over break in Florida. The athletic department makes use of both facilities at school and those of New York City. The soccer and baseball teams practice at fields onRandall's Island. The track team makes use of Randall's Island andCentral Park.The school recently built a new gym for the basketball team to practice at. The tennis team practices and plays a number of its matches at theNational Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open, in Flushing, Queens as well asThe West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills. Golf team practices are held at the driving ranges onRandall's Island andChelsea Piers; matches are held at Mosholu.
^Currey, Josiah Seymour (April 27, 2017)."Harold Fowler McCormick".Chicago: Its History and its Builders. Vol. 4. Jazzybee Verlag.ISBN9783849648978. RetrievedFebruary 8, 2018.
