Agnes Irwin is for the boys. After providing well over a century of girl-centered education, in accordance with Miss Irwin’s wishes, the discovery of her diary has brought the truth of the situation to light.
Its mission, according to a journal from the 1920s, was to foster brotherhood among the young men of Rosemont. AIS’s original location, the West Penn Seminary for Young Ladies, was intended to remain as a separate sister school in Philadelphia. A miscommunication regarding the newly acquired Rosemont deed, however, caused the seminary to relocate to the newly purchased land. The mix-up halted Miss Irwin’s plans to open a boy’s academy, one that would rival the increasingly crowded Haverford School. Thus, to honor its original purpose, AIS will undergo a rebrand for the fall term of 2025.
As the school year concludes, all campus operations will be dissolved and current students will relocate to Baldwin. Students are thrilled to expand their small community, one sophomore declaring, “I can’t wait to have more sisters”. However, faculty and elements of school culture will remain the same. As Mrs. Keidel assured concerned donors and alumnae, “AIS remains committed to the same mission it has always proclaimed: equipping the next generation to function as leaders. We swear, as Miss Irwin wished, ‘to empower every boy to learn, to lead, and to live a legacy.’”
Regardless of its evolving student makeup, AIS will retain the same character with which it has been a staple of the Main Line. The latest water bottle, be it a Stanley or Owala, will be compulsory for the new boys’ uniforms, along with jeeps and roller rabbits. Ring day will remain a tradition, and there is even discussion of an ode to the classic kilt in the works. The Wack has several representatives set to infiltrate the Agnes Irwin School for Boys in the fall, to ensure its beloved culture remains alive. We can’t wait to report to you all from our new location at Baldwin in the fall term, rocking the Blue and Silver!
