Walden School was a private day school in Manhattan, New York City, founded by Margaret Naumburg. The school, operated from 1914 until 1988, when it merged with the New Lincoln School after it filed for bankruptcy in 1987. However, the merged school closed in 1991. Walden was known as an innovator in progressive education. Faculty were addressed by first names and students were given great leeway in determining their course of study. Located on Central Park West at 88th Street, the school was very popular with intellectual families from the Upper West Side and with families based in Greenwich Village.Douglas Martin, Walden School, At 73, Files for Bankruptcy, The New York Times, June 23, 1987Wolfgang Saxon, Planned Merger to Cut Costs For Two Private Day Schools, The New York Times, May 10, 1988 The Walden School was founded in 1914 by Margaret Naumburg, an educator who later became an art therapist.Margaret Naumburg, Walden School Founder, Dies, The New York Times, March 6, 1983 Claire Raphael Reis, a musician, was also involved.__NOTOC__
Naumburg, who had been exposed to the theories of John Dewey at Columbia University, embraced "individual transformation" as an education principle, encouraging creative expression and self-motivated learning.Daniel Schugurensky (2002), History of Education: Selected Moments of the 20th Century: 1914 – Margaret Naumburg promotes art therapy at Walden School, The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. Accessed September 24, 2010.Susan F. Semel and Alan R. Sadovnik, The Contemporary Small-School Movement: Lessons from the History of Progressive Education, Teachers College Record Throughout its history, the Walden School emphasized the visual and performing arts. Competition between students was minimized. No standardized exams were required for admission.
Walden's original building at Central Park West and 88th Street was demolished. However, Walden's adjacent building at 1 West 88th, now known as the Goodman Building after Walden alumnus and civil rights martyr Andrew Goodman, is now occupied by Trevor Day School.
Notable faculty Hans Maeder taught at Walden School and served as its interim head in the 1940s before leaving to start Stockbridge School in Massachusetts. Florence Cane taught art, sister of Margaret Naumburg Stanley Bosworth taught French, before going on to lead Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn
Notable alumni Neil Barsky (1958-), journalist Paul Freedman (1949-), historian Elmer Bernstein (1922–2004), jazz and film composer John Berry (1963–2016), musician and founding member of the Beastie Boys Matthew Broderick (1962–), actor Adam Clymer (1937–2018), journalist and author Michael Diamond (1965–), member of the Beastie Boys Helga Davis (1964-), multidisciplinary artist Jane Dudley (1912–2001), modern dancerAnna Kisselgoff, Jane Dudley, Modern Dancer And Teacher, Is Dead at 89, The New York Times. September 22, 2001 Yvette (Hardman) Edmondson (1915–2006) oceanographer and journal editor Peter Elias (1923–2001), professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT Joe Frank (1938-2018), radio performerMark Oppenheimer, The Last Days of Joe Frank, the Radio Legend Who Inspired Today's Audio Golden Age, Slate. January 19, 2018 Carol Gilligan (1936–), educational psychologist Leonard Gillman (1917-2009), pianist and mathematician Andrew Goodman (1943–1964), civil rights activist Alex Guarnaschelli (1972–), celebrity chef and television personality Steven Heller (1950–), design writer Peter Kivy (1934–2017), professor of musicology and philosophy at Rutgers University Saul Landau (1936–2013), documentary filmmaker, author, biographer of Fidel Castro Jeanne Lee (1939–2000), jazz singer Glenn Ligon (1960–), conceptual artist Kenneth Lonergan (1962–), playwright, film director Janet Margolin (1943–1993), theater, television and film actress Mike Nichols (1931–2014), film and theatre director, producer, actor and comedian Robert Paterson (1970–), composer Abigail Pogrebin (1965–), writer, journalist, podcast host Robin Pogrebin (1965–), reporter Margaret Purcell (1914–1991), composer Mark G. Raizen, physicist Judith L. Rapoport (1933–2026), child psychiatrist, scientist Simon Rosenberg (1963–), political activist and founder of New Democrat Network and the New Policy Institute Susan Rosenberg (1955–), activist Tony Saletan (1931–2025), American folksinger and musician Raphael Sbarge (1964–), actor Kyra Sedgwick (1965–), actor, producer, director Jonathan Steinberg (historian) (1934–2021), historian Jane Stern (1946–), food writer Edgar Tafel (1912–2011), architect Richard Teitelbaum (1939–2020), composer, keyboardist, and improvisor Barbara W. Tuchman (1912–1989), historian Horatio Weisfeld (1963-), writer, editor, publisher David Zwirner (1964–), contemporary art dealer
References Notes
Further reading Margaret Naumburg (1928), The Child and the World: Dialogues in Modern Education. New York: Harcourt Brace.
External links Margaret Naumburg and Florence Cane, student paper in Women's Intellectual Contributions to the Study of Mind and Society, Webster University