Gilman School is an all-boys independent, day, college preparatory school located in the Roland Park neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. There are three school divisions: Lower School, grades pre-kindergarten through four; Middle School, grades five through eight; and Upper School, grades nine through twelve. Founded in 1897 as the Country School for Boys, it was the first country day school in the US. It is named for Daniel Coit Gilman, the first president of Johns Hopkins University and an early supporter of efforts by Anne Galbraith Carey to form an all-boys day school.
Gilman enrolls approximately 1,400 students, ranging from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade, under the instruction of 146 faculty members. It is a member of the Association of Independent Maryland Schools and the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History Gilman was founded as the Country School for Boys by Baltimore resident Anne Galbraith Carey, with assistance from Daniel Coit Gilman (1831–1908), the first president of Johns Hopkins University (1876–1908). The school opened its doors on September 30, 1897, in the old "Homewood" Mansion off North Charles Street. (The mansion, now known as the Homewood Museum, was constructed in 1800 in Georgian-Federal style architecture, for Charles Carroll Jr. (1775–1825), also known as Charles Carroll of Homewood, son of Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737–1832), last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence.) By 1910, Johns Hopkins began moving its campus north from its former downtown location along North Howard Street in the neighborhood of Mount Vernon-Belvedere to the newly named Homewood campus. In that year, the Country School moved to its current campus further north in the city, in north Roland Park along Roland Avenue, just south of Belvedere Avenue (and the future Northern Parkway). Here was begun one of the first planned suburban developments in America by the new Roland Park Company in 1891. At that time the institution changed its name to "The Gilman Country School for Boys", in honor of the seminal figure in its founding, Dr. Gilman. In 1951, "Country" was dropped from the name.
Gilman has two sister schools: Bryn Mawr School, across Northern Parkway from Gilman to the north, and Roland Park Country School, across Roland Avenue to the west. All three schools coordinate some Upper School (grades 9–12) classes to the extent that some classes have students from all three schools.
Academics The school has three divisions: Lower School (pre-kindergarten through grade five), Middle School (grades six through eight) and Upper School (grades nine through twelve). At the Upper School level, students are required to take courses in history, mathematics, English, science, and a foreign language each semester; an intramural or interscholastic sport each season; and a minimum of art and music instruction over four years. Students must also fulfill a community service requirement and may choose to participate in a range of extracurricular activities. Gilman's Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program was ranked #100 in Niche’s 2027 nationwide survey of US high schools.
A number of courses permit cross-registration by students from two neighboring girls' schools: Bryn Mawr and Roland Park Country School. In turn, Gilman students, primarily seniors, are able to enroll in equivalent courses at these sister schools. Starting junior year, students are allowed to take necessary classes like English and other subjects at the sister schools. The school offers numerous courses, several through the tri-school collaboration. Cross-registration also allows for a variety of languages to be offered, which currently include French, Spanish, Latin, Ancient Greek, Chinese, Russian, and Arabic.
Athletics Gilman enjoys a tradition of athletic success. Since the year 2000, 12 Gilman varsity teams have won at least one conference championship. Overall, the school sponsors 16 sports; most teams have varsity and junior varsity programs, while some have fresh-soph and/or middle school squads.
Gilman is perhaps best known for its success in swimming, lacrosse and tennis. The football team has won 13 Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) "A" Conference championships in the last 20 seasons. The 2002 team finished 10–0 and was ranked 14th in the United States by USA Today's Super 25 high school football poll. That team featured the Associated Press's Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year in quarterback Ambrose Wooden and lineman Victor Abiamiri. Both players went on to star at Notre Dame, and Abiamiri played five seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles. The 2005 team was ranked 12th in the nation in USA Today's Super 25 high school football poll.
The lacrosse team was ranked the #1 high school team in the United States by LaxPower at the conclusion of both the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The team has captured 16 MSA & MIAA "A" conference titles. The lacrosse program has produced many stars in college lacrosse.
Former top-50 professional tennis player Steve Krulevitz was the varsity tennis head coach at the school, where he led the team to a 12th-place finish at the high school national championships in Kentucky, and a 16th-place finish at the 2016 National Invitational Boys High School Team Tennis Tournament, in Newport Beach, California. He also led the team to eight consecutive A Conference titles in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association.
During the 2005–06 school year, six Gilman varsity squads (football, golf, ice hockey, squash, tennis & track and field) won conference titles. In 2008–09, the volleyball team won its first MIAA title, while the squash and swimming teams also won conference championships.
Gilman's biggest rival is the McDonogh School, located in suburban Owings Mills. A football game between the two schools has taken place every fall since 1914. Gilman leads this series, 61-41-5, including a win in the 100th game in 2015.
Interscholastic programs
Fall offerings Cross country Football Soccer Volleyball Water polo
Winter offerings Basketball Ice hockey Indoor track Squash Swimming Wrestling
Spring offerings Baseball Golf Lacrosse Tennis Track and field
Championship seasons Gilman's varsity athletic teams have won over 120 championships since 1940, including 41 conference titles since the MIAA was formed in 1994. The school currently competes in the association's highest grouping, or "A" conference, in every sport except for ice hockey.
SportMSA titlesMIAA conference titles Baseball 1976, 1990, 1993 1996, 2010, 2021 Basketball 1950, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1965, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1980 2004, 2005, 2012 (*B conference championship) Cross country 1980 1996, 1997 (split)Gilman's Web site indicates 1) a split cross country title in 1995 where the MIAA shows none , and 2) a Tennis title in 1999, which the MIAA dates to 1998 . For lack of a corroborating source, the association's records are treated as more authoritative here, but this could be an error. Football 1940, 1941, 1966, 1967, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976 (split), 1986 (split), 1987 (split), 1990 (split) 1994 (split), 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 (split), 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 (Split), 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 (split), 2015 Golf 1974 (split), 1977 (split), 1979, 1987, 1990, 1991 1995, 1998, 2006, 2007, 2008 Ice Hockey 2004, 2006, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2023 Indoor Track 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018 Lacrosse 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1956, 1970 (split), 1973, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1994 1995, 1998, 2000, 2009, 2011 Soccer 1971, 1972 2001 (*B conference), 2010 Squash 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Swimming B conference: 1979, 1981, 1984 B conference: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Tennis 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1976, 1978 (split), 1982 (split), 1983, 1986, 1991 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024 Track and field 1978, 1985 1996, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2021, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 Volleyball 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2024 Water polo 2000, 2007, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 Wrestling 1953, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1984 (split), 19902024, 2025
Awards
Gilman confers over 50 awards at the upper school level for achievement in academics, athletics, student leadership, and extracurricular activities. Most prizes are bestowed on seniors; a smaller number are granted to underclassmen by design or as circumstances warrant. The majority are given on Awards Day, held each year in late May, while a handful of the highest honors are withheld until Founders Day, the day of Gilman's commencement ceremonies. The William A. Fisher Medallion is accorded to a junior or senior "who has rendered the highest service that can be rendered the School by leadership based on the influence of character." The William S. Thomas Scholarship Prize consists of seven awards: six given to the top scholar of grades 8 to 12 and one for the valedictorian, as determined by academic achievement over the course of four years. The William Cabell Bruce Jr. Athletic Prize honors the upper school student "most conspicuous for general proficiency in athletic sports and exercises over a two-year period". The Daniel Baker Jr. Memorial is awarded to the senior who "through thoughtfulness and by reason of his character, has contributed to the general welfare of his fellow men". The Edward Fenimore Award recognizes the senior who has best exemplified the characteristics of "courage, determination, perseverance, and accomplishment". The Peter Parrott Blanchard Award is given to the upper school student who "by his cheerful helpfulness ... has greatly contributed to the successful and pleasant life in the School." The Redmond C. S. Finney Award celebrates the student who has distinguished himself "through his dedication to and practice of those human values necessary to eliminate racism, prejudice, and intolerance". The Daniel C. Ammidon Award recognizes students in grades 6–12 for their "outstanding citizenship and commitment to the Gilman Community."
Leadership HeadmasterDates of service Frederick Winsor 1897–1900 Roland J. Mulford 1900–1903 Samuel W. Kinney 1903–1909 Edwin B. King 1909–1912 Frank W. Pine 1912–1919 L. Wardlaw Miles 1919–1926 E. Boyd Morrow 1926–1943 Henry H. Callard 1943–1963 Ludlow H. Baldwin 1963–1968 Redmond C. S. Finney 1968–1992 Archibald R. Montgomery IV 1992–2001 Jon C. McGill 2001–2007 John E. Schmick 2007–2013 Henry P. A. Smyth 2013–presentPresident, Board of TrusteesDates of service William A. Fisher 1897–1900 Francis M. Jencks 1900–1907 Joseph S. Ames 1907–1912 John M. T. Finney 1912–1942 Charles S. Garland 1943–1949 Edward K. Dunn Sr. 1949–1956 Richard W. Emory 1956–1965 I. Ridgeway Trimble 1965–1969 Owen Daly II 1969–1975 William J. McCarthy 1975–1980 J. Richard Thomas 1980–1985 George E. Thomsen 1985–1990 George B. Hess 1990–1994 James S. Riepe 1994–1998 Stephen T. Scott 1998–2002 Raymond L. Bank 2002–2006 Charles C. Fenwick Jr. 2006–2010 Paul F. McBride 2010–2014 Scott A. Wieler 2014–2018 Mark R. Fetting 2018–2022 Andy M. Brooks 2022–present
Notable alumni
Victor Abiamiri, defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles (National Football League) John P. Angelos, executive vice president of the Baltimore Orioles Thomas Booker, defensive end who played college football at Stanford University and won Super Bowl LIX with the Philadelphia Eagles Ryan Boyle, Professional Lacrosse Hall of Fame and National Lacrosse Hall of Fame attackman in the National Lacrosse League and Major League Lacrosse Daniel Brewster, U.S. senator from Maryland C. Justin Brown, criminal defense attorney representing Adnan Syed, subject of the first season of the podcast Serial