Rooted in History

The Roxbury Latin School was founded in 1645, in the reign of King Charles I, by the Reverend John Eliot, a church teacher, and later renowned as Apostle to the Indians and translator of the Bible into the Algonquin language. Eliot’s vision was “to fit [students] for public service both in church and commonwealth....”

Modeled on the English grammar school, the School was dedicated to giving instruction in the classics and producing Christian citizens. The goal of Christian citizenship was to be pursued by three means: an education in [Latin] literature, training in moral character, and lessons in religious or spiritual understanding. Eliot persuaded nearly every Roxbury landowner to underwrite the School’s costs. The first year, fewer than ten students attended, including Eliot’s own nine-year-old son.

Younger boys studied preparatory subjects — reading, writing, and arithmetic — while older students moved on to Latin grammar, a prerequisite for entrance to Harvard, the Massachusetts Bay colony’s only college.

"to fit [students] for public service both in church and commonwealth...."

—John Eliot

The School was open to all who wished to attend. Subsequently, Eliot convinced those founding families to defray tuition for students whose families could not afford donations, and later, the trustees granted free admission to all applicants from Roxbury. Today financial aid is decided solely on the basis of need instead of geography. Read more