About
A One Hundred Year Tradition of Excellence
We are thrilled to be celebrating 100 years of Palm Beach Day’s rich and vibrant history. While Henry Flagler was making Palm Beach an opulent paradise at the turn of the century, the sunshine, ocean waters and social life continued to draw the wealthy families from the Midwest and the Northeast who traveled south with trunks of clothes, tennis racquets, golf clubs, and books.
In 1921, forward-thinking educators founded both a boys school and a girls school to serve the families during the season, the time between Thanksgiving and George Washington’s birthday. Ten years later in 1931, understanding the need for a co-educational school, a small group of philanthropic parents, whose names are associated with the growth of the town, founded the Palm Beach Private School, merging the Palm Beach School for Boys and the Palm Beach School for Girls. With exemplary leadership and financial support, this original Board of Trustees led the school through the Depression and World War II, eventually turning over ownership of the school to the families who attended the school. In the succeeding decades, the school responded to social, cultural, and economic changes by lengthening the school year, adding electives, expanding and upgrading the Palm Beach campus and eventually merging with the Academy of the Palm Beaches to accommodate an expanding student body. Through this history of change, the tradition of academic, athletic, and artistic excellence has remained the same.
Special thanks to PBDA’s Centennial Committee:
Missy Robinson Savage ’83 - Co-Chair
Barbara Bayless Close ‘67 - Co-Chair
Christina Matthews Macfarland ’98
Anne Metzger
Lyanne Azqueta ‘84
Jim Gramentine
Caroline Koons Forrest ’92
Fanning Hearon
Grant Mashek ’95
Fritz Van Der Grift ‘03
Meghan Monteiro
The Future of Palm Beach Day Academy
With a recently renovated and expanded Lower Campus on Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach and our historic Upper Campus on Seaview Avenue, PBDA is now home to 460 students and 100 faculty and staff - a 15% increase in enrollment over the course of the past year. None of this would be possible without the support of our current families and alumni who continue to promote the institution to friends and colleagues near and far.
Over our 100 years as a staple in the Palm Beach community, our mission-focused programming, strategic leadership, generous financial support from our constituency, one-of-a-kind location have allowed us to not only survive, but thrive. As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, we reflect on our past, enjoy our present and look ahead to the future. We look forward to taking you along for the ride over this next year and beyond, and reconnecting with all people who have created our amazing history including alumni, teachers, parents, and friends.
How to Get Involved
Centennial Events
Learn more about our year-long Centennial celebrations and how you can join in on the festivities.
Submit a Story
Contact us at [email protected] with any stories, artifacts, or information on fellow classmates.
Update Alumni Contact
Stay updated the latest news from PBDA or share your own news with us using our Alumni contact update form.