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AT OAK KNOLL, WE BELIEVE THAT EACH PERSON IS CREATED BY GOD FOR AN INTENDED PURPOSE. AN OAK KNOLL EDUCATION INSPIRES STUDENTS TO DISCOVER THAT PURPOSE AND MAKE A SIGNIFICANT, POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE WORLD.

OAK KNOLL PROMISE AND PURPOSE SINCE

1924

Constructed around 1877, the former Larned Estate was purchased by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus in June 1924. Members of the SHCJ and benefactors, including the early Oak Knoll parent community led by the Benziger and de Schauensee families, worked diligently over the summer to ensure the school would be ready to open on September 24, 1924, for 17 day and boarding students.

As we celebrate 100 years of excellence, it is with pride and joy that we reflect on the remarkable story of Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child. This milestone honors our storied past while embracing the promise of a bright and vibrant future as we step into our second century. Since our founding in 1924, Oak Knoll has been a beacon of educational excellence rooted in the mission of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. Guided by the seven Holy Child Goals, we have shaped the hearts and minds of generations.

Over the years, Oak Knoll has evolved to “meet the wants of the age,” staying true to our mission of providing a nurturing and empowering environment. Though our buildings and programs have transformed, our core values, sense of community, and commitment to academic excellence remain steadfast.

The spirit of Oak Knoll lives in all who enter our doors—students, faculty and staff, alumnae/i, and families—united by a shared dedication to learning, spiritual growth, and service to others. As we celebrate the first 100 years, we honor the rich history of our school, reflecting on the vision of Cornelia Connelly, founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, whose passion for education has shaped our ethos. We celebrate the achievements of our alumnae/i, whose contributions have fulfilled the motto of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, “Actions, Not Words,” by making a lasting impact on the world, inspired by the faculty and staff whose wisdom and care have profoundly influenced generations of students.

Looking to the future, we embrace innovation and adaptability. Our curriculum continues to evolve, incorporating cutting-edge technologies and fostering creativity, critical thinking, and global awareness. We prepare students to thrive in a rapidly changing world while cultivating a diverse and inclusive community where every individual is empowered to reach his or her full potential.

As we turn these pages, we invite you to join us in celebrating Oak Knoll’s enduring legacy while envisioning a future filled with possibility. Together, we celebrate the past, embrace the present, and look forward to the extraordinary chapters yet to be written in the story of Oak Knoll. Here’s to the next century of promise and purpose!

Jennifer G. Landis, Head of School

Although the school initially opened with just 17 day and boarding students, enrollment more than doubled within a year and continued to grow, paving the way for the transformative changes that would define Oak Knoll over the next century

The main building, once called the Convent, was renamed Grace Hall to honor Margaret Grace Kane, grandmother of Teresa Kane Cosgrove ’80, Linda Kane ’81, and Diane Kane ’82. The Kane family made a generous contribution as part of Oak Knoll’s “Spirit of Excellence” campaign.

Pictured is the Oak Knoll chapel, originally on Grace Hall’s second floor, later relocated during renovations and expansions that shaped the building over many years.

May 24, 1924: “Mr. Obens, who had been recommended as [a] contractor, appeared about 10:00 a.m. and proceeded to look over the premises, but as Saturday is only a half day for workmen, much progress could not be made. However, the plumber connected the water pipes in the kitchen and the pipes in one bathroom so that the house might be habitable.”

However, their most significant issue in the early days of living at Oak Knoll was connecting the house plumbing to the town’s sewer system. Though assured such connections existed, no one could confidently inform Rev. Mother Dalton about their location. From the journal:

May 26, 1924: “No such connections appear on the town plans, and as the house stands on solid rock, it would be a great expense to connect with the sewer on Blackburn Rd.”

Several intrepid women, attempting to establish whether and where sewer connections existed on the property, ran a solution of bluing and aniline dye from bathtubs and down through the pipes out to Prospect Street. Fortunately, the method worked. They found the estate’s sewer system and only had to connect the house’s pipes to it.

Whatever their frustrations, the Sisters also received great generosity, friendship, and enthusiastic support from local families who pledged their assistance.

The Benziger and de Schauensee families were early benefactors. Bernard Benziger and Anna Marie de Schauensee, siblings from a devout Catholic family, were publishers of Catholic books, daily missals, and other religious goods. Bernard’s wife, Adele Shanley Benziger, and some of her sisters attended the Holy Child School in Suffern. One of Adele’s sisters, Ruth Shanley Davis, later graduated from Oak Knoll. The two families were eager to see a Holy Child school established closer to their home and did whatever they could to help.

24, 1924.

A newspaper clipping reveals the Sisters’ 1924 purchase of the Larned Estate, preparing it with local support for Oak Knoll’s opening on September

Nanette, left, and Zita de Schauensee pose for a photo outside the old school building, located not far from where Connelly Hall stands today.

Both Mrs. de Schauensee and Mrs. Benziger provided meals for the Sisters as they worked to clean and renovate the house.

The Benzigers loaned their car and chauffeur, Sam, to take the Sisters wherever they needed to go, whether that was Mass, social engagements, or shopping.

Mrs. de Schauensee regularly drove the Sisters to catch trains or pick them up at the station. She also drove to the nursery for plants, brought flowers from her garden, and donated a clock for the fireplace mantel in the main hall. Both Mrs. de Schauensee and Mrs. Benziger provided meals for the Sisters as they worked to clean and renovate the house. The Benzigers loaned their car and chauffeur, Sam, to take the Sisters wherever they needed to go, whether that was Mass, social engagements, or shopping.

Other neighbors chipped in, too. The Finlays and the Bronsons often provided housing for visiting Sisters, as well as hot meals and occasional treats, like ice cream. A local dentist, Dr. Bowles, treated one of the Sisters, Sister Gerard, for a painful tooth and refused payment for his services.

“Nothing from the cloth,” reads a quote in the journal.

Dalton and Reverend Mother Mary del Carmen, SHCJ, from Suffern frequently visited Oak Knoll separately and together to oversee renovations, redecoration, and progress. Other regular callers included Sisters with extensive experience establishing schools, including Mother Mary Emmanuel and Mother Mary Gonzaga, who became Oak Knoll’s first prefect—as the principal was then known (the position of head of school would not be established for almost a half century). Mother Gonzaga had assisted in building the Academy of the Holy Child Jesus in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in the late 1800s when she traveled that state by wagon seeking pupils.

Though they hired a groundskeeper, Thomas, the Sisters’ days were filled with constant activity—cleaning inside the house and around the grounds, frequent trips to New York City to purchase furnishings for the house or school, or trips to and from Suffern for items for the chapel. On June 1, the school’s opening was announced at Mass at local churches, but the school still didn’t have a name. From the journal:

June 1, 1924: “The name Stonywold agreed on for the house had to be discarded as it was found to belong to a sanitarium. [They considered] . . . all possible variations on Oak Hill, Stone, and Wood, the features of the place. As all the more euphonic were already taken, ‘Oak Crest’ was decided on by Rev. Mother Provincial.”

Throughout the month of July, renovations continued in the house, particularly in the

G. Marston Haddock, Oak Knoll’s first male lay teacher, is pictured with the performers of a May 1944 production of The Bells of Corneville. He taught music and diction, while also directing the Glee Club and composing the school’s alma mater.

The main building, the first addition to the campus, was built on the foundation of the Larned stable, where Connelly Hall now stands. The 12-room building consisted of classrooms, as well as a lunchroom and gym. It would be demolished to make way for what would become Connelly Hall.

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boys were introduced to Oak Knoll, when and to which grades they were admitted changed throughout the years. In Oak Knoll’s first year, classes were limited to primary school (grades 1 and 2) and grammar school (grades 3 through 8) with the long-range plan of developing the Upper School slowly and organically. However, within a year, there were 41 students attending Oak Knoll schoolwide, and with the additional students came a need for more space.

The house, currently called Grace Hall, was used as the convent, chapel, and rooms for boarders. The first addition to the campus was the renovation of the stables, where Connelly Hall now stands. This became the “Main Building,” a 12-classroom building with a gym/ assembly room and a lunch room. Students in grades 1 and 2 went to class in the “Cottage,” across from Memorial Field. Decades later, in the 1950s, the Main Building was taken down to make way for the construction of Connelly Hall.

Unique school traditions started to take root. The start of the school year in September was celebrated with the Mass of the Holy Ghost. The first commencement was held on June 6, 1929. Oak Knoll’s first Upper School graduates were Sallie Stone, and Elizabeth and Margaret Daly. In addition, five graduates from the Lower School, which at that time extended to grade 8, were celebrated: Elizabeth Keith, Nanette de Schauensee, Geraldine Huisking, Elizabeth Kilpatrick, and Pauline McGrath. Keith and Kilpatrick graduated from Upper School in 1933. The graduation ceremonies were presided over by Newark Bishop Thomas J. Walsh. An Aloysian Sodality, a religious association, was formed in October 1930, and one of the highlights was a Mass and reception during the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 1930, when students were welcomed into the group.

Six students gather for a group photo, among these are future members of the class of 1937, including Mary Madden (back row, middle) and Virginia Berry (front row, left).

The initial three Upper School graduates represented other firsts for Oak Knoll that demonstrate how alumnae/i are so integral to its longevity. In 1931, while still a student at Rosemont College, Sallie Stone was elected as the first president of the Alumnae/i

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An early classroom scene, with students engaged in various activities. The image offers a snapshot of the experiences that served as the foundation of a century of learning at Oak Knoll.

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Association. Elizabeth Daly became the first alumna to return to her alma mater to pass along knowledge to the next generation, teaching French and English in 1934. Margaret Daly became the matriarch of the first legacy family, as her daughter Dale Cullen Julich graduated from Oak Knoll in 1950.

Around 1934, Adele Benziger Markey ’45, the eldest daughter of Bernard and Adele Benziger, started grade 1 at Oak Knoll. Markey’s mother drove her to school from their home in Short Hills each day. Later, she took the school bus, which Oak Knoll acquired in 1937. The bus picked up students along a route from South Orange, Maplewood, Short Hills, and Summit. However, the most memorable event for Adele during grade 1 was when she made her first communion in the spring.

“There were just four of us,” she recalls. “Mother Pierre prepared us thoroughly. It was very intense.”

The First Communion ceremony was held in the Chapel at the convent. Markey remembers it as a “holy and reverent experience.”

“The school was very simple and very, very small,” she says. “The nun was like God. What she said, you did. There were no questions asked.”

In 1937, a new bus debuted on campus to bring 21 students to campus from Maplewood, Short Hills, South Orange, and, of course, Summit.

Cornelia Connelly—Always a Presence, Even in Her Absence

THOUGH SHE NEVER set foot on the Oak Knoll campus, Cornelia Connelly is a presence there through her words and the example of her life—though difficult and complicated, it was devoted to God and the mission of educating children.

“The circumstances of Cornelia’s life weren’t as important as how she lived through them,” said Kathleen Lynch, former chair of the Theology Department and Upper School director of campus ministry.

The twists and turns of Cornelia’s life—most notably her marriage in 1831 to Pierce Connelly, an Episcopalian minister; her conversion to Catholicism in 1835; her husband’s decision to pursue, but ultimately abandon, a vocation in the Catholic priesthood and the impact that had on his family—provide evidence of her years of patient endurance. Cornelia exemplified the adage “Actions, Not Words.”

“She was able to turn a lot of the sufferings that she lived through into positives,” Ms. Lynch said. “I don’t think it’s accidental that she called her society the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. I think she was very sensitive to children and their real needs.”

Cornelia was born in Philadelphia in 1809 and died in 1879 at St. Leonards-on-Sea, England. Though her life was often filled with sorrow— two of her five children did not survive childhood—Cornelia’s dogged, ebullient faith enabled her to accomplish much. With little training, she established the Society of the Holy Child Jesus in Derby, England, in 1846. Trained primarily as teachers, its Sisters sought to value and respect every human being, a philosophy considered innovative.

Her vision was extraordinary. In 1862, Cornelia sent six Sisters from England to the United States, intending to expand the Society and build schools in her “own dear country.” Later, the Society of Holy Child Jesus Sisters expanded to Africa and South America and is currently represented on four continents. But it all goes back to one woman and her groundbreaking ideas about educating the whole child.

“At a time when women didn’t have much of a voice, [Cornelia] found and used her voice,” Ms. Lynch said. “She believed that each child should be free to discover the person they were meant to be.”

Though it would be founded

after her

nearly

century

death, the Society of the Holy Child Jesus founder Cornelia Connelly and her educational philosophy remain alive and well at Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child.