Welcome to the Haverford House System
For nearly a century and a half, The Haverford School has been a sanctuary where boys discover purpose, sharpen their intellect, and shape their character. However, the spirit of our School was forged long before our missions were formalized. It lived in the lives of men who modeled the very virtues we seek to instill today: perseverance, creativity, integrity, and selflessness.
Why the House System?
The House System is not merely an organizational structure; it is a living tribute to our “Founding Archetypes”. We have created these smaller communities of belonging to ensure that character is practiced, not just preached. By participating in your House, you are stepping into a lineage of greatness where:
• Mentorship flows across ages, connecting you with brothers of all years.
• Virtues are lived daily, guiding you toward a life of leadership and moral strength.
• Every boy is known, challenged, and supported, finding his true self within a smaller, dedicated community.
The Journey of a Haverford Boy
Our House program is designed to meet every boy where he is in his development, creating a clear path from his first steps on campus to his emergence as a leader.
The Forge (Pre-K – 1st Grade): Every young boy begins his journey here, in the “first fire” of Haverford. In these early years, the virtues are not yet separated; they exist together as one flame. Our youngest students are “Little Leaders” who carry a unified crest, learning that they possess all four virtues within them as they prepare for the journey ahead.
The Four Houses (2nd – 5th Grade): When a boy reaches 2nd grade, he steps forward from the Forge to discover the specific House that calls his name. From 2nd through 5th grade, students are sorted into Smith, Cassatt, Severinghaus, or Wilson. Here, they deepen their connection to a specific founding virtue while remaining part of the larger Haverford brotherhood.
Forging Our Future Together
By introducing the House program, we are not just looking back at our history—we are actively creating it. Each House is entrusted with a Latin motto and a sacred symbol: an Anchor, a Lantern, a Compass, and an Oak Tree. These are not just decorations; they are reminders that character is chosen, cultivated, and lived.
Every student begins their journey in The Forge, the symbolic first fire where all four virtues glow as one. As you move into your specific House, you carry an ember of that fire with you, adding your own story to the enduring narrative of Haverford.
“Four Houses. One Haverford.”
Through this guide, you will learn the lore, the legends, and the expectations of your House. You are now part of a brotherhood defined by many voices but one community—united in purpose and driven by virtue.
The Forge
Where All Four Virtues Begin
Virtue
All Four Virtues Together
Motto
Born of the Four, Ready for One
The Symbol
Unified Crest
The Anchor — perseverance
The Lantern — creativity
The Compass — integrity
The Oak — selflessness
Identity of The Forge
The boys of the Forge are beginners with boundless curiosity, open hearts, and emerging strengths. They are little leaders learning that big values show up in kindness, effort, honesty, imagination, and service. The Forge is a place of early discovery — a warm, welcoming fire that prepares young learners for the House journey ahead.
When boys leave the Forge and enter their House in 2nd grade, they do not leave the fire behind. They carry its ember forward — into the Anchors, Lanterns, Compasses, and Oaks that will guide them for the rest of their Haverford story.
The First Flame
In the greater mythos of the Four Houses, the Forge stands as the First Flame — the place where each virtue is introduced and each boy’s leadership story begins. Before a student carries the Anchor of Smith, raises the Lantern of Cassatt, follows the Compass of Severinghaus, or grows tall like the Oak of Wilson, he is first shaped in the warmth of the Forge.
Here, young boys are welcomed into the heart of the Haverford community. Their character begins to glow, shaped by belonging, guided learning, and the understanding that leadership is rooted in values, not age. The Forge is not tied to one founder, but to all of them, representing the shared ideals they embodied: courage, imagination, truth, and service.
In this way, the Forge becomes the place where little leaders first discover that big values are lived through everyday choices.
“The Four Metals”
In the lore of the Forge, the four House virtues are imagined as precious metals. Perseverance is iron — strong and enduring. Creativity is copper — bright and malleable. Integrity is silver — clear and true. Selflessness is gold — rare and generous.
The story tells that in the earliest days of Haverford, these metals did not exist apart. They were melted together in a single great furnace, forming a glowing alloy — powerful and pure. This alloy represents the early years of a boy’s life: a time when all virtues exist together, not yet separated into their individual strengths.
As boys grow, the Keeper of the Forge helps them notice which metal shines most brightly within them. When the time is right, the alloy separates gently — revealing the virtue they will carry into their House.
Thus the parable teaches:
Before a boy becomes one thing, he belongs to all things.
Before he leads others, he learns to live the values himself.
Before he joins a House, he is forged in unity.
The House of Creativity
Virtue
Creativity
Motto
Audere Est Facere — To do is to dare
The Symbol
The Lantern
Illumination — the spark of insight that turns uncertainty into possibility.
Guided Discovery — lighting the way for others, just as Cassatt’s ideas opened new paths across cities and communities. Creative Courage — moving boldly into the unknown with clarity and purpose.
Identity of Cassatt House
Cassatt boys are known for imagination, originality, and bold thinking. They seek solutions where others see obstacles. They experiment, invent, and illuminate new pathways for their peers. They live the School’s vision of cultivating boys who will leave Haverford with curiosity, initiative, and the wisdom to create what has never been before.
The Vision Maker
In the story of the Four Houses, Alexander Cassatt stands as the great illuminator—the one who brings light where others see only darkness. His life becomes the archetype of creative courage: the leader who imagines boldly and acts decisively. This spirit was nurtured not only through his own visionary pursuits, but also through his close relationship with his younger sister, the impressionist artist Mary Cassatt. As one of her earliest supporters, Alexander championed her artistic ambitions at a time when few did, recognizing the power of art to challenge, inspire, and reveal truth. It is this shared familial devotion to artistic expression that forms the foundation for the performing and visual arts woven into the heart of the Haverford curriculum.
As President of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Cassatt looked at a challenge others feared to confront: bridging Philadelphia and New York not by ferry or circuitous routes, but by tunneling deep beneath the Hudson River. Many declared it impossible. Cassatt envisioned a pathway glowing with potential. That vision ultimately led to the construction of Penn Station, an architectural masterpiece inspired by the majestic Roman Baths of Caracalla.
Closer to Haverford, Cassatt’s creativity shaped the community in transformative ways. He improved regional infrastructure, expanded and strengthened the Main Line rail system, and ensured that Haverford had its own dedicated station—providing a direct, reliable connection from Philadelphia to the School and its surrounding neighborhoods. This access not only opened Haverford to broader opportunity, but also embodied Cassatt’s belief in illumination through connection: bringing people, ideas, and communities together. His estate, Cheswold, stood as a testament to this vision—land cultivated by imagination and anchored by the pathways he helped create.
Thus, Cassatt becomes The Vision Maker, the one who lights the path forward and inspires others to follow.
“The Lantern in the Tunnel”
House legend tells of a meeting where engineers warned Cassatt that the riverbed tunnel was too dangerous, too dark, too uncertain. They listed risks, doubts, and reasons to walk away. Cassatt listened quietly, then placed a lantern in the center of the table. In the lore, he said only: “Darkness is not a barrier—it is an invitation.”
The simple act changed everything. The lantern became a symbol of the creative spark that transforms fear into vision. As workers began carving the first tunnel segments, they carried lanterns modeled after Cassatt’s. These lights were said to steady their courage and give shape to the unknown.
Thus the House’s founding virtue story teaches: Creativity is the light that reveals possibility—and the courage to act on it. To do is to dare.
The House of Integrity
Virtue Integrity
Motto
In Omnia Paratus — Ready for anything
The Symbol
The Compass
Moral Direction — the courage to choose the principled path, even when difficult.
Guidance and Leadership — reflecting how Severinghaus steered the School through change.
Readiness for the Unknown — honoring his international experience and openness to the broader world.
Identity of Severinghaus House
The boys of Severinghaus House are known for authenticity, steadiness, and a commitment to doing what is right even when no one is watching. They listen carefully, lead honorably, and act with purpose. They reflect Haverford’s vision: young men prepared—not just academically, but ethically—to navigate an ever-changing world with character and clarity.
The True North
Within the lore of the four Houses, Leslie R. Severinghaus is remembered as the leader who steered Haverford through eras of uncertainty with unwavering moral clarity. Serving as Head of School from 1942 to 1965—a period marked by war, reconstruction, and cultural change—he became the embodiment of integrity: the rare kind of leader whose compass never wavered from what was right.
Severinghaus was a scholar with a global heart. Before coming to Haverford, he taught English at Union Medical College in China, bringing an international perspective long before globalization became common. When he arrived at Haverford, he faced a school with deferred maintenance, strained budgets, and shifting societal expectations. Yet he met each challenge with calm, principled resolve. He balanced finances, modernized facilities, expanded global awareness, and—most importantly—pushed forward the integration of The Haverford School, ensuring the institution lived its values rather than merely speaking them.
In House lore, Severinghaus becomes The True North, the figure whose steady direction enables others to find their own. He stands as the model of quiet strength: not the loudest voice, but the clearest.
“The Compass in the Storm”
The Severinghaus legend tells of a night early in his headship when a severe storm struck the region, damaging roofs and facilities already weakened by time. Trustees worried. Faculty whispered. Students wondered if change would ever come.
Severinghaus, walking the campus with a lantern, found a broken weather vane on the ground, pointing in no particular direction. The lore says he picked it up, turned it in his hands, and quietly said, “Direction is not given by circumstance. It is chosen.” The next morning, he gathered the community and laid out a long-term plan: repairs, fiscal responsibility, academic innovation, and the promise of a stronger Haverford. It would take patience, clarity, and conviction—but he would lead them there.
Years later, as improvements took shape and the School grew stronger, students began to say that Severinghaus “held the compass when others saw only the storm.” This became the House’s founding virtue story: Integrity is choosing the right direction, even when the path is hard or unclear.
For those who live with integrity, the compass always points true.
The House of Perseverance
Virtue Perseverance
Motto
Fac Fortia Et Patere — Do brave deeds and endure
The Symbol
The Anchor
Stability in turbulent waters — just as Smith held firm through displacement, injury, and uncertainty.
Strength to hold others steady — reflecting Haverford’s commitment to relationships, support, and knowing each boy deeply.
Identity of Smith House
The boys of Smith House are known for steadiness, courage, and an unshakable spirit. They face setbacks with grit, support one another through difficulty, and forge deep bonds. They represent the School’s vision: boys who will leave Haverford with the initiative and resilience to serve, lead, and endure.
The Enduring Spirit
In the lore of Haverford’s Houses, George Smith ’67 stands as the embodiment of perseverance—the one who pushed forward when others would have stopped, who carried weight others could not bear. His story, rooted in the real challenges of his youth, rises beyond biography to become a symbol of resilience for every boy who enters Smith House.
Smith began at Ardmore Junior High School, overlooked and underestimated. When he transferred to Haverford, no one predicted he would rise. But rise he did—elected the first African American Class President, captain of the football team, and recipient of a scholarship to Lafayette College. When injury threatened to derail his dreams, he adapted with unwavering resolve, entering the United States Air Force. Over the course of 22 years, he became a decorated veteran and rose to the rank of Technical Sergeant.
In the House lore, Smith becomes more than an athlete or an airman—he becomes The Enduring Spirit, the one who proves that challenge is not a barrier but a forge. His life teaches that perseverance is more than surviving difficulty; it is transforming it.
“The Weight That Lifts”
In House legend, young Smith arrives at Haverford carrying a weight unseen by most—a weight of expectation, of transition, of proving oneself. At first, it slows him. But one day on the practice field, a coach hands him a literal anchor—heavy, rusted, meant to strengthen the team’s conditioning drill.
“You don’t run from weight,” the coach says. “You use it.”
Smith lifts it. He runs with it. And as he does, something shifts. The weight that once threatened to drag him down instead makes him stronger.
Years later, as injuries push him away from college athletics and into military service, the anchor appears again in the lore—not as a burden, but as a symbol. Each challenge becomes another weight he learns to lift, transforming adversity into strength.
Thus the Smith boys learn: Perseverance is not the absence of struggle; it is the will to rise through it.
The House of Selflessness
Virtue
Selflessness
Motto
Acta Non Verba — Actions, not words
The Symbol
The Oak Tree
Strength Through Service — The tree grows slow but strong, offering shade and shelter to others.
Enduring Legacy— Like Wilson’s financial and philosophical reforms, oaks last for generations.
Roots of Moral Education — Wilson planted the ideas that still nourish Haverford’s character program today.
Identity ofWilsonHouse
Wilson boys are known for their generosity, humility, and quiet leadership. They lift others before lifting themselves, strengthen community through service, and choose action over acclaim. They embody Haverford’s mission to prepare boys for lives of purpose and impact, guided by compassion and character.
The Selfless Steward
In the lore of the four Houses, Edwin M. Wilson emerges as the quiet hero—the one who served not for recognition or personal gain, but for the enduring good of the School. Serving from 1912 to 1937, Wilson arrived under an impossible mandate: he was hired with the expectation that he would close The Haverford School. Instead, he chose to save it.
His act was more than administrative defiance; it was an unwavering commitment to the belief that boys deserved a place to learn, to grow, and to build character. Through the darkest years of the Great Depression, Wilson raised an extraordinary $750,000, ensuring the School’s survival when institutions everywhere were collapsing. He restructured Haverford as a non-profit, stabilized its future, and established the concept of “moral education”—a philosophy still embedded in the School’s crest and reflections today.
In the House mythos, Wilson becomes The Selfless Steward, the one who roots himself in service so that others may stand tall. His legacy teaches that true leadership is measured not by accolades, but by sacrifice.
“The Tree That Would Not Fall”
House legend tells that when Wilson first arrived, many assumed Haverford’s days were numbered. Enrollment staggered. Funds dwindled. Buildings aged. The easy path—the expected one—was to close the School and move on.
But in the lore, Wilson walks the campus early one cold morning and stands before an ancient oak nearing the end of its life. Others see a decaying tree; Wilson sees its roots still gripping the earth, refusing to fall.
He touches the bark and says, “Where roots hold firm, life can rise again.”
That day becomes the symbol of his resolve. He begins raising funds—slowly, steadily, tirelessly. When the Great Depression hits, he works even harder. He gives of himself: his time, his reputation, his energy. And, like the oak holding the hillside, he anchors the School through the storm. In time, that tree becomes a symbol in the House’s founding parable: Selflessness is the strength that allows others to grow. A community thrives when one chooses to serve.
“Virtues Unite Us”
Leader: Perseverance?
Students: Rise!
Leader: Creativity?
Students: Shine!
Leader: Integrity?
Students: Choose right!
Leader: Selflessness?
Students: Serve!
All Together: Four Houses—One Haverford!
Cassatt House
Leader: Cassatt!
Students: Light the way!
Leader: Cassatt!
Students: Dare today!
All Together: To do is to dare!
Severinghaus House
Leader: Severinghaus!
Students: True North!
Leader: Courage to lead?
Students: Be brave!
All Together: Ready for anything!
Chants
“House Roll Call”
Leader: Smith!
Smith House: Hold Fast!
Leader: Cassatt!
Cassatt House: Light the Way!
Leader: Severinghaus!
Severinghaus House: True North!
Leader: Wilson!
Wilson House: Stand Tall!
All Together: Four Houses—One Haverford!
Smith House
Leader: Smith!
Students: Hold Fast!
Leader: Smith!
Students: Rise Strong!
All Together: Do brave deeds and endure!
Wilson House
Leader: Wilson!
Students: Stand tall!
Leader: Wilson!
Students: Serve all!
All Together: Actions, not words!
