In 1850, Frederick William Gunn, educator, prominent abolitionist, and outdoorsman, along with his wife, Abigail Brinsmade Gunn, founded their school on a hilltop in bucolic Washington, Connecticut. For more than 170 years, The Frederick Gunn School has flourished by standing squarely on the ideals of its founders: intellectual strength, moral courage, physical rigor and character. Today, there are reminders all around us of Mr. Gunn’s legacy. Most are not as tangible as a school building or a sepia-colored photograph but have shown to be even more lasting. Mr. Gunn’s philosophy of education, with its emphasis on character development, curiosity and independent thinking, remains relevant today. What was regarded as iconoclastic at the time has proven to be universal. Today’s graduates are not only prepared but eager to face the challenges of the 21st century and, like our founder, be a force for good.