Head Master
School Head Master Biography
Elizabeth Duffy was appointed Head Master of The Lawrenceville School in 2003.
During her tenure, she has led comprehensive curriculum redesign and strategic planning efforts, introduced new student leadership, international travel and environmental sustainability programs, fostered an inclusive culture on campus, strengthened the School’s finances and operations, and completed a $218.5 million endowment campaign, in conjunction with the celebration of the School’s Bicentennial in 2010.
Lawrenceville’s 12th Head Master, Ms. Duffy graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University in 1988 with an A.B. in molecular biology. In 1993, she received an M.B.A. from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University and an A.M. in Administration and Policy Analysis from the School of Education. She is the co-author of two books: The Charitable Nonprofits (Jossey-Bass, 1994) and Crafting a Class: College Admissions and Financial Aid, 1955–1994 (Princeton University Press, 1997) as well as various articles on educational change, professional development, and student leadership.
Head Master Duffy came to Lawrenceville with an extensive background in the educational foundation world, having worked at the Ball Foundation, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Princeton University. She serves on the boards of many nonprofit organizations, including the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Cum Laude Society, International Schools Services, and the Center for the Study of Boys’ and Girls’ Lives at the University of Pennsylvania. She is president of the Eight Schools Association, an emerita trustee of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, a past trustee of Princeton University, and is the Secretary of the board of the National Association of Independent Schools.
Getting Personal with Liz Duffy—Reflections After 5 Years
The start of the 2008-09 School year marked Liz Duffy’s fifth anniversary as Head Master. Hired in 2003 after a distinguished career in the non-profit sector, Duffy’s tenure has been marked by an emphasis on international programs and environmental stewardship, a rigorous redesign of the curriculum, a comprehensive strategic planning effort, and the initiation of the School’s largest-ever endowment campaign. In the spring of 2008, Duffy reflected on her tenure. Some quotes follow.
On The Interview
My first interview for the Head Master position was in New York where 15 to 18 people were invited to talk to the search committee—which was mostly trustees and a few faculty members. That was an hour-long. Then they invited three people to come back to Lawrenceville for a day-and-a-half of interviews in which I met with larger groups…of everyone. Housemasters, department chairs, students, alumni, senior staff, more trustees, you name it. Then they invited two people back to give a presentation and answer questions from the Board of Trustees at their winter meeting. And then I got the call. I remember thinking that the whole process I went through must have been designed to test one’s stamina. It turned out to be good training.
Another thing I remember well about that interview process was having lunch with students and getting taken on a student-guided tour. They didn’t ask me any tough questions; instead they were largely anxious for me to understand what a great place Lawrenceville was. They had a genuine excitement about the School and they wanted to convey that to me.
On Faculty Mentors
After I was hired, I spent much of my first summer and fall sitting down and having one-on-one meetings with every faculty member. One of the questions I asked when I met with each of them was, “Who on the faculty do you listen to?” I was given a lot of names in response to that question, but two names surfaced more than others, mathematics masters Bill Graupner ’64 P’91 ’95 and Al Philpet. So I approached them after the first fall faculty meeting, introduced myself, and said, “All newly-hired faculty members get mentors, but as Head Master, I don’t. I was hoping that you could serve that role for me.” They did, and the two of them were just fabulous. Great sounding boards, good at giving me sound advice, and they both made sure I was aware of how my decisions were being perceived in the School community. No sugarcoating. No tiptoeing around issues. Just straightforward feedback. I can’t emphasize enough how very important it is for someone coming into a position like this to have a relationship like that.
On Finances
When I was hired, the board had just approved a financial equilibrium plan that called for us to increase our annual revenue, launch a capital campaign, reduce our expenses and change a few other financial policies. It served as a blueprint, actually, of what needed to be done my first couple of years as Head Master. I was a little surprised by the School’s finances when I came in. Lawrenceville offers a world-class education and it was surprising to discover that our resources—particularly our endowment—didn’t quite match up. We’re working on that, though!
On Alumni Stories
As Head Master I really enjoy the opportunity to travel around the world and talk to alumni and parents. I’m always impressed by just how much affection they have for this institution.
I go to a lot of alumni dinners, and originally I never really had much of an opportunity to eat at any of them. But then I discovered something. If I asked the people at the table which Lawrenceville master was the most memorable, it prompted all of these great stories. And just by going around the table, I could pretty much get to the dessert course before I had to say anything.
The stories are amazing. I met our oldest alum—at the time he was 104 years old—and he could still talk about the masters that mattered. In San Francisco I had the chance to meet an alumnus from the Class of 1937 at a Harkness dinner, and he regaled us with his memories of being at Lawrenceville when Harkness Tables were first being put in. He described having classes with desks in rows with the teacher, not only up front, but on a podium looking down, lecturing the class. And then he described coming back from a break to find the rows of desks replaced by a table to sit around for actual discussions. Quite an adjustment.
This year we have done a few coeducation events. Many alumni have great stories about the first coeducation year. Just the other night we had a few alums come back—both men and women—to talk about their coeducation experience. One male was trying to make the point that coeducation changed everything overnight. He said, something to the effect, “We even started taking showers.” That caught everyone’s attention.
On Lawrenceville’s Balance
I’m very proud of the fact that we have a very clear sense of who we are as an institution and where we want to head as an institution. First there are all the traditional strengths of Lawrenceville: the House system, Harkness teaching, the close relationship between students and faculty. At the same time we are teaching students to be responsible leaders through an emphasis on newer initiatives: international programs, environmental stewardship, and multicultural programs. We’re big enough and diverse enough given our size and location to offer challenging opportunities across the board, but there is also intimacy and warmth here. I’m proud that we strike that balance so well.