In 1974, the all-girls school Ferry Hall merged with the all boys school Lake Forest Academy, creating the coeducational school LFA students attend today. While losing its name, aspects of the girls’ school are still seen through Lake Forest Academy’s traditions, dorm names and values. Ferry Hall Day, an annual event to celebrate the history of the women of Ferry Hall, took place this year on September 22.
The celebration displayed the colors of Ferry Hall (yellow and white). The school encouraged students to wear the colors, and in return they got a Ferry Hall wrapped chocolate bar. Yellow and white cake pops and cookies were also free for students to enjoy in the Student Center.
Christina Quiroz ‘26 honors the girls school with her position as Ferry Hall Prefect. At morning meeting on September 22, Quiroz presented the history of Ferry Hall, informing the student body of the history behind the beloved traditions.
Ferry Hall was a trailblazer in female education. The school opened in 1869 and enrolled 66 students. Young women were given an education hard to find elsewhere. Instead of a finishing school, Ferry Hall provided uncommonly taught subjects for women, including mathematics and science, as well as a liberal arts education. The school had strict rules adhering to its Presbyterian influence, including limited visitation rules with men, mandatory chapel and rare opportunities to leave campus.
In 1918, Eloise Ruthven Tremain became the Headmistress of Ferry Hall, who Lake Forest Academy’s current Head of School Mr. Johnson referenced as a person who represents the “traits we aspire to have today.” Ferry Hall broke barriers of gender expectations and, under Tremain, gained legal and financial independence from their previous ties to Lake Forest College.
For one day each year, the community of Lake Forest Academy comes together, wears the colors of the girls’ school and has desserts in their honor. Ferry Hall is integrated into Lake Forest Academy’s traditions further with its beloved Move-Up Day — which ceremoniously has students move from the seating place of their grade to the next one, and the graduating class becomes alumni — coming from Ferry Hall. Wearing white dresses at graduation comes from Ferry Hall as well.
A prefect’s job every year is to honor and carry out the values of the girls’ school. This year, Quiroz took on the job that all the Ferry Hall prefects have done before her and helped plan the celebration. She worked with Dianys Padró Pagán (Quiroz’s advisor on Ferry Hall), Mr. Johnson and his spouse and Lake Forest Academy teacher – Mrs. Morrison – to make sure the day went smoothly.
Quiroz’s role was to give the students a comprehensive understanding of Ferry Hall and coordinate the celebration with the faculty. When the tradition of cake pops and cookies was suggested to be removed from the celebration, Quiroz advocated for the desserts to remain. She took the annual Ferry Hall Prefect-Head of School photo with Mr. Johnson.
According to Quiroz, the planning starts a few weeks in advance, using the second week of school to make sure everyone is aware of their duties in the celebration, and the week before to finalize timing.
When asked what Ferry Hall day meant to her, Quiroz responded by saying that it is a “special day to honor women,” but also a reminder that “every day is Ferry Hall Day.” She wants to leave behind a legacy where Ferry Hall is more than just one day of the school year. It is an honor to be the person who represents Ferry Hall and Quiroz is aware of it. She really enjoys the idea of a tight-knit community of girlhood, and in preparation for her job as the Ferry Hall Prefect, she read over the rich history of Ferry Hall and how it came to merge with LFA, shaping our school into what it is today – something she was aware of, but didn’t know how deeply connected the school was.
As Head of School, Johnson had the opportunity to meet with the last-ever class of Ferry Hall students at an alumna reunion. Johnson listened to their stories of their beloved school and was excited to hear that the alumnae have accepted the merging of the schools and are quite supportive of it.