The Kew-Forest School was founded in 1918 by Louis D. Marriott and Guy Hinman Catlin.  Their object, as expressed in one of their earliest brochures, was to establish “a country day school which has modern equipment, high standards of scholarship and discipline, and a sincere spirit of service.”  Kew-Forest opened its doors on September 25, 1918 to 50 pupils, all children of neighborhood residents.  By 1923, the enrollment was 172; in 2007, K-F had over 300 students from Forest Hills and 50 other communities in Queens, as well as eight areas of Long Island, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.



An International Student Body

Today, K-F’s student body is one of the most diverse and international to be found at any independent school in the country.  Sixty-two percent of our students are multi-lingual and have parents who were born outside of the United States.  In addition, our children boast ethnic roots in 65 different countries, spanning every continent (except Antarctica!).  They also have varied religious backgrounds, including Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and other faiths.



A Safe & Modern Environment

As student enrollment has grown, so have the school's buildings.  In 1918, K-F boasted “modern brick buildings of Georgian architecture, on two acres of ground.”  The current Upper School wing was added in 1921; the laboratory building in 1958; the gymnasium/auditorium in 1963; the Lower School wing, above the gymnasium, in 1967; and the Library wing (which includes the Main Rotunda, LibraTech Centers, and three classrooms) in 1979.

Steady, Consistent Leadership

Over the years, Kew-Forest has enjoyed unusual stability in its leadership.Mr. Marriott and Mr. Catlin continued as Headmasters until Mr. Catlin’s death in 1935. Mr. Marriott then carried on with the able assistance of Mrs. Lucy Allen Smart, who was Dean of Girls and Librarian. In 1941, The Kew-Forest School was incorporated as a non-profit organization; on July 1, 1942, complete ownership of the school’s property was acquired by the corporation.  A temporary charter was issued in 1941, and an absolute charter from the Education Department of the University of the State of New York was granted in 1946.