RE LOG Fall 2024

FALL 2024 Ransom Everglades LOG 13 over what would be left behind and lost. Few doubted that the new, combined school would become a great institution of learning, and most understood that the move reflected the tenor of the times and, more practically, made sense financially. Many, however, fretted about losing the distinct identities and traditions that had made the Everglades and Ransom schools so special separately. And much of that concern emanated from the girls and women at Everglades, who, even today, hold tightly to their memories and work to ensure the Everglades legacy continues. Wendell Graham ’74 , now the Director of Inclusion and Community Engagement at Ransom Everglades, lived through that tumultuous era as a student, and his current role provides a close-up view of the present. Despite some resistance and many challenges, Graham said, coeducation brought a truly fruitful merger – a merger that preserved the best from both institutions. He still sees the influence of the Ransom School and Everglades School for Girls on both campuses at RE, even 50 years later. “I see that we have kept aspects of both schools,” he said. “You see it in the hallways. You see it in the color scheme. You see it in the artifacts that have been retained. Both schools have been very important. You see it in the goals and standards and literature that is put out. Clearly both schools saw each other as valuable. They were both great schools separately and they are tremendous schools now together.” Merger became one school FIFTY YEARS OF CO-EDUCATION Portraits by Suzanne Kores, photos from RE Archives