School Profile

John McDonogh (1779-1850) was born in Baltimore but lived most of his adult life in New Orleans, where he was a successful businessman. When he died, he bequeathed half of his enormous wealth to be used to establish “a School Farm on an Extensive scale, for the destitute, and the Poorest, of the Poor, Male Children and Youth.” The McDonogh School was founded on November 21, 1873, when 21 low income boys from Baltimore City arrived on the 835-acre campus, approximately 15 miles northwest of Baltimore's harbor, where they would live, work, and learn.  The first principal of the school, Col. William Allan, organized the boys into a semi-military program, and the school became a military, boarding, farm school for boys for most of the next century. Today, McDonogh is a PK-12, non-denominational, coeducational, college preparatory day school that also offers a five-day residential life option for Upper School students. John McDonogh’s Rules for Living, the McDonogh Character Compass, the school's diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the LifeReady Academic Plan guide current students to become resilient, lifelong learners of strong character. Distinguished Alumni: Pam Shriver (retired professional tennis player), Darrius Heyward-Bey (professional Football player), David Adkins (actor), John R. Bolton (politician), James McDaniel (actor), DaJuan Summer (professional basketball player), Jordan Leslie Sr. (retired NBA player), and Josh Woods (Chicago Bears, NFL football player).