Thaddeus Stevens was born in Danville, Vermont in 1792 and attended the Peacham Academy until his entrance to Dartmouth College. 

Stevens overcame physical disability and an impoverished youth, and went on to become a powerful Representative in the US Congress. He was known as a fierce advocate of equality for all: rich or poor, black or white, Christian or Jew. He argued against the Fugitive Slave Act both in Congress and in the Court. During Reconstruction, Stevens advocated for the voting rights of freed slaves and equality for all. Stevens was a primary author of the 14th Amendment, known today as the Civil Rights Amendment. Over 20,000 people attended his funeral in 1868.

The legacy of Thaddeus Stevens inspires the School’s deep commitment to civil and human rights that permeates the School’s beliefs about education, its curriculum, its behavioral policies, and its community of parents, students, teachers, and friends.

In keeping with the legacy of its namesake, a deep commitment to civil and human rights permeates the School’s curriculum, its behavioral policies, and its community of parents, students, teachers, and friends. 

The School fosters citizenship awareness and cultivates respect for the voices that reflect the diversity found in the Northeast Kingdom, the nation, and the globe. The School uses Orientation Week to introduce the values that guide behavioral expectations. Small group discussions focus on issues of bullying, stereotyping, and prejudice to help students recognize harmful behavior and to offer ways to eliminate it.