A Letter from Board Chair Doug Davidson

September 26, 2024

Dear Peddie Community, 

It is with great excitement that I announce James A. Hamilton as Peddie’s 17th Head of School. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously on the appointment at a special meeting last week; Jim will begin his headship on July 1, 2025, as Peddie enters its 162nd year.

Currently the Head of School of Berwick Academy in Maine, Jim is an exceptional school leader who has spent his entire career in independent schools. Prior to taking the lead at Berwick in 2018, Jim was the Associate Head for External Affairs at Brooks School in Massachusetts and the Director of Admission at St. George’s School in Rhode Island. He began his independent school career at Brooks, where his first role was Director of Financial Aid and Associate Director of Admission for six years. In addition to his leadership roles, he has taught English; coached basketball, baseball and football; and served as an advisor and dorm parent.

A lifelong New Englander, Jim attended The Roxbury Latin School in Boston before earning degrees from Amherst College (B.A., English) and Wesleyan University (M.A., Liberal Studies).

Jim could not be a better educator to lead Peddie in its next chapter. The search committee and the Board of Trustees are convinced that his strong and steady leadership, his vision for Peddie’s future and his genuine warmth and care for others will make him a successful and admired leader in the best traditions of his predecessors.

Jim’s commitment to service and citizenship is clear in his work and in his volunteerism. His service to the schools he attended includes the Board of Trustees of Roxbury Latin and as a class agent at Amherst. Well known in the independent school community, Jim is a member (and chair-elect) of the Board of Trustees of the Enrollment Management Association and serves on the Board of Directors of The Music Hall in Portsmouth, N.H.

Jim will move to campus this summer with his wife, Lucy. The couple has three children, ages 17, 19 and 23.

When the Board of Trustees began its search for a new Head of School last winter, we knew that finding a successor for Peter Quinn and his decades of experience at Peddie would be a momentous challenge. We also knew that every transition is an opportunity for a school to look far into its future and dream about all it wants for its students, alumni, employees and community.

I am deeply grateful to the members of the search committee whose effort, commitment, and diligence over many hours have been extraordinary. Throughout this process, they have been laser-focused on selecting, with objectivity and impartiality, the individual who will best lead Peddie consistent with its culture, mission, and future goals.

During the next nine months, Peter will work with his usual care and attention to keep Peddie, as our school song says, “Steady old Peddie.”  Meanwhile, a transition committee will begin helping Jim prepare for Peddie to begin anew under his leadership.

You can read more about the transition, including a letter from Jim, on our transition web page at peddie.org/transition.

Gratefully,

Doug Davidson ’64

Chair, Peddie Board of Trustees