Feature
The Citizen-Maker
PETER QUINN’S ENDURING LEGACY AT PEDDIE
Peter Quinn has often called Peddie “the most American of boarding schools.” It’s an observation that speaks to the soul of the institution he has led for 12 years and the philosophy guiding his leadership. Like America, Peddie is driven by reinvention, an insatiable push for improvement and an unwavering pursuit of its highest ideals.
“That restless, optimistic, youthful spirit has always been a defining attitude at Peddie,” Quinn reflected earlier this year from his office. Shelves of yearbooks chronicling more than a century lined the walls, while an Art Deco wood desk, a fixture of generations of heads of school, stood as a reminder of Peddie’s evolving story. With retirement on the horizon, Quinn spoke with both nostalgia and anticipation: “Peddie has always been this idea of beginning anew,” he said.
Quinn’s leadership embodies Peddie’s Latin motto, Finimus Pariter Renovamusque Labores: “We finish our labors to begin them anew.” More than a call to persistence, it’s a declaration that every day is a new beginning. As Quinn prepares to step down as Peddie’s 16th head of school in June, he leaves behind an enriched institution. Not just in its physical campus or academic programs, but in its fundamental understanding of purpose: to shape responsible, engaged citizens.
“You may think you want to apply to a school because it will get you into Harvard,” Quinn explained. “We don’t think that. We think you should apply to a school because it’s going to make you a great citizen.”
“That restless, optimistic, youthful spirit has always been a defining attitude at Peddie.”
Peter Quinn
A LEADER IN THREE ACTS
Quinn’s relationship with Peddie unfolded in what he called “three incarnations.” He arrived in 1985 as an English teacher and coach, drawn by a school that felt refreshingly unbound
by convention.
“I liked the openness of it, liked the lack of pretense,” Quinn recalled. Unlike other institutions that “took themselves way too seriously,” Peddie struck him as refreshingly different — not quite “Wild West,” as he put it, but with freedom that felt invigorating.
After a year at the Hackley School in New York, during which he and his then fiancé, Maryanne, were married, Quinn returned in 1988 as an assistant college counselor. When Head of School Ed Potter unexpectedly passed away that summer, Quinn worked under Interim Head Anne Seltzer. By 1991, new Head of School Tom DeGray recognized Quinn’s talents and tapped him to lead admissions, which would prove fortuitous as Peddie stood on the brink of transformation.
THE GIFT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
If Quinn’s vision for Peddie has centered on citizenship, it was Walter Annenberg ’27 who first articulated it as the school’s defining mission — and provided the resources to realize it.
In 1992, after reading an admissions report Quinn had prepared, Annenberg was struck by a troubling trend: Peddie was consistently losing top applicants to competitor schools. The discovery, Quinn recalled, struck Annenberg with a sense of urgency.
What began as a closely guarded conversation between Annenberg, DeGray and Seltzer (then director of development) evolved into one of the most transformative moments in the school’s history, resulting in a $100 million gift from Annenberg, announced on Father’s Day 1993, that monumentally reshaped Peddie’s trajectory.
Annenberg’s gift wasn’t just about resources — it was about a vision. With financial barriers lowered, Peddie could focus on shaping a student body defined beyond test scores. Quinn and his team developed a new admissions philosophy centered on “excitement, curiosity and character.”
“We didn’t want to be a place that only takes kids who are already perfect,” Quinn said. “That’s when we first began to focus with pride on Peddie’s transformational approach and success.”
Quinn remembered Annenberg’s message as clear and constant — one that he embraced wholeheartedly.
“Annenberg would often say, ‘The thing I learned at Peddie, which has guided me all my life, is to strive for the highest quality of citizenship. That’s why I’ve lived my life the way I have,’” Quinn said.
CITIZENSHIP AS THE NORTH STAR
Three years after the Annenberg gift, Quinn departed for a 17-year tenure as head of Wakefield School in Virginia. When the opportunity to return to Peddie as head of school arose in 2013, Quinn’s decision was driven not by career advancement, he said, but by his deep and abiding love for Peddie.
During his time as head of school, Quinn saw the opportunity to make citizenship more than just a guiding principle — he sought to integrate it deeply into Peddie’s culture. While many peer schools focused on rankings, prestige and accolades, Quinn doubled down on shaping students to be engaged, responsible citizens.
“Yes, we are this place with an innovative curriculum. We are this place with first-rate, consistent classroom teaching. Most importantly, we are this place that says it is our job to teach you to value the quality of citizenship.”
He added, “We’re making you good at all these things so that when you stand up and advocate for a responsible direction for your community, you know what you’re saying. And they listen to you.”
In his view, Peddie’s role isn’t to cultivate exclusivity: “We don’t sell elitism. We don’t sell intimidation. We sell inspiration.”
UNDER PETER QUINN’S LEADERSHIP SINCE 2013, PEDDIE HAS:
Implemented a comprehensive strategic plan.
Invested over $45 million in facilities.
Developed an award-winning robotics program.
Established formal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives.
Grown the endowment to $459 million.
Raised $106 million through the One Peddie campaign.
NAVIGATING CHALLENGES WITH RESILIENCE
Quinn’s tenure has not been without hardship. The sudden deaths of community members left lasting scars, and the COVID-19 pandemic tested the school’s resilience in ways no one could have anticipated.
“When we most needed to be together, we couldn’t be together,” he said, reflecting on the difficulty of navigating a socially distanced world while also confronting issues of racial and social justice in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd.
Through it all, under Quinn’s leadership, Peddie adapted with remarkable agility. In the midst of the global pandemic, faculty pivoted to remote instruction, employees shipped laptops and hotspots to students and, in his mind, the school emerged stronger. “We were incredibly agile and moved expeditiously to address the most material parts of the educational process,” he noted.
Quinn responded to the social justice moment by hiring a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion director and launching DEI programs focused on ensuring that everyone at Peddie feels ownership of their community.
In addition to overcoming crises, Quinn also adapted to long-term shifts, including in Peddie’s athletics program, which remains a priority for the school. “It’s a significant challenge that happened on my watch,” he acknowledged. “And that’s probably because we weren’t focused on hiring coaches the right way. We’ve also got a huge demographic shift. Our students aren’t playing the same sports they used to.”
A LEGACY SECURED
Reflecting on Quinn’s tenure, Board Chair Doug Davidson ’64 pointed to Peddie’s “remarkable strides during this period while remaining true to the school’s ideals and mission.” Under Quinn’s leadership, the school has seen many achievements, including a comprehensive strategic plan; the One Peddie Campaign, which raised $106 million, the most in Peddie’s history, and the addition of key facilities such as Kaye and Green Dorms, the Art Center expansion, and the Zhao and Li Family Fitness and Exercise Center.
“Peter has throughout demonstrated the judgment, demeanor, empathy and passionate dedication to Peddie’s mission and core values that one needs from a head of school,” said Davidson. “His strong moral compass and commitment to access and attaining the highest quality of citizenship have set an example for the entire Peddie community. We have been so very fortunate to have Peter as our head these past 12 years. Peddie simply could not have been better served. The ‘Quinn Era’ legacy is firmly a part of Peddie lore.”
THE NEXT CHAPTER
As Quinn approaches retirement, moments of reflection come and go. “Usually it’s a place,” he said. “And I remember what happened in that place.”
This way of remembering — through places rather than timelines — feels fitting for a leader whose legacy is woven into the very fabric of Peddie. It lives in the transformed campus, in the evolving school culture and in the countless students shaped by his vision for education. Quinn follows in the footsteps of his father, James H. McK. Quinn, who served as headmaster of The Episcopal Academy, and his grandfather, Rev. Albert H. Lucas, who led St. Alban’s School.
As he and his wife, Maryanne, prepare to return to Williamsburg, Virginia, their children are each forging their own paths — Andrew ’21 is studying for the CPA exam, Charlotte ’18 is pursuing her passion for working with horses and Lucas ’15 is preparing for the bar exam. As he prepares for life beyond Peddie, Quinn knows what he’ll miss most: “I’ll miss having a campus to call home. I love being on campus with a bunch of people who are all engaged in the same thing. And that won’t be true when I move off campus.”
Meanwhile, Peddie stands ready for its next chapter, carrying forward the work of shaping citizens — a task, true to the school’s motto, that is never truly finished but always beginning anew.
REFLECTIONS
“PQ is as much a symbol of Peddie as a falcon is. I remember what it was like being on campus and seeing him in Annenberg one day, then in pictures from China the next day. He was always doing everything he could to make Peddie the wonderful place that it is. I hope he has a well-earned and restful retirement.”
— Joseph Forbes ’24
“Peter’s support was never more evident or critical than during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we navigated uncharted territory together, his steady leadership, trust and willingness to make difficult decisions in the best interest of our students and staff meant everything.”
— Aimee Goodman
Director of Health Services
“While I think of Peter as having a strong committment to Peddie and an exceptionally admirable work ethic, what I think of most is his sense of humor and the fun we had in the admissions office under his guidance.”
— Elaine McClellan P’88 ’90 GP ’19 ’21 ’25
“I had the privilege to have Peter as a teacher, to know him in the admissions role, and to welcome him home as head of school as my son started his freshman year at Peddie. Thank you for everything.”
— John Coiro ’87
“Mr. Quinn was my English teacher and JV soccer coach (way back in the ’80s!) and formative to my experience at Peddie and my maturation through my teen years. I wish I had a better memory of my time then to share, but overall, he was the perfect role model (along with Mr. Hill) of everything I wanted to become as a young male entering college. Mr. Quinn exuded intellect that was ‘cool’ and epitomized the scholar athleticism I aspired to achieve.”
— Alex Golden ’89
“As an 8th grader in 1991, my seat was in the balcony at Geiger Reeves for the weekly community meeting. One day, Peter and Bill Hill grabbed me on my way in and gave me a black tap shoe. They said they would be doing a skit on stage, and at one point, they would say, ‘Well, where am I going to find a black tap shoe?’ and at that moment, they said I should stand up and yell, ‘I have a black tap shoe!’ Sure enough, the skit went off without a hitch, and I ran the shoe up to the stage to a room full of laughter and applause.”
— Brian DiFeo ’96
“Working with Peter was always an honor that came with many laughs, great kindness and good challenges. I hope and trust that he will always consider me his friend, and I wish him and his family every happiness in his richly deserved retirement!”
— Rosemary Gleeson
former Dean and Chaplain
“Peter and I have a fairly regular morning check-in about world events. Peter enjoys a political/historical conversation, and these conversations have sometimes helped me keep Peddie stresses in perspective. That said, Peter’s grace and patience when faced with the significant pressures of being head of school has been a hallmark of his leadership.”
— Catherine Rodrigue,
Associate Head of School