George and Annemarie Roeper arrived in the United States in 1939, refugees from the Nazi regime in Germany. As educators, they aspired to a humanistic, ethical, and joyful “philosophy for life” that would nurture children to become discerning, humane, and engaged adults. On this site you can find the history of these two remarkable people and the school they founded, and you can explore their ideas on education, human nature, giftedness, morality, and our complicated, profound interconnectedness.
Explore the history of The Roeper School
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1963 Philosophy Seminar
Those who encounter George and Annemarie’s ideas about education have always been challenged to understand the meaning and implications of their philosophy. In 1963, the school faculty asked George to lead a seminar on the subject and, fortunately, he recorded it. In it, George, with his German phrasing, acknowledged that even though visitors to the …
Centenary Celebration of Annemarie Roeper
Annemarie Roeper was born in Vienna on August 27, 1918, and passed away on May 11, 2012, in Oakland, California. During the 2018-19 school year, Roeper celebrated the centenary of her birth. There was a commemorative calendar featuring images and quotations from her life; a panel discussion by those who had worked with her discussing …
Coventry Crest
The building we now call Hill House on the Bloomfield Hills campus was originally completed in 1929 as a family home by Alfred and Zillah Stephens. They named it Coventry Crest, to commemorate Zillah’s family’s origins in Coventry, England. The building remained in the Stephens’ family until 1946, when George and Annemarie Roeper purchased it …