Boston is home to the oldest existing school in the US. Founded on April 23, 1635, Boston Latin School is also the first public school. It is a public exam school and was attended by many prominent Bostonians, such as: Ben Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Richard Saltonstall Greenough, Sumner Redstone, Charles Bulfinch, Louis Farrakhan and Leonard Bernstein. A pretty impressive roster!Ninety-nine percent of the students attending now are accepted into colleges. The first school house, 375 years ago, resided on School Street and changed locations in Boston four times until settling at its current location on Avenue Louis Pasteur. -Leanne Burden Seidel

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  Augustine H. Folsom/Boston Public Library Collection

  1890: Boston Public Latin School (now Boston Latin School) is the oldest operating public school in America, founded April 23, 1635. The Rev. John Cotton was greatly responsible for the establishment of the school, where he sought to establish an American school that provided a classical education – one that taught both Greek and Latin. The school accepts students starting in seventh grade. This classroom shows boys in their first year.
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  Boston Globe Archive Photo

  April 17, 1950: It was a big job to feed hundreds of hungry boys in the Boston Latin School dining room.
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  Edward F. Carr /Globe Staff/Archive

  Jan. 15, 1961: Musicians of Boston Latin School stood near buses on Avenue Louis Pasteur before leaving for the inauguration parade of President John F. Kennedy. During the parade, they were applauded by President Kennedy on the reviewing stand as they played the Harvard University fight song, "Harvardiana."
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  Jack O'Connell/Globe Staff/Archive

  Nov. 18, 1964: The Thanksgiving football rivalry between Boston Latin and Boston English, which began in 1887, is legendary. This picture was taken a week before the 78th meeting when Boston Latin beat Boston English 24-22 before 16,000 fans at Harvard Stadium to give Latin the Boston City League championship and an undefeated season. Front row, from left: Charlie Takach, Mike Connolly, Gene Murphy, Bob Dowd, Steve Brown, Al Magliaro, Jack Scala, Ed McDonald, Jim Hatherly, and Gene Ferris. Back row, from left: Bill McDonald, Jack Burns, Charlie Leoney, Bob Allen, Paul Masi, Eric Grey, Bob Fallon, and Joe DeChellis.
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  Joseph Runci/Globe Staff/Archive

  Sept. 6, 1972: The Pledge of Allegiance was recited for the first time by girls at Boys Latin School, which became coeducational in 1972 due to a law stating that public schools could not discriminate on the basis of sex. Boston Latin had been predominately male-only since 1635. The school accepted 118 girls in 1972.
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  Broooks Kraft/Globe Archive Photo

  April 25, 1988: Boston Latin students Daniel J. Wood and Toni-Ann Peppe were interviewed by The Boston Globe about the high cost of proms in 1988, and a photo ran showing off some of the ’80s fashion trends.