Curtin Prize

Eighty-seven years after his death, students continue to reap the rewards of John A. Curtin. According to the school guidance department’s webpage, Curtin, a Brookline selectman and School Committee member, gave the school money with which to reward students for their writing on “the veils of materialism.”

The prize was originally awarded to a student for writting an essay on a topic proposed by a faculty member during an one hour exam period. The strucure of the prize was changed by Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator Gary Shiffman in 2010 to be awarded to best open ended research paper by class. This change encouraged more students to try, as well as engaging them in the research process.