A Case Study of la Rose's Designs for Episcopal Preparatory Schools

The arms of The Episcopal Church designed by la Rose between 1939-1940.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Throughout the heraldic work of Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1872-1941) there exists many categories defining his corporate heraldry:  diocesan heraldry for the Episcopal Church, Roman Catholic diocesan and archdiocesan heraldry, heraldry for Roman Catholic religious communities, and scholastic heraldry to name but a few.  Within the category of scholastic heraldry there are multiple subcategories, and perhaps one of the smallest of those categories would be la Rose's corporate heraldry for Episcopal preparatory schools.

For this article, I will focus on three corporate coats la Rose designed for Episcopal preparatory schools found in New England, namely Lenox School, St. Paul's School, and St. George's School.  While this subcategory is rather small when compared to the overall volume of designs la Rose created within scholastic heraldry, these three coats showcase the brilliance of his methods and techniques for new corporate arms.  Moreover, I fully suspect there are more schools which fall into this category--especially Episcopal schools which have closed in the mid-to-late 1900s--and more research will be needed to uncover any additional arms.   

(1) Lenox School 

The arms of Lenox School.
Rendered by Lucas Hofmann, 2024.

Established in 1926, Lenox School was the visionary work of The Rev. George Gardiner Monks (1878-1978) to offer, "at moderate cost, a good secondary education with distinctly Christian emphasis" (Lenox School, 1933, 4).  By 1972, the school located in Lenox, Massachusetts would close due to a variety of enrollment and financial factors (Lenox School Alumni Association, 2014).  Between 1930-1931, la Rose was commissioned by Lenox School to create a seal and coat of arms.  

On Monday, November 10, 1930--the eve of the Feast of St. Martin of Tours--The Rev. Latta Griswold (1876-1931) delivered a sermon in Trinity Church, Lenox and offered this description for the school's newly adopted motto for the coat of arms:

"At their recent meeting the Headmaster and Trustees of Lenox School placed this school under the patronage of St. Martin of Tours.  A diligent search of the kalendar would fail to find a saint more fitting to be a patron of a school of the character and ideals of Lenox.  

"The Trustees adopted a motto and planned for a coat of arms.  The motto is the Latin version of part of the text chosen for this sermon [Matthew 20:28]--Non ministrare sed ministrare.  The Latin translation gives us a pleasant play upon words, for ministrare and ministrari, are spelled exactly the same...(Griswold, 1930, 1).  

According to Lenox School Alumni Association (2014), la Rose was asked to provide two sketches of designs for consideration.  Unfortunately, there is no data regarding the first sketch, but the second rendering was the adopted version seen above (Lenox School Alumni Association, 2014, 20).

Armorial flag or banner of arms of Lenox School.
Rendered by Lucas Hofmann, 2024.

For the arms of Lenox School, la Rose retained the use of an open, inscribed book bearing the Vulgate version of Matthew 20:28, and translated in the NRSV version as, "Just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many."

Arms of Lennox,
Image source: Wikipedia.

Because the Town of Lenox was named for His Grace Charles Lennox (1735-1806), 3rd Duke of Richmond and Lennox, la Rose would draw inspiration from the duke's arms (Lenox School Alumni Association, 2014, 20).  As a reference, the Lennox arms are blazoned: Argent a saltire engrailed Gules between four roses barbed and seeded proper.  

La Rose would use the cross saltire, though not its engrailed version, and render it in gold upon a black field between three roses.  To honor the patron saint of the school, St. Martin of Tours, la Rose placed a martin in chief.

The blazon for the Lenox School coat of arms: Sable, on a cross saltire an open book edged and inscribed NON MINISTRARI SED MINISTRARE between three roses barbed and seeded and in chief a martin all Or.

To read a recent update on the arms of Lenox School, please click here for "Behind the Scenes II: Restoring the Dignified Arms of Lenox School."

One limitation regarding the arms of Lenox School is that due to school's closure in 1972, the archives have been scattered, or even worse, lost altogether.  It has proven impossible to uncover either the initial design sketch la Rose proposed, or a colored emblazonment of the adopted version rendered by la Rose--there are several drawn examples which do not match la Rose's careful hand.  I am grateful for the Lenox School Alumni Association's ongoing work to collect, archive, and share the rich history of Lenox School.

(2) St. Paul's School

The arms of St. Paul's School.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

St. Paul's School, an Episcopal-affiliated preparatory school located in Concord, New Hampshire, opened its doors in 1856 (Heckscher, 1980).  By 1928, Ralph Adams Cram (1863-1942), the father of "collegiate gothic," was enlisted to renovate the school's chapel, and undoubtedly this commission would draft la Rose's heraldic skills for the school (Heckscher, 1980, 217-218).

Designed in 1931, la Rose would do something quite different for the arms of St. Paul's School (D. Parsi, personal communication, August 8, 2023).  We know la Rose's preference for using the book as a charge on scholastic arms, and I have numerous examples in my data of the book rendered as an open and inscribed charge; however, for St. Paul's arms, la Rose decidedly used a closed book.  The only other known coat by la Rose using a closed book for scholarship can be found in the arms of St. Scholastica College (now closed) which was located in Atchinson, Kansas.  It is likely, as in the case of Lenox School, that la Rose provided two sketches for the school's consideration but no other sketches could be found in the school's archive collections.     

Banner of arms of St. Paul's School.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The two swords in saltire are a clear reference to the school's patron and namesake.  Including the "pelican in her piety" charge in these arms represents the broad Anglican tradition of inclusion which the school embodies (Anderson, 1999, 81).  These arms are still used today by the school.

The arms for St. Paul's School is blazoned: "gules, two swords in saltire argent hilted or between in chief a pelican in her piety and in base a closed book of the last" (Anderson, 1999, 81).

(3) St. George's School

Arms of St. George's School.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

St. George's School is the third and final coat of arms designed by la Rose for Episcopal preparatory schools in New England, and perhaps my personal favorite within this subcategory.  Founded in 1896 by the The Rev. John Byron Diman (1863-1949), St. George's School was to be located in Middletown, Rhode Island and established as a preparatory school for boys (Taverner, 1987).  

The flag of arms of St. George's School
designed by la Rose.
Image is courtesy of the
Archives of St. George's School,
August 2023.

Interestingly enough, Diman would resign from St. George's and received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1917, where he would later become a professed monk in the Benedictine Order and establish the Portsmouth Priory School (now Portsmouth Abbey School) in Portsmouth, Rhode Island (Taverner, 1987, 63).  

According to Taverner (1987), Diman changed his name to Father Hugh Diman, and was deeply conflicted about opening a new school so close to St. George's but did so out of obedience to his vows (65).  La Rose would also design the arms for both Portsmouth Abbey and its school.     

Fortunately the archives of St. George's School has a bounty of information concerning the school's beautiful and simplistic arms.  Just as Cram was commissioned to work on the chapel at St. Paul's School, Cram was hired in 1924 to create a design for the chapel on the campus of St. George's School (Taverner, 1987).

Bottom portion of the "Chivalry Window" inside the chapel of St. George's School.  Image is courtesy of the Archives of St. George's School, August 2023.  Click image to enlarge.

La Rose provided two design sketches for St. George's School.  In St. George's design #1, la Rose proposed: Argent, on a sun Gules, an open book edged with two clasps Or thereon inscribed VERITAS.  This design is simple and elegant, but somehow missed the mark for the school, as they selected his second design for adoption.

St. George's Design #1 created by la Rose for St. George's School.  This design was not adopted by the school. Image is courtesy of the Archives of St. George's School, August 2023

For the adopted design, the arms of St. George's School is blazoned: "Lozengy sable and argent, a cross of St. George Gules" (St. George's Alumni Association, 1939, 9).  La Rose's second design combines two elements together in a striking way to clearly identify the owner of these corporate arms.  

Through the arms of St. George's School, we see how brilliantly la Rose used the lozengy as a play on diamonds and the surname Diman--the school's founder

The red cross of St. George is made clear for identification.  When combined on the field, the lozenges and red cross simply create a visual aesthetic unmatched by any other of la Rose's designs--especially when these arms are rendered as a flag.

Armorial flag or banner of arms of St. George's School.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Scholastic heraldry represents a major portion of la Rose's heraldic portfolio.  In the examples of his work for Lenox School, St. Paul's School, and St. George's School, la Rose used a different design technique for each coat of arms to create clear and simplistic arms for each school.  Moreover, we see how la Rose evolved regarding the use of his favorite charge for scholastic corporate coats--the open and inscribed book.  If Lenox School represents the traditional "la Rosian" approach for incorporating an open and inscribed book, then the arms of St. Paul's School illustrates la Rose's rare design for a closed book. 

Rendered by
Chad Krouse, 2024.

The arms of St. Paul's School represents one of two armorial designs containing a closed book devised la Rose.  While la Rose initially proposed an open and inscribed book for the arms of St. George's School, the adopted arms for the school would not have a book at all incorporated into the design--and thankfully so given the visual delight of the final design.  

La Rose's capacity for capturing the history and spirit of the institutions he rendered arms for is a testament to his deep knowledge of the art and science of heraldry.  While Lenox School is no more, the arms for St. Paul's School have now been in use for 92 years, and those of St. George's for 84 years.  That these important academic institutions still proudly bear these coats of arms designed by la Rose so long ago, underscores the power of perspicuous heraldry to survive in an age of branding and marketing.  There is no doubt that countless generations of alumni from all three schools proudly claim these arms of their alma maters.   

Works Cited

Anderson, C.B. (1999).  Letter from the rector.  In St. Paul's School [Ed.], Alumni Horae, vol. 79(2), pp. 80-81.

Diocese of Rhode Island. (1905).  Journal of proceedings of the one hundred and fifteenth session of the Rhode Island Episcopal Convention.  Snow & Farnham Printers. 

Griswold, L. (1930).  St. Martin: A sermon preached on the eve of St. Martin's day.  Lenox School.

Heckscher, A. (1980).  St. Paul's: The life of a New England school.  Charles Scribner's Sons.

Lenox School Alumni Association (2014).  A history of Lenox School and its campus [white paper #1].  Lenox School Alumni Association.  https://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/677191/25529740/1412806899563/White+Paper+updated.pdf?token=BCgLzIhtb158bd5xBEbnyfr9XoM%3D

Lenox School (1937).  Lenox School: Past, present, future.  Case, Lockwood, and Brainard Company.

Lenox School (1933).  Lenox School Catalog: 1933-1934.  Lenox School.

St. George's Alumni Association (1939).  The new school shield.  In H.F. Preston [Ed.], Alumni Bulletin, St. George's School, vol. 22(2), 9.

Taverner, G.Y. (1987).  St. George's School: A history 1896-1986.  St. George's School.

The Churchman (1905 May 27).  Rhode Island.  In The Churchman [Ed.], The Churchman, vol. 91(21), 809.