Picture this: You walk into the school and pass the lobby, admission offices, and stairs, arriving at the gym. You come across a door that has a plaque that states: ENTRY TO ROOF. Something behind that sign catches your eye—something that the common passerby might not notice. Embedded into the door, painted on over the years, reads, BEULAH RIGGS ASCARELLI. You have just unlocked a key piece to Hewitt’s history—Beulah Riggs. 

In By Faith and Courage, written by Anita Edwards, Hewitt’s Director of Archives, you’ll find a comprehensive telling of Hewitt’s history. Edwards writes about some of the founding staff, one of whom is Mrs. Riggs, an English and Grammar teacher at Hewitt in the 1920s. In By Faith and Courage, Eileen Gillespie Slocum, Class of ‘34, says “‘I adored [Mrs. Riggs]. When I left school, Mrs. Riggs said I could have gone on to teach grammar anywhere. But then, we had a very, very good education. We read the classics– Chaucer, Milton, Dickens, Keats, and, of course, Shakespeare. And most importantly, a love of learning was instilled in all of us”(16).

Around 1941, Miss Hewitt stepped down as administrator and gave “daily care of the school” to Mrs. Riggs, along with Mrs. Comfort and Miss Mitchell. In 1949, Miss Hewitt wrote that while she had a smaller role in Hewitt classes, “‘the school is in fine shape under the guiding hands of Mrs. Comfort, Miss Mitchell, and Mrs. Riggs. It is a school of which we can all be very proud” (51). 

Riggs was one of the few faithful staff that continued to work at Hewitt during World War II. At the time, Hewitt’s classes took place on 79th between Park and Madison. It wasn’t until 1951 that Hewitt purchased and moved to the Stillman building where we are today.

During her time at Hewitt, Riggs founded The Venturer (now the yearbook) and The Sparklet (the school’s original newspaper). At the time of retirement, Riggs was the Head of Upper School. 

Riggs retired in the 1960s, but her legacy lives on. Edwards writes that Mrs. Riggs had “given immeasurably to the school as a teacher, counselor, and founding advisor of the school newspaper and the alumnae newsletter. She acted as a second mother to many girls– comforting, scolding, and encouraging. In her dual role as upper school head and college counselor, she initiated and frequently accompanied students on college visits; then, she followed their progress, writing them letters of congratulations or exhortation.” Riggs had such an impact on Hewitt that the school established a greenhouse dedicated to her.

Sadly, Riggs passed away on March 16th, 1979. The following day The New York Times published an obituary including the kind words of Hewitt’s Alumnae Association: “The Alumnae Association of the Hewitt School deeply regrets the death of our beloved friend and teacher for over 30 years.”

Writing this article, we found it interesting that even though we’re researching for a Hewitt Times article, we happen to be writing about the person who founded the first Hewitt newspaper, among many other contributions. 

We’re still left wondering why a door with an entryway to the roof is engraved with Riggs’ name. However, in doing this, we uncovered many pieces of interesting Hewitt history. Did you know that two members of the Royal Family attended Hewitt? More to come in the Hewitt Times (Sparklet) Historical Column. 

Leave a Reply