Peter G. Briggs, Third Head of Greenhill School, Passes Away

Peter G. Briggs, Greenhill's Head of School from 1992 - 2000, passed away on July 25, 2014 at the age of 77.
 
During Peter’s eight-year tenure he transformed Greenhill with programmatic changes, a larger endowment, and new facilities, raising the stature of the School in the Dallas community and nationally.
 
Thanks to years of experience in independent schools, Peter pushed Greenhill to reach new levels of success. During his time at the School, he created the office of the Director of Diversity, one of the first such offices among schools in the Southwest. He supported the implementation of the Cultural Arts Committee, which exposed students to world-renowned artists. He created a Technology Task Force consisting of faculty, parents and trustees that created the plan to increase technology access across campus, from an increased number of computers to campus-wide internet access.
 
During his tenure the School formally institutionalized the community service program by hiring a program director and adding a community service component to the curriculum at all grade levels. He also spent many fall afternoons coaching the seventh-grade boys football team, an activity that he loved. Peter’s favorite Greenhill holiday was Halloween and he started the tradition of dressing up and leading the Horribles parade.
 
Peter also worked closely with the Board of Trustees to improve the financial stability of the School through the sale of the land on which the Greenhill Park towers stand today. In 1985, the School had leased the land on the eastern side of the campus from Hornet Road to Spring Valley to Trammell Crow in an effort to create a source of long-term income for the endowment. As Peter negotiated the sale of the land lease in 1997, Greenhill sold the five acres of land on which the towers stood, but retained the acreage on the corner of Midway and Spring Valley where we are finishing work on our new athletic fields today. The sale of the land more than doubled Greenhill’s endowment, raising it to $17 million dollars at the time, and the annual yield increase helped to fund the School’s top-notch academic programs and faculty salaries.
 
Most visibly, Peter spearheaded the Reach for the Stars capital campaign that constructed the new Levy Middle School, the current Three Chimneys administration building, converted the former Middle School building into the current fine arts facility, renovated the Agnich Science Building, and created the Spring Valley entrance for the School. Later, he helped facilitate the building of the Phillips Family Athletic Center, and solidified the importance of athletics as the third leg of the triangle in Greenhill’s commitment to arts, academics and athletics.
 
Thanks to Peter Briggs’ stalwart leadership and eye to the future, Greenhill expanded and has thrived.
 
Peter is survived by his wife of 24 years, Maura, and their children and grandchildren. A private service is being held in Massachusetts where Peter and Maura lived. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Rockport, MA, Massachusetts General Hospital, or to the Cape Ann YMCA.
 
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 16, at 1:00 p.m. at the Bass Rocks Golf Club in Gloucester, MA. Condolences can be sent to Maura Briggs at 12 Old Nugent Farm Road, Gloucester, MA 01930.
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