The Horae Scholasticae is the School’s oldest publication, having just celebrated its 160th anniversary in 2020. The first issue was published on June 1, 1860.
Originally the Horae Scholasticae was an all-encompassing publication, serving as the school newspaper, alumni communication, and literary magazine. In 1945, with the launch of The Pelican, the Horae Scholasticae began to change its focus, moving to a more literary magazine format.
The Horae Scholasticae is an important resource in understanding the early years of St. Paul’s School. Each issue contained school news, athletic schedules and recaps, club and society notes, student literary work, and alumni news. A section called “Nugalia” (Latin for “stuff”, “triffles” or “nonsense”), contained tidbits of news, both practical and humorous. Under its literary iteration, the Horae Scholasticae became a showcase for student prose, poetry, artwork, and photography.
Back issues of the Horae Scholasticae can be found in the SPS Archives, both in bound editions and as individual issues.
This spring we held the First Annual Horae Showdown, in which the SPS community voted on their favorite cover from sixteen issues chosen to represent the 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s, and 1990’s (see below). The winning cover is shown here, from May 1998, created by Soohyun Chang, Form of 1999.
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