From Cookson & Persell's `Preparing For Power: America's Elite Boarding Schools'--Conclusion

In their 1985 book, Preparing For Power: America's Elite Boarding Schools, Peter W. Cookson Jr. and Cardine Hodges Persell wrote the following about the U.S. power elite's private school and elite prep school educational system and indicated how elite prep school graduates have, historically, generally lived in exclusive U.S. neighborhoods; and have, historically, undemocratically monopolized—in disproportionate numbers--the most lucrative and powerful executive positions within the U.S. business, media, political and foundation world:

“…In the period between 1962-72, 70 percent of the grooms whose wedding announcements appeared in the New York Times were from private schools. Of those grooms that were listed in the Social Register, 20 percent were from St. Paul’s alone; 8 percent were from Exeter, and 6 percent were old Grotonians. A private school, and particularly a prep school, education appears to be still important in establishing social pedigrees…

“…In some exclusive neighborhoods in New York, Boston, and Washington, preps could be said to have achieved a critical mass, insulating themselves against outsiders through high prices and high taxes. Preps are particularly fond of Connecticut suburban areas such as Darien, Greenwich, and New Canaan. In fact, Connecticut is probably the prep state…

“…Do the interpersonal relationships of preppies become interorganizational and institutional, linking corporate boards, banks, industries, government cabinets, and philanthropic organizations?...Michael Useem’s study (…1984)…found that 13 elite boarding schools [Andover, Choate, Deerfield, Exeter, Groton, Hill, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville, Milton, St. George’s, St. Mark’s St. Paul’s, and Taft] educated 10 percent of the members of the boards of large American business organizations. Considering that these 13 schools enroll fewer than 1 percent of the population, 10 percent is striking. Even more so is the fact that 17 percent of those who become directors of two large companies (rather than just one) attended one of the thirteen elite boarding schools, as did 15 percent of those who are directors of 3 or more large companies…

“Select 16 boarding schools provide a `booster shot’ for success. Nearly half of the senior corporate managers who achieved the high corporate position…had prep school or social register backgrounds…There is considerable impressionistic evidence to suggest that substantial numbers of boarding school graduates enter banking…In a period of economic scarcity and contraction, we might expect the prep experience to become relatively more important, as those already holding power try to cling to what they have…”