The History of the ABC
From ABC Wiki
The Very Beginning
5pm on Tuesday 9th of June 1970: the first meeting of the British School Provisional Committee.
Attending were: Mr MA Wenner (British Ambassador – Chairman), Mr G O’Farrell (GRAMCO), Mr DF Martin (ITCA), Mr G Berry (British Council Lecturer), Mr J Lawton (Shell), Mr PE Collins and Mr A Jones (both of BOLAM). The original financial projection of setting up a school was done by Mr Lyon Sullivan. Attending in meetings during the year included Dr Alfredo Martinez Moreno, Mr J Nash (Shell), Mr R Zimmer and Dr Jaime Quesada (who drafted the legal documents for setting up the Foundation).
Monday 31st August 1970: at this meeting it was decided to name the school the Academia Británica Cuscatleca.
The many meetings held in these months concentrated on trying to find a location for the school, funds, a Headmaster and teachers. The American School Board, the German School, “Los Pinos” and others were approached to see if they would sell land, and finally it was decided to start the school at a leased house – “La Pilarica”, Calle El Progreso 3143, Colonia Avila.
Tuesday 20th October 1970: Mr Garry York contracted as first Headmaster.
23rd October 1970: Legal formation of the Fundación Escolar Britanico-Salvadoreña, drawn up by Alfredo Martinez Moreno and signed by the following:
Michael Alfred Wenner (British Ambassador), Arthur George Wynn Jones (Banker), Patrick Ernest Collis (Banker), John Frank Bennett Lawton (Businessman), Charles George Edmund Berry (University Professor), Dennis Frederick Martin (Technical Education Specialist), Walter Arthur Soundy (Farmer), Gerald Bertram Carr (Businessman), Sydney Martin Stadler (Businessman), Manuel Cano Guignot (Engineer), Roberto Antonio Parker (Engineer and Architect), Edgardo Suarez Contreras (Engineer).
Gerald Paul O’Farrell (Businessman) and Jaime Quesada (Lawyer) were not present but were included in the statues of formation.
December 1970: the original “Junta Directiva” of the Foundation:
Honorary Presidents: Minister of Education and the British Ambassador
Executive President: Mr MA Wenner Executive Vice-President: Mr D Martin First Director: Dr A Martinez Moreno Sindico: Dr J Quesada Treasurer: Mr A Jones Secretary: Mr G Berry Vocals: Mr G O’Farrell, Mr J Lawton, Ing R Parker
Monday 21st December 1970: Sra Concepcion de Arias introduced to the Board as the potential Assistant Headmistress and accepted.
1st February 1971: classes started at La Pilarica with 108 students and the following grades:
Preparatoria (Sra de Arias) 1st Grade (Mr York, Headmaster) 2nd Grade (Mrs York) 3rd Grade (Mrs Portillo)
Monday 26th January 1976: ABC started school on the new site in Santa Tecla.
Infants taught in two shifts to share facilities:
PreKinder and Kinder – 1st Shift (8 to 11) Prepa and 1st Grade – 2nd Shift (11 to 3)
August 1978 Mr Poppleton takes over as Headmaster.
1980 School suffers severe set-back with many students leaving due to the security situation.
1981 One school year fitted in between January and June to allow the Northern school calendar to be used, starting August 1981.
August 1983: new Headmaster Michael Cross.
1984 to 1987 PreKinder, Kinder, Prepa and 1st Grade taught at La Castilleja.
August 1986: new Headmaster Anthony J McGuiggan.
August 1992: new Headmaster Ralph Braund.
August 1999: new Headmaster George Hobson.
71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 148 303 407 464 532 583 648 662 665 671
81 81/82 82/83 83/84 84/85 85/86 86/87 87/88 88/89 89/90 90/91
679 714 846 888 936 1,012 1,046 1,176 1,197 1,245 1,244
91/92 92/93 93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01
1,194 1,196 1,198 1,198 1,159 1,115 1,129 1,082 1,096 1,101
01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10
1,084 1,161 1,198 1,264 1,295 1,339
List of Committee Members from the original Asociacion Anglo-Salvadoreña:
ASOCIACION ANGLO-SALVADOREÑA
HONORARY PRESIDENTS Lic. Walter Béneke Sr. Alfonso Quiñónez Sr. Mario Delponte Mr. Walter Soundy
GENERAL COMMITTEE
Ing. Edgardo Suárez Contreras Ing. Lino Oseguera Amb. Carlos Matamoros H.M. Ambassador Dr. Alfredo Martínez Moreno (without portfolio) Don Francisco de Sola Jr. (without portfolio) Ing. Roberto Parker Doña Amada de Sol Ing. Miguel Muyshondt Mr. Dennis Martin Mr. Sydney Stadler C.B.E. Dr. Galo Ernesto Martínez
COMMERCIAL COMMITTEE
Dr. Ricardo González Camacho Sr. Víctor de Sola Ing. Gustavo Cartagena Lic. Amílcar Martínez Arguera Mr. Victor Steiner Mr. Edgard Valenzuela Mr. Anthony Jones Mr. Eric Field Mr. William Caines Sr. Salvador Vairo Mr.. Gerald Carr Sr. Victor Keilhauer Sr. Carlos Avilés Mr. Rez Farrar Sr. Ramsey Moore Sr. Miguel Angel Salaverría Ing. Luis Andreu Sr. Valdemar Raun Mr. Emilio Loys Mr. Anthony Northrop Sr. Rubén Zeledón Ing. Roberto Simán
CULTURAL AND SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Dr. Guillermo Hidalgo Quehl Dr. Rolando Déneke Mrs. Helen Steiner Mr. Charles Safieh Dr. Adalberto Gómez Mira Mr. Roy Simmonds Padre Luis de Sebastian Mr. George Berry H.M. Consul Ing. Oscar Aguilar Sra. Celinda Hernández de Cañas Dr. Raúl Lara Mr. Jerome Mostyn Cont. Rigoberto Martínez Mrs. Brita Muyshondt
