On March 1, 1962, delegates from the Independent Schools Education Board (ISEB) and the National Council of Independent Schools (NCIS) voted to establish an entity with the name National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). See a timeline of highlights, or read the articles below for more in-depth looks at NAIS's history.
History of NAIS, 1991-2001
August 6, 2006
This memoir of NAIS by former NAIS President Peter D. Relic recalls NAIS's move from Boston to DC and the association's expansion in the areas of government relations and public affairs.
My Years at NAIS: 1978-1991
July 6, 2006
This brief history of NAIS by its second president, John Esty, covers the association's enhanced presence in Washington, DC; NAIS's early commitment to diversity, and the development of the term "independent education."
NAIS at the Crossroads 1974-76
This history of NAIS between 1974 and 1976 outlines changes to the organization of the NAIS board and discussions about the association's purpose, structure, and services. It was written by Thomas Read, who served as a consultant to the NAIS board during this critical period in the organization's history.
NAIS: 25 or 62?
A feature of the 1987 annual conference of NAIS in Boston was the luncheon on February 26 to celebrate the founding of the organization 25 years earlier. 25 years? The record would certainly substantiate that on March 1, 1962, delegates from the Independent Schools Education Board (ISEB) and the National Council of Independent Schools (NCIS) voted at a meeting in New York to establish an entity with the name National Association of Independent Schools.