The Glen Mills Schools was founded in 1826, originally incorporated as the Philadelphia House of Refuge. The Philadelphia House of Refuge was the third school of its type in the country, following the New York House of Refuge in 1824 and the Boston House of Refuge in 1825.
In 1892, the school relocated to its current campus in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, on nearly eight hundred acres, and in 1911 changed its name to the Glen Mills Schools. Today, the Glen Mills Schools is the oldest existing school of its type in the United States, continuously providing services to troubled youth for the past one hundred and eighty-five years.
The Schools Board of Managers selected Cosimo D. Ferrainola as Executive Director in 1975 to implement his innovative program. Under his administration, the Schools grew from a student population of less than one hundred to an internationally known and respected educational program providing services to more than one thousand students. Cosimo D. Ferrainola retired from the school in November 2007.
On November 15, 2007 The Board of Managers appointed Garrison “Garry” D. Ipock, Jr. as the Schools’ Executive Director. Mr. Ipock, an employee of the Glen Mills Schools since 1971, served in a variety of positions including 11 years as Managing Director. Under his direction, our Sociological Model has been enhanced with the addition of evidence-based and other researched interventions allowing Glen Mills Schools to remain at the forefront of juvenile justice programs. He has also been instrumental in expanding our Community Based Services programs. This expansion included the addition of gender specific services to females in the community setting and week-end respite stays.
