ANDOVER — The Fourth of July dedication this year recognizes the critical relationship the Town of Andover and Proctor Academy have had since the school’s inception in 1848. From Proctor Academy’s earliest years as the “town academy,” the school and the Town have been inextricably tied. Over the past 177 years, Proctor and the Town have grown, morphed, and evolved, but the reliance of one entity on the other has never been greater than it is today.

For 80 of those 177 years, Proctor Academy has played a critical role in celebrating Andover’s Independence Day festivities by sharing its campus. Whether providing space for fireworks set-up, parade formation, spaces for vendors, golf carts loaned to help with parade organization, bands, book sales, parking, the ringing of the Maxwell Savage bell to kick off the parade, or fireworks viewing for thousands on Carr Field, Proctor’s campus becomes one with the Town’s celebration every Fourth of July.

Likewise, the Town of Andover serves as a critical partner for Proctor Academy as it educates its 385 students and employs more than 200 full-time individuals from Andover and surrounding towns. Whether it is AE/MS educating Proctor employees’ children, the Andover Police and Emergency Services responding to emergencies

on Proctor’s campus, Proctor’s leadership partnering with Select Board Members, an active Recreation Committee, Historical Society, Andover Community Hub and other volunteer organizations, and the services of talented local business owners, the vibrancy of the Town of Andover allows Proctor to thrive as a nonprofit independent school.

It is for all these reasons and many more that the Andover 2025 Independence Day is dedicated to the partnership of the Town of Andover and Proctor Academy. The Fourth of July Committee is very appreciative of the intersection of the Town of Andover and Proctor Academy, and how their relationship exemplifies community spirit!