"I remember sitting here in July of 1976 and it was sort of quiet here and thinking 'What am I supposed to do? How do I do this?' " Ball, 64, said in a recent interview.
Ball figured it out. Until he retired last week, Ball led Penn Charter for three decades through a changing educational landscape that included making the school coeducational, increasing the racial and economic diversity of the student body, and expanding the role of the arts. In the process, Ball, who had been one of the youngest people ever named to head such a prominent K-12 school, became a respected leader and a quiet force in Quaker schools and in private education in this region and beyond.
"Earl Ball is a senior statesman in the industry and highly regarded," said Patrick Bassett, president of the National Association of Independent Schools in Washington. "He knows the kids, knows the community, knows the alumni, and is beloved by the community. . . . We wish we could clone him."
Students, colleagues, faculty and parents described Ball as a thoughtful, kind and patient educator and a good listener.
"He meets with every senior to just talk to them to find out about their experience at the school," said Ben Katz, 18, Sam Katz's youngest son and an '07 graduate. "He is running an entire school and going to meetings all over the place, and he takes time for every individual."
Social-studies teacher Sarah Sharp said: "I think he has a tremendous appreciation of what each individual teacher can bring to the school and really likes to . . . enable you to do more of what you do best."
Penn Charter and Germantown Academy have been athletic rivals for more than a century, but Jim Connor, head of Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, said he turns to Ball for advice.
