Alborz High School

Alborz High School is a college-preparatory gifted high school located in the heart of Tehran, Iran. It is one of the first modern high schools in Asia and the Middle East, named after the Alborz mountain range, north of Tehran. Its place in the shaping of Iran's intellectual elite compares with that of Eton College in England and institutions such as Phillips Academy, Phillips Exeter Academy, and Milton Academy in the United States. History The school was founded as an elementary school in 1873 by a group of American Presbyterian missionaries led by James Bassett. This was in the 26th year of the reign of Nasereddin Shah Qajar, 22 years after Amir Kabir founded the Dar ul-Funun school in Tehran, and 33 years before the Constitutional Revolution in Persia (as it was known back then; later it became "Iran" during the Reza Shah Era). When Dr. Samuel Jordan arrived in Persia in 1898, he instituted change; subsequently, Alborz became a 12-year elementary and secondary school, with its share of college courses. Thereafter, the institution came to be known as the American College of Tehran. Dr. Jordan remained president of Alborz for 42 years (1899–1940). During his tenure, Alborz grew from an elementary school to a high school and college.