1960

The School Board employed its first professional librarian. Her name was Hazel Fobes (1914-2008). Hazel worked at AIS until 1963.

1960

The school year began in August with an enrollment of 198, of which 18 were non-Americans and despite overcrowded conditions, the Board of Governors voted to accept more non-American applicants.

1960

The American School became the American International School, in acknowledgement of the fact that the number of students other than Americans had steadily increased.

1960

Joseph Stein was the architect chosen by the Board of Governors to design the new campus.

1960

Mrs. Vimla Kapur, Hindi and Indian history teacher, designed and wrote a one-year course in Indian History for use in the tenth grade and Hindi was offered at all grades. 

1961

The first all-school student government was created and called the Student Council Association. Jeff Myers was the Student Council President.

1961

Construction began on the Chanakyapuri campus in May.

1961

The first yearbook appeared in 1961, while the school was still housed in the Taj Barracks. 

1962

Willa Gupta and Jacquelin Singh helped create a school emblem which included Domi ac Foris (At Home and Abroad), stars and stripes representing the US and finally the Ashoka Wheel for India.

1962

December 27, 1962: The American Ambassador, John Kenneth Galbraith, whose two sons attended the school, presided over the inauguration of the new campus.

1963

In January, the school moved from the Taj Barracks to the new complex in Chanakyapuri.

1963

February 24, 1963: 103 trees were planted during an Arbor Day event organized by the Student Council and the Home School Auxiliary. Of these 103, only one was a banyan tree which now stands on the ES Playground.

1963

The Boarding Unit opened during the 1963-1964 school year for American students. The students, whose parents were working in the subcontinent, were housed in Malcha Marg in two hostels.

1963

The Avvai Statue, sculpted by Sundari Swaminathan, was a gift given by Mr. and Mrs. John and Hazel Fobes to AIS. The statue was unveiled on March 17, 1964.

1965

The Boarding Unit was opened on the Chanakyapuri Campus.

1967

The fourth Stein building, the gym, was completed. The gym had four basketball hoops as well as a stage and seating area that served as the auditorium. The gym building is now home to today’s theatre.

1967

Elizabeth Elwell was the first American “overseas hire” teacher on the faculty. She taught music and math at the old Taj and biology at the Chanakyapuri campus. She was later named high school principal in 1967, a post she held for two years.

1970

March 26, 1970: Students, Parents, Embassy staff, and friends of AIS gathered in the gym to enjoy a concert by Ravi Shankar during the school's International Arts Festival.

1973

The American International School moved from an Indian Society to become the American Embassy School, under the auspices of the U.S. Embassy. This change required all Indian students to leave the school.

1974

The AES Boarding Unit closed at the end of the 1973-74 school year.

1976

AES joined the South Asia International Schools Association (SAISA) conventions which included the American Schools in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Muree, and Kabul. 

1978

The American Embassy School received its accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

1978

The Saturday Saints, an orchestral group that practiced every Saturday, began with just five students. Three of the students were Elizabeth ('78), Mary ('79), and David ('80) Crees. 

1979

Alumni and Actress Uma Thurman attended Grade 4 during the 1979-80 school year. Uma’s brothers Dechen and Ganden also spent the year at AES. 

1980

Opening enrollment for the 1980-81 school year was 393.

1980

Computers first made their appearance in AES classrooms.

1980

The Advanced Placement program was reintroduced to our high school program.

1980

Kindergarten was expanded to a full day in the 1980-81 school year. 

1980

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Crees, parents of Elizabeth ('78), Mary ('79), and David ('80) Crees, donated the fountain that stands between the middle school and the Tiger's Den. Dedicated to Dr. Penny Estabrook, beloved music teacher.

1980

In April of this year, AES hosted the Near East South Asia Council of Schools Conference (NESA). NESA is a community of schools and organizations supporting educators in order to maximize student learning. 

1982

AES became an International Baccalaureate (IB) Program school. 

1983

A new position, Assistant Director- Curriculum, was created and held by Jim Pepperling Jr.

1984

The Learning Center, for students with special learning needs, that had earlier been discontinued, and the English as a Second Language programs reappeared in 1984 to serve all three schools. 

1984

AES began a chapter of Tri-M. Tri-M is a Music Honor Society for middle and high school students, which focuses on creating future leaders in music education and music advocacy. The chapter began with 18 members from nine countries.

1984

The Shanti concert is a band, orchestra, and choir concert that takes place during the winter holiday season. Shanti means "peace" in Hindi and the concert was given this name in December 1984 following Indira Gandhi's assassination.

1985

Opening enrollment for the 1985-86 school year was 592. 

1985

A new swimming complex opened which included a half-size olympic pool, a diving well, and a wading pool. The Aquatics program included diving, synchronized swimming, water polo, and Saturday Swim School.

1988

Fire broke out in the Middle School building. 

1989

Opening enrollment for the 1989-90 school year was 676. 

1990

With the onset of the Gulf War and civil unrest in the city of Delhi, it was considered necessary to erect security gates and to heighten the boundary walls.

1990

The school was closed for seven school days over a period of several months. Closure became necessary due to protests against government jobs going to certain castes based on birth rather than the merit of the candidate.

1990

The current PE Complex was completed. The new gym had six basketball hoops where the Old Gym only had two.

1991

Lincoln School in Kathmandu, the Overseas School of Colombo, and the American International School Dhaka became full members of SAISA (South Asia International Schools Association). 

1993

Jacquelin Singh ( 1927 - 2019) taught high school English and journalism from 1958 to 1974 and again from 1988–1993. Ms. Singh authored three books and helped create the school emblem.

1994

September 19, 1994: American Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor visited the High School. She was sworn in on September 21, 1981and the first woman to join the Supreme Court

1996

Construction began on the Middle School and the new Elementary School. Construction was complete in August 1999.

2001

September 11, 2001: AES was closed for nearly a week and the high school mini-courses were postponed for months. New campus security measures were put in place.

2002

Art teacher Joel Palombo brought three Ayanaar sculptors from Tamil Nadu. They produced a number of pieces, including Veerabhadran, the terra cotta god that now greets campus visitors at Gate 2. 

2002

As part of the 50th Anniversary celebration, art teachers Joel and Anja Palombo, Adele Caemmerer, and Buffy Quegg brought acclaimed Chandigarh artist Nek Chand to campus. 

2002

The climbing wall was installed on the back side of the Physical Education Center as part of the 50th Anniversary celebration. 

1959

December 11, 1959: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower visited the American School in New Delhi while on his world peace tour which brought him to eleven countries.

2006

Bandana Sen (1943-2018) served as the librarian at AIS/AES for 36 years, from 1970 - 2006.  

2006

In preparation for the high school construction, portable high school classrooms were assembled on the Middle School field. The Tiger's Den building was originally built to be two temporary computer labs.

2008

Uwe Bagnato (1942-2010) served as a high school social studies teacher from 1973-1975 and then as high school principal, from 2001-2008.  

2008

Sharon Lowen, teacher and Coordinator of Indian Studies (1975-1978 &1989-2017), giving a tour to 3rd grade students. The Kartikeya Statue (on the left) was excavated from the grounds when the school was first built.

2008

Krishna was an AES stone mason that lost her battle to cancer in 2008. She worked along side her husband and three children. Krishna was a hard worker that greeted everyone she passed with a caring ‘namaste’ and a kind smile.

2008

The new high school building was completed. The high school building received Gold Leed certification.

2009

September 18, 2009: His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa came to school for the first time to address students and faculty in honor of the school's UN International Day of Peace celebration.

2009

The Elementary School stopped giving regular nightly homework in favor of time to read, play, explore interests, and to spend time with family.

2010

November 7, 2010: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama visited New Delhi and hosted a meet and greet at the U.S. Embassy. American citizen teachers and their families were invited to attend.

2010

Enrollment reached its peak at the start of the school year with 1, 460 students, representing 52 nationalities. The largest groups were from the U.S. (39%), Korea (17%), U.K. (8%), Australia(4%), India(4%), Israel (4%), Sweden(3%), and Japan (3%).

2011

With our move to MESAC (Middle East South Asia Conference), AES was required to change its mascot and its school colors. AES changed its mascot from Falcon to Tiger. School colors changed from red and white to black and gold.

2011

During the 2010-11 school year, AES transitioned from SAISA to MESAC (Middle East South Asia Conference). MESAC is an activities and athletics league that is made up of six schools from India, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

2011

Construction in the Middle School and Arts building began in June 2011. The new construction consolidated the Middle School, and created new visual and performing arts classrooms in the Arts Building.

2012

October 9, 2012: U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner addressed students during his visit to the American Embassy School, his former elementary school.

2012

In celebration of our 60th anniversary, a ‘Community Garden’ was erected near gate 2. The Community Garden features a commemorative wall and a small amphitheatre.

2012

Renovation began on the Stein building. The upper floor was renovated into a state-of-the-art library, media and learning center, and the lower floor of the Stein Building became a new student union and café for the High School.

2012

The elementary school playground, received a new soft surface and new playground equipment. The grass playing field adjacent to the ES playground was replaced with an artificial turf surface, now called the Tiger Turf.

2012

The Middle School began a one-to-one iPad program to increase student access to internet information and specific sets of software tools during a student’s experience at AES. 

2013

The High School began a one-to-one laptop program to increase student access to internet information and specific sets of software tools during a student’s experience at AES. 

2013

"Each of us is part of something greater than our individual contribution and no one's contribution is greater than anyone else's." - Bob Hetzel, Director (2001-2013)

2014

A review our mission statement, led by consultant Teresa Arpin, included representatives from the Board, faculty, staff, students, and parents. Our mission statement was approved by the Board of Governors in December 2014. 

2014

There were two important name changes that came about in January 2014. Instructional Assistants became Teaching Assistants and ECEC (Early Childhood Education Center) became Pre-Kindergarten.

2014

January 31, 2014: William Dalrymple, Author of the Last Mughal, City of Djinns, and Return of a King presented to our community.

2014

Open Hand Cafe, our community cafe open to parents, teachers and high school students, became the Tiger’s Den. The cafe underwent an interior renovation, which included the addition of an enclosed patio and a school store.

2014

The Elementary School began a one-to-one iPad program in the 2013-14 school year. This is a stay at school program for students in Kindergarten-Grade 5.

2014

Our pool complex underwent a major renovation during the 2013-14 school year. This renovation included new tiles, a new pool deck surface and pool as well as a cover with lighting to extend the hours that the pool can be used.

2015

March 9, 2015: Author William Dalrymple spoke to parents and students about his book, The Last Mughal, The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi 1857 (2006). The book reflects his long love affair with the city of Delhi.

2015

In line with the research on effective communication of student learning, AES adopted standards-based grading and reporting in all divisions. 

2015

May 8, 2015: The ES Library was renamed the Sood Library in honor of Margaret "Peggy" Sood, long-time teacher and ES Assistant Principal. Peggy Sood retired in May 2015 after 30 years of dedicated service to AES.

2015

Alumni Aisha Chaudhary was an Indian author and motivational speaker. Her book My Little Epiphanies came out one day before she died in 2015 at age 18 from Severe Combined Immuno-Deficiency. The Sky Is Pink is a film based on her life.

2016

August 31, 2016: Secretary of State John Kerry gave remarks during a meet and greet at the American Embassy School.

2016

April 8, 2016: His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited the American Embassy School in New Delhi, India on April 8, 2016.

2017

In our effort to deliver clean air to our students, AES partnered with a Delhi-based company to ensure clean air in all of our buildings. As a result, a clean air filtration system was installed and is operational on every building. 

2017

A space was dedicated and a butterfly garden began to grow to reintroduce native butterflies to our school campus. This butterfly garden sits near Gate 2 by the waterfall.

2018

Grade 5 was renovated as part of a project that will allow for greater flexibility and collaborative learning. The renovated pod included open spaces, small group rooms, collapsible walls, and flexible furniture.

2019

Grade 3 and 4 learning spaces were renovated to provide greater flexibility and collaborative learning. 

2019

The ground floor of the Middle School was renovated in order to provide more flexible learning and multi-purpose spaces, as well as a new MS Office design. The new office also houses the MS Counselors' offices.

2019

During the 2018-19 school year, in our effort to become a more inclusive school an inclusive education statement was developed. The statement was introduced to the AES community in February 2019. 

2020

March 6, 2020: In accordance with a Delhi government order, the Elementary School closed in response to the rise in COVID-19 cases. The Middle and High schools closed after this date.

2020

The lower and upper Elementary School playgrounds both received new play structures that were installed in the summer.

2020

Both Pre-Kindergarten and Grade 2 pods were renovated during the months of June, July and August.

2021

Monday, August 9: AES re-opened and welcomed all students with COVID-19 guidelines in place, including weekly testing, distancing, and a mask mandate.

2022

The Tiger Butterfly Garden, a collaborative project of our Pre-Kindergarten and Grade 3 students. This garden is another 're-Wilded' space that provides critical habitat and a learning space for all of our students.