Our Founders

In 1944, during the height of World War II, a young American soldier found himself mistakenly separated from his army unit. His mission had been to disable bridges throughout Holland so the German army could not retreat. However, the lines shifted, and the American soldier found himself stranded and seeking shelter from the dangers of the oppressive German occupation. The German army had advanced into the village of Susteren and set up a German garrison there. In the center of Susteren was a small inn and restaurant owned by Joseph Schulpen. The Schulpen family, risking their own safety, offered the American soldier refuge in the basement of the inn, where for six months he lived unsuspected by the enemy. While secretly living among the German army, that American soldier met and fell in love with the inn owner’s daughter, Josephine. Thus out of the horrors of war was born a remarkable love story whose ties are forever linked to the Chamberlain International School. This is the story of co-founder and Executive Director, Bill Doherty’s parents.

“I will always be proud of my Dutch lineage and the Dutch culture of widespread tolerance, compassion and outreach. That sense of outreach has pervaded my life, and is the very foundation of the Chamberlain International School.”

"I came into education from a strong family history of helping others in extraordinary circumstances. That's the ethic I bring with me, and it's one that works well in a school for adolescents who have been through so much. Many of our faculty and staff have been with the school for a very long time. I'm certain it's because they share that ethic. We are accepting of differences. We are by nature intent on creating safety and on 'parenting' students. 'Parenting' may sound like an imprecise word, but I think that most students and staff on campus would agree that the school community feels like family, and are consistently tolerant of and responsive to each other. I think students feel respected because the adults here treat them not as children or teenagers but as young adults. They are stakeholders in this school and in this family."