Frank E. Edwards, a graduate of Harvard University (1891), served as the school's first headmaster, and classes took place in Morristown's Normandy Park area.

Designed by architects Edward Lippincott Tilton and William A. Boring[11] (co-designers of Ellis Island's Immigrant Station), the buildings for this campus required only 90 days to construct.

Aiding their work to start the new school, a large donation from wealthy businessman Henry Lee Higginson[14] (known for founding the Boston Symphony Orchestra) provided critical seed funding.

Earning notoriety for this purpose, the Beard School received financial support from capitalist Sidney Morse Colgate of Colgate-Palmolive.

During World War I, the students made bandages and wound dressings and began a tradition of sewing and knitting items to donate to the American Red Cross.

After calling the fire department, Headmistress Edith Sutherland awakened the 20 boarding students and led them to safety on the school's front lawn.

[31] Salvaging wood from the school's ruined buildings, a machinist repairman who lived nearby built a two-story garage for his family's home.

[40] Other notable speakers have included: businesswoman Bobbi Brown,[41] authors Rachel Simmons[42] and Bryan Burrough,[43] and Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen.

[55] During the pilot program, executives from Apple, Inc. visited Morristown Beard School to observe how their iPads enhanced instructional practices and stimulated students' learning.

[56] Beginning with the 2011–2012 academic year, Morristown Beard School now requires all students to purchase an iPad and use the tablet device to assist schoolwork.

[57] The school's curriculum includes multiple electives that teach software development for iOS, the operating system that drives iPads, iPhones, and Apple TVs.

[60] Members of the Morristown Beard School community contribute content to MBS Now by posting updates at the app's home portal.

[63] Fulfilling their service requirement, many Morristown Beard students organize campus blood drives or assist local programs like Adopt-A-Trail.

Other students volunteer for area nonprofit organizations, such as The Seeing Eye, Neighborhood House, Habitat for Humanity, and the Matheny Medical and Educational Center.

The school received an award for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for its performance of William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.

During the 1990s, the athletic facilities at Morristown Beard School played host to floor hockey competition of the New Jersey Special Olympics Winter Games.

[74] In 2012, Lou Lamoriello, general manager of three Stanley Cup-winning New Jersey Devils teams, presented the keynote address at the induction ceremony for the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.

[75] The following year, Tony Siragusa, a former NFL player who played on a Super Bowl-winning Baltimore Ravens football team, spoke at Morristown Beard School.

Jon Vlachos, star center on those teams, received induction into the NJ High School Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.

On April 7, 2014, the New Jersey Devils honored Morristown Beard's hockey team during a game at Prudential Center played against the Calgary Flames.

[81] During the late 1920s and early 1930s, the hockey team competed against Kent School in holiday rivalry games played at Madison Square Garden.

[82] After receiving a personal message of good luck from President Franklin Roosevelt,[83] the team went on an overseas tour in Europe during the 1933–1934 school year.

The girls' hockey team notched their fifth straight WIHLMA title in a game played against Portledge School from Locust Valley, New York, on February 16, 2014.

[93][94] Theatre critic John Mason Brown, who received the superlatives of "Best All-Around", "Most Popular", Wittiest", at graduation, played guard on the football team during his years at the school (1917–1919).

[98] Pitching coach Mike Sturgeon trained Boston Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello during his days at Seton Hall Preparatory School.

Spike Billings, who served for many years as the school's athletic director, and visual arts teacher Laurie Hartman coached those teams.

[101] In 2014, the girls'[102] and boys'[103] soccer teams finished runner-up for the Non-Public North B state title at DePaul Catholic in Wayne, New Jersey.

[106] In 2018, the girls soccer team finished the season with a 10–9–3 record after defeating St. Rose High School by a score of 2–0 to win the Non-Public B state championship at Kean University.

[115] The boys' lacrosse team defeated Immaculata High School to win the Non-Public B state championship in 2008 and 2019,[116][117] and won the Prep B Title in 2008 and 2009.

[124] Morristown Beard School alumni have collectively received election to selective national societies for achievements in the arts, literature, science, theatre, and athletics.