清光绪三十年九月八日 (1904年10月16日),私立中学堂(今南开中学)举行成立仪式。它是仿照欧美近代教育制度创办的一所私立学校。该校是在光绪二十四年(1898)严修所设立严馆和光绪二十七年(1901)王奎章所设王馆的基础上,合并而成的。张伯苓任监督,首期招生80人。校址借用严宅偏院,地处西北角文昌宫以西四棵树。
        光绪三十年(1905)公历2月,根据严修从保定来信的意见,改名为私立敬业中学堂。光绪三十一年(1905)公历5月,奉袁世凯之令,改名为私立第一中学堂。
        光绪三十二年(1906),得邑绅郑菊如捐城西南空地10亩(一说12亩),建成新校舍。光绪三十三年(1907)公历9月23日,迁至南开新址。因为新校址地处南开洼(今南开区四马路22号),遂改校名为私立南开中学堂。
        宣统三年(1911),天津提学使傅增湘将“北洋客籍学堂”和 “长芦官立中学堂” ,并入私立南开中学堂,校名改为公立南开中学堂。1912年4月,易名天津南开学校。1914年,直隶省工业专业学校和北洋法政学校附设的中学堂,并入天津南开学校。
        1928年,改名为天津私立南开中学校。1928年6月,北伐的国民政府军占领天津,天津设为特别市,属国民政府直辖。所以,1928年12月,天津私立南开中学校,经河北省教育厅呈准教育部核准立案。
        1930年6月,天津特别市改为天津市,直属南京国民政府行政院管辖;是年11月,河北省省会由北平迁至天津,天津市改为省辖市。天津私立南开中学校也改属天津市政府教育局管辖,按照规定,天津私立南开中学校又呈准天津市政府教育局立案。
        1933年,改名为河北省私立南开中学校。1935年的编制: 分初中高中两级,都为3年; 外国教员大学毕业者2人,中国教员大学毕业者56人,专门毕业者5人,其他12人; 学生人数:1452人,毕业生共28次,2279人。
        1937年7月28～30日,河北省私立南开中学校的绝大部分校舍被日军炸毁,学校被日军作为兵营,无法继续在这里上课。校领导喻传鉴等便带领学校师生,南迁重庆沙坪坝,到一年前新建的南渝中学,照常上课。

        

·1917年被淹的南开学校饭厅

        日本帝国主义炸毁的是南开的校舍,而不是南开的校史。私立南开中学校的法定名称、法定单位和法定历史,却始终没有改变。非法的日伪政权统治,也无权改变南开中学的历史; 事实上,日伪政权也没有对南开中学的名称和历史,进行改变。
        抗战胜利后,1945年10月17日,河北省私立南开中学校回迁天津复校,改称天津市私立南开中学校(简称南开中学)。开始,天津市政府拨给已停闭的中日中学校舍上课。1946年7月,南开中学搬回原校。
        当时,按照政府的要求,私立各级学校需要办理立案或者备案手续。其原则是,抗战前已经政府核准立案的,依然有效,只办备案手续。因此教育部照令南开中学“自然无须重新立案” ,南开中学按照备案的规定时间,于复校的同年,即1945年11月21日,将复校情况向天津市教育局呈请备案。4天后,即25日,天津市教育局指令“准予备案” 。这就足以说明,当时民国政府对南开中学在抗战8年中的历史连续性,是完全承认的。南开中学又回迁天津复校。
        天津解放后,于1952年12月,南开中学改称天津第十五中学(俗称老南开中学),并改为公办中学。1960年,校名改回天津市南开中学。1978年,被教育部命名为全国重点中学。
        南开中学是闻名海内外的名校,具有光荣的革命传统。培养了新中国的两位总理周恩来、温家宝和多位党和国家领导人; 几十名两院院士; 还有一大批文化艺术大师; 老舍、曹禺等,曾在南开中学任教。

        

·南开学校

        In October 16,1904 (the 30th year of EmperorGuangxu),a private middle school (now Nankai MiddleSchool) was founded,following the lead of moderneducation system of Europe and America. It combinedYan`s Middle School founded by Yanxiu in 1898 (the24th year of Emperor Guangxu) and Wang`s MiddleSchool founded by Wang Kuizhang in 1901 (the 27thyear of Emperor Guangxu). Zhang Boling was thesupervisor. It recruited 80 students in its first term. Itwas located in an adjacent house of Yan`s house west ofWenchang Palace in north-west Tianjin.
        In February 1905 (the 30th year of EmperorGuangxu),it was renamed as Private Jingye MiddleSchool according to suggestions of Yan Xiu in his letterfrom Baoding. In May 1905 (the 31st year of EmperorGuangxu),it was renamed as No. 1 Private MiddleSchool by Yuan Shikai.
        In 1906 (the 32nd year of Emperor Guangxu),agentry Zheng Juru donated an empty land of 10(or somesay 12)mu(Chinese measurement unit) in south-westTianjin to build new school houses. In September 23,1907 (the 33rd year of Emperor Guangxu) it moved tothe current location. Because it was located in Nankaibillabong (now No. 22 in Si Road in Nankai District),itwas renamed as Private Nankai Middle School.
        In 1911 (the third year of Emperor Xuantong),FuZengxiang combined Beiyang Keji School and PublicChanglu Middle School into Private Nankai MiddleSchool and renamed it as Public Nankai Middle School.In April 1912,it was renamed as Tianjin Nankai School.In 1914,it combined with middle schools attached toZhili Industry Advanced School and Beiyang Politicsand Law School.
        In 1928 it was renamed as Tianjin Private NankaiMiddle School. In June 1928,the army of northernexpedition occupied Tianjin and ended the control ofBeiyang Government. The Nanjing KMT People`sGovernment set Tianjin as the city directly under thejurisdiction of the People`s Government. In December1928,Tianjin Private Nankai Middle School wasofficially approved and registered by the Ministry ofEducation after the report of Education Office of HebeiProvince.
        In June 1930,Tianjin Special City was renamedas Tianjin City,directly under the administration ofAdministration Office of the People`s Government. InNovember,the capital of Hebei changed from Beipingto Tianjin and Tianjin Private Nankai Middle Schoolwas also administered by Education Bureau of Tianjingovernment and was registered accordingly.
        In 1933,Tianjin Private Nankai Middle Schoolwas renamed as Hebei Private Nankai Middle School.According to the General Survey of Hebei PrivateNankai Middle School made in autumn 1935 (the 24thyear of Republic of People),there were two grades,lower middle school and higher middle school,both ofthree years. Teachers` qualification: 2 foreign and 56Chinese teachers were university graduates,5 teacherswere college graduates and 12 others. Number ofstudents: there were altogether 1452 students. Amongthem,607 students were in higher middle school and845 in lower middle school. 683 students lived in theschool dormitory. There were altogether 35 classes.Grade 1,2 and 3 in lower middle school had 7,6 and 6classes respectively. Grade 1,2 and 3 in higher middleschool had 5,6 and 5 classes respectively. There werealtogether 28 grades of graduates,accounting for 2279students.

        

·南开中学校园

        During July 28 to July 30 in 1937,most ofthe school building of Nankai Middle School wasbombed out and destroyedby the Japanese army. Theschool was occupied bythe Japanese army as theirbarracks. The schoolmasterYu Chuanjian led teachersand students of Nankaito move to Shapingba inChongqing where Nanyubranchof Nankai Middle Schoolwas founded. They continued theirstudy and teaching there.
        Though Nankai`s buildings weredestroyed by the Japanese army,Nankai`s honorabletradition still remained. Nankai`s name saved,and itshistory continued in the period of the anti-Japanese war.
        In October 17,1945,after the victory of the anti-Japanese war,Hebei Private Nankai Middle Schoolmoved back to Tianjin and was renamed as TianjinPrivate Nankai Middle School (Nankai Middle Schoolfor short). At the beginning,it started its classes in thebuilding of Zhongri Middle School. In July 1946,NankaiMiddle School moved back to its original building.
        According to government rules,private schoolsneeded to register or put themselves on governmentrecords. Those registered before the anti-Japanese warneeded only to be put on records. Therefore,the Ministryof Education notified Nankai Middle School that it didnot need to register again. Nankai Middle School thusapplied to be put on record onNovember 21,1945,the sameyear when it moved backto Tianjin. Four days later,Education Bureau of Tianjinnotified that they agreed toput Nankai Middle Schoolon record. This means,thegovernment acknowledged thecontinuity and integrity of NankaiMiddle School during the anti-Japanese war.
        On January 15,1949,Tianjin wasliberated. Nankai Middle School was still a privateschool at that time. In December 1952,Nankai MiddleSchool was renamed as Tianjin No. 15 Middle School(habitually called "old Nankai Middle School") andwas restructured into a public school. In 1960,it wasrenamed back as Tianjin Nankai Middle School. In 1978it was acknowledged by the Ministry of Education asnational key middle school.
        Nankai Middle School is famous both in Chinaand outside China. It has a glorious revolution tradition.It has cultivated many party and country leaders suchas Premier Zhou Enlai and Wen Jia-bao,and dozens ofacademicians. A group of culture and art masters suchas Lao She and Cao Yu had been teaching in NankaiMiddle School.

        

·著名爱国教育家、南开学校
        创办人: 严修(严范孙)