A Brief History of the American School of Tangier

From its founding in 1950, The American School of Tangier has stood for cultural diversity, open-mindedness and harmony between nationalities and backgrounds, and for an enlightened education. From a small house in the Marshan, the school moved to larger buildings downtown, before being built on its present location. Over the years, more buildings and sports facilities were added, while the natural beauty of its large campus has been further enhanced to make it one of a kind in Tangier and Morocco.

Our history is also unique. Joseph McPhillips III, Headmaster at AST for thirty-five years, brought with him his vision of a prestigious institution to serve Tangier and Morocco, and to expose its students to the best in American education. The combined efforts of teachers, parents, staff, administrators, board members, students, and friends of the school have made his dream come true. World famous American artists and other international celebrities have shared our school’s history: Paul Bowles, Tennessee Williams, William Burroughs, and Bruce Webber, French designer Yves Saint-Laurent, Chilean painter Claudio Bravo, and American painter Marguerite McBey have all worked on projects with our students.