On November 13, 2021, beloved Lower Merion High School Principal Dr. Sean A. Hughes was killed in a car crash. Following his death, his family, friends and members of his beloved high school community – including students, staff and alumni -- decided to build a fitting memorial Dr. Hughes.

The Sean Hughes Memorial Fund selected local sculptor and Harriton High School alumnus Miguel Antonio Horn to design an artistic multi-part tribute on the Lower Merion High School campus. The proposed design, which would require approval from the Lower Merion Board of School Directors, includes a unique gateway to campus reflecting both the physical image of Dr. Hughes and the tenets of his oft-stated motto that “Character Counts.” As ninth-grade students “Enter to Learn” and 12th-grade students “Go Forth to Serve,” they will pass through this gateway, creating the kind of school tradition that Dr. Hughes so loved.

Later proposed aspects of the on-campus memorial will include turning a grass slope between the high school and administration buildings into both a memorial garden for quiet reflection and an outdoor amphitheater for use by classes and other student groups. Dr. Hughes, who instituted “Lunch and Learn,” was always looking for creative ways for students to use spaces on campus in ways that supported their intellectual curiosity, mental health and sense of comfort and belonging at school.

In addition to the artistic memorial, the Sean Hughes Memorial Fund has already fully funded the 25-year “Sean Hughes Character Counts Scholarship” though the Lower Merion Township Scholarship Fund. As with all scholarships awarded by LMTSF, this will be a needs-based scholarship, with consideration given to a child who has lost a parent.