清光緒三十年九月八日 (1904年10月16日),私立中學(xué)堂(今南開(kāi)中學(xué))舉行成立儀式。它是仿照歐美近代教育制度創(chuàng)辦的一所私立學(xué)校。該校是在光緒二十四年(1898)嚴(yán)修所設(shè)立嚴(yán)館和光緒二十七年(1901)王奎章所設(shè)王館的基礎(chǔ)上，合并而成的。張伯苓任監(jiān)督，首期招生80人。校址借用嚴(yán)宅偏院，地處西北角文昌宮以西四棵樹(shù)。
光緒三十年(1905)公歷2月，根據(jù)嚴(yán)修從保定來(lái)信的意見(jiàn)，改名為私立敬業(yè)中學(xué)堂。光緒三十一年(1905)公歷5月，奉袁世凱之令，改名為私立第一中學(xué)堂。
光緒三十二年(1906),得邑紳鄭菊如捐城西南空地10畝(一說(shuō)12畝),建成新校舍。光緒三十三年(1907)公歷9月23日，遷至南開(kāi)新址。因?yàn)樾滦Ｖ返靥幠祥_(kāi)洼(今南開(kāi)區(qū)四馬路22號(hào)),遂改校名為私立南開(kāi)中學(xué)堂。
宣統(tǒng)三年(1911),天津提學(xué)使傅增湘將“北洋客籍學(xué)堂”和 “長(zhǎng)蘆官立中學(xué)堂” ,并入私立南開(kāi)中學(xué)堂，校名改為公立南開(kāi)中學(xué)堂。1912年4月，易名天津南開(kāi)學(xué)校。1914年，直隸省工業(yè)專(zhuān)業(yè)學(xué)校和北洋法政學(xué)校附設(shè)的中學(xué)堂，并入天津南開(kāi)學(xué)校。
1928年，改名為天津私立南開(kāi)中學(xué)校。1928年6月，北伐的國(guó)民政府軍占領(lǐng)天津，天津設(shè)為特別市，屬?lài)?guó)民政府直轄。所以，1928年12月，天津私立南開(kāi)中學(xué)校，經(jīng)河北省教育廳呈準(zhǔn)教育部核準(zhǔn)立案。
1930年6月，天津特別市改為天津市，直屬南京國(guó)民政府行政院管轄；是年11月，河北省省會(huì)由北平遷至天津，天津市改為省轄市。天津私立南開(kāi)中學(xué)校也改屬天津市政府教育局管轄，按照規(guī)定，天津私立南開(kāi)中學(xué)校又呈準(zhǔn)天津市政府教育局立案。
1933年，改名為河北省私立南開(kāi)中學(xué)校。1935年的編制： 分初中高中兩級(jí)，都為3年； 外國(guó)教員大學(xué)畢業(yè)者2人，中國(guó)教員大學(xué)畢業(yè)者56人，專(zhuān)門(mén)畢業(yè)者5人，其他12人； 學(xué)生人數(shù)：1452人，畢業(yè)生共28次，2279人。
1937年7月28～30日，河北省私立南開(kāi)中學(xué)校的絕大部分校舍被日軍炸毀，學(xué)校被日軍作為兵營(yíng)，無(wú)法繼續(xù)在這里上課。校領(lǐng)導(dǎo)喻傳鑒等便帶領(lǐng)學(xué)校師生，南遷重慶沙坪壩，到一年前新建的南渝中學(xué)，照常上課。

·1917年被淹的南開(kāi)學(xué)校飯廳

日本帝國(guó)主義炸毀的是南開(kāi)的校舍，而不是南開(kāi)的校史。私立南開(kāi)中學(xué)校的法定名稱(chēng)、法定單位和法定歷史，卻始終沒(méi)有改變。非法的日偽政權(quán)統(tǒng)治，也無(wú)權(quán)改變南開(kāi)中學(xué)的歷史； 事實(shí)上，日偽政權(quán)也沒(méi)有對(duì)南開(kāi)中學(xué)的名稱(chēng)和歷史，進(jìn)行改變。
抗戰(zhàn)勝利后，1945年10月17日，河北省私立南開(kāi)中學(xué)校回遷天津復(fù)校，改稱(chēng)天津市私立南開(kāi)中學(xué)校(簡(jiǎn)稱(chēng)南開(kāi)中學(xué))。開(kāi)始，天津市政府撥給已停閉的中日中學(xué)校舍上課。1946年7月，南開(kāi)中學(xué)搬回原校。
當(dāng)時(shí)，按照政府的要求，私立各級(jí)學(xué)校需要辦理立案或者備案手續(xù)。其原則是，抗戰(zhàn)前已經(jīng)政府核準(zhǔn)立案的，依然有效，只辦備案手續(xù)。因此教育部照令南開(kāi)中學(xué)“自然無(wú)須重新立案” ,南開(kāi)中學(xué)按照備案的規(guī)定時(shí)間，于復(fù)校的同年，即1945年11月21日，將復(fù)校情況向天津市教育局呈請(qǐng)備案。4天后，即25日，天津市教育局指令“準(zhǔn)予備案” 。這就足以說(shuō)明，當(dāng)時(shí)民國(guó)政府對(duì)南開(kāi)中學(xué)在抗戰(zhàn)8年中的歷史連續(xù)性，是完全承認(rèn)的。南開(kāi)中學(xué)又回遷天津復(fù)校。
天津解放后，于1952年12月，南開(kāi)中學(xué)改稱(chēng)天津第十五中學(xué)(俗稱(chēng)老南開(kāi)中學(xué)),并改為公辦中學(xué)。1960年，校名改回天津市南開(kāi)中學(xué)。1978年，被教育部命名為全國(guó)重點(diǎn)中學(xué)。
南開(kāi)中學(xué)是聞名海內(nèi)外的名校，具有光榮的革命傳統(tǒng)。培養(yǎng)了新中國(guó)的兩位總理周恩來(lái)、溫家寶和多位黨和國(guó)家領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人； 幾十名兩院院士； 還有一大批文化藝術(shù)大師； 老舍、曹禺等，曾在南開(kāi)中學(xué)任教。

·南開(kāi)學(xué)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.

·南開(kāi)中學(xué)校園

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.

·著名愛(ài)國(guó)教育家、南開(kāi)學(xué)校
創(chuàng)辦人： 嚴(yán)修(嚴(yán)范孫)