Harvard-Westlake School About Admission Academics Arts Athletics Life @ HW Summer Giving Calendar Parents Alumni Students Fac/Staff search HISTORY HOME > ABOUT > HISTORY Welcome to Harvard-Westlake HW at a Glance History HW History Book Westlake Archives Great Teachers Our Values Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leadership Commencement HW Life Magazine Video Gallery Our Campuses School Reopening Information For Our Neighbors Career Opportunities Faculty/Staff Directory Directions & Maps Contact Us 1 2 3 HARVARD SCHOOL Harvard School, a military boarding school with 42 boys, was established in 1900 by Grenville C. Emery in a barley field at what is now the corner of Western Avenue and Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles. Mr. Emery received permission from Charles W. Eliot, Harvard University President, to use the Harvard name. By the mid 1920s Harvard had outgrown its original campus. Following the vision of two-time Headmaster Bishop Robert Gooden, the school borrowed $25,000 from aviation pioneer Donald Douglas and moved to the defunct Hollywood Country Club on Coldwater Canyon in 1937. By the time Thomas Hudnut became headmaster in 1987, Harvard had transformed into a day school, had set aside its military program, and had an enrollment that exceeded 800. WESTLAKE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS In 1904, Jessica Smith Vance and Frederica de Laguna opened the doors of Westlake School for Girls on Sixth Street and Alvarado Street, named for its location near Westlake Park in Los Angeles, now known as MacArthur Park. In 1927, Miss Vance and Miss de Laguna acquired land on North Faring Road in Holmby Hills from Harold Janss. In 1966, Nathan O. Reynolds (Harvard School Class of 1951) became the first male to head Westlake and enrollment reached 700 during the 1970s. 1 2 3 HARVARD-WESTLAKE SCHOOL In October 1989, the Boards of Trustees of Harvard and Westlake agreed to merge the schools, with Tom Hudnut serving as Harvard-Westlake’s first Headmaster. Full coeducation began in September 1991, with an enrollment approaching 1600, grades 7 - 9 at Westlake's North Faring Road location and grades 10 - 12 at Harvard's Coldwater Canyon campus. To learn more about the history of Westlake School, view the Westlake School interactive archives here. To learn more about the history of Harvard, Westlake, and Harvard-Westlake Schools, please view an electronic version of the book Harvard-Westlake: A History here. To learn more about the Great Teachers who have taught at Harvard, Westlake, and Harvard-Westlake Schools, please view the Great Teachers page here. All Rights Reserved Harvard-Westlake School Harvard-Westlake is an independent, coeducational and college preparatory school for grades 7-12, located in Los Angeles, California. Harvard-Westlake strives to be a diverse and inclusive community united by the joyful pursuit of educational excellence, living and learning with integrity, and purpose beyond ourselves. MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMPUS 700 North Faring Road Los Angeles, CA 90077 310-274-7281 UPPER SCHOOL CAMPUS 3700 Coldwater Canyon Avenue Studio City, CA 91604 818-980-6692 About Admission Academics Arts Athletics Life @ HW Summer Giving Contact Privacy Calendar Parents Students Alumni Faculty/Staff Follow Us Facebook Twitter Instagram Harvard-Westlake School admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. Copyright 2021 Harvard-Westlake School Legal NoticesNon-Discrimination PolicySite Translation ADMIN LOGIN