Harvard-Westlake School history

The Westlake School for Girls was established in 1904 by Jessica Smith Vance and Frederica de Laguna in what is now downtown Los Angeles, California, as an exclusively female institution offering both elementary and secondary education.

In 1911, it secured endorsement from the Episcopal Church, becoming a non-profit organization.

In 1927, Miss Vance and Miss de Laguna acquired land on North Faring Road in Holmby Hills from Harold Janss.

In 1937, the school moved to its present-day campus at the former Hollywood Country Club on Coldwater Canyon in Studio City after receiving a $25,000 ($450,000 in current dollar terms) loan from aviation pioneer Donald Douglas.

The school was purchased by Sydney Temple, whose daughter, Helen Temple Dickinson, was headmistress until 1966, when Westlake became a non-profit institution.

In 1968 Westlake became exclusively a secondary school.

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. It continues to amaze me that I’ve been involved with HW, in one form or another, since 1983! My personal interests include scuba diving, woodworking, photography, travel, and golf, and I’ve been a drummer for forty years and counting!

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.

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.

Perspectives - Winter 2011