Centennial Westridge school 2013-2014
Volume 5 | September 2013
Miss Ranney’s Westridge School: The Perfumed and Bangled Girls “From the very beginning, Westridge was an outspoken sort of place where women assumed leadership roles and where preparation for higher education was a cherished goal.” (Article title and excerpts are from the 75th anniversary publication, Westridge School 1913-1988. “The Perfumed and Bangled Girls” was written by Pam Ellis-Simons ’67,Westridge Trustee 1986–1991.)
In 1913, most girls didn’t go to college. Careers outside the home were almost unheard of. But a good, formal high school education was imperative for those well-heeled young ladies going on to finishing school. If nothing else, their mothers advised, it might help them catch an intelligent, well-connected young man. Margaret, Marian, and Anne Brackenridge were no exceptions. Their parents, William and Margaret, had no intention of sending them to college. Mr. Brackenridge pronounced it perfectly useless for getting married and raising children. But he did want his daughters to have the best fundamental education money could buy, and when no other Pasadena schools were found to his liking, he and his wife started one of their own. (continued on page 2)
westridge beginnings
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1954 | Former headmistress Louise Wood initiates the American Friends Service exchange program which pairs up sister schools around the world. Westridge is matched with the Schulfarm Scharfenberg in Berlin. Miss Elizabeth Edmundson is appointed the first head of the Upper School. The seniors enjoy their first Ditch Day.
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1955 | The school officially states that it “is open to all qualified students, without regard to race or creed, and there is no discriminatory policy of any kind,” and further redefines its philosophy to “seek a diversified student body, consisting of girls of high standards who will contribute to the school through academic achievement, or leadership, or other personal qualities.”
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1957 | The first Green and White Ball is held at the Huntington Hotel. Proceeds of $1,040 benefit the Alumnae Scholarship Fund which supports an alumnae daughter. 1958 | The school’s first Annual Giving Drive is launched in September; by the end of the year $7,356 is contributed. Jae Giddings Carmichael ’42 collects and arranges art for the first exhibition in the newly transformed Main Building hallway gallery.
According to a speech she gave in 1940, Mrs. Brackenridge “longed for a school on the west side of the city. A school that was exclusively for girls, with a standard of education which would compare favorably with the most advanced schools of the East, and which would fit the pupils to enter college.” “Our options then were Polytechnic or Miss Orton’s school on Los Robles Avenue,” explains Margaret Brackenridge Jones ’21, eldest of the Brackenridges’ three daughters and one son. “But my parents did not believe in coeducation at any level and wanted a school reasonably convenient so we could walk. Miss Orton’s was not considered a forwardlooking place. It didn’t allow perfume or bangles. Mrs. Alexander Duer and my mother guaranteed their friend Miss Mary Lowther Ranney that they could rustle up enough students to make it worth her while to start a new school.” Thus, in October 1913, Westridge School for Girls was founded, hardly the democratic place it is now and little more than an informal study group for 21 bangled and perfumed west-siders. But Miss Ranney, an English major from the University of Chicago and a member of that same social circle, was indeed forward thinking. She ran the school with her own goals in mind. According to her earliest pupils, she actually encouraged her girls to attend college. “What I remember most about Miss Ranney,” recalls Anne Wyman Esbenshade ’26, “was that we admired her and were impressed by her. We had daily chapel and would walk in rows. Miss Ranney said prayer and talked with us. Then we marched out. She
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1959 | Miss Elizabeth Edmundson is appointed Westridge’s fifth headmistress.
1961 | The cornerstone of the new Ranney House is laid. The first Alumnae Day is held, with 60 in attendance.
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1963 | Pitcairn House, a Greene & Greene residence built in 1906, is purchased for $50,000. The assassination of John F. Kennedy throws the school into emotional shock. A special assembly is hastily organized which achieves a steadying sense of unity.
always stood there very straight, and she was very intimidating — but just.” The cost for a high-school senior: $250. A ten percent discount was given to any family with more than one child attending. Westridge was to have started in a house on State Street Miss Ranney shared with her parents, but when registration during the summer of 1913 swelled the ranks of the first student body to 21, the Ranneys acquired a larger house at 324 Madeline Drive. The front rooms were converted into classrooms. Helen Evans Smith ’26 insists that Miss Ranney held some classes for the youngest students in a converted chicken coop in the backyard. Early life at Westridge was very informal. “We just sat around tables in the closed-in front porch and had our French lesson,” Margaret Brackenridge Jones ’21 recalls. “We were not segregated by class,” notes Helen O’Conor Wright ’20. “We all sat in one room and then we’d go into different classrooms. We didn’t think of ourselves as being in grades because we were so small a school.” Westridge graduated its first senior in 1919, Harriette Jansen. Margaret Brackenridge and her sister Marian were the second and third graduates in 1921. The school grew to 82 students in the year 1921-1922. Westridge had outgrown its small, family beginnings and was on its way to becoming a notable school. The perfumed and bangled girls had come of age.
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1964 | Westridge undergoes its first accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. April Wilson ’66 spends the year at Schulfarm Scharfenberg, the school on an island in Berlin’s Lake Tegel which has been Westridge’s sister school since 1954.
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1965 | Students from five schools gather to form an Independent League Forum which sponsors its first dance, held in Westridge’s study hall. First Bay Area Westridge alumnae gathering, a luncheon hosted by Elizabeth Spencer Pfau ’45, is attended by 55 alumnae.
Founder’s Day at W e s t r i d g e S c h o o l The first Westridge School Founder’s Day was held on October 16, 1940 to honor Mary Lowther Ranney after her unexpected death in 1939. In an address to the school, Mrs. William A. Brackenridge paid tribute to Miss Ranney: “We pause today to pay a loving tribute to her memory; for it is due to her unceasing effort to keep the school at the high standard which it has ever held, that Westridge occupies the position which it has, and it will continue to have... [Westridge is] a home for our daughters, where they will learn the principles of right living and thinking which will fit them for whatever they may undertake in their lives, and which will enable them to hold the torch to light the way for those following.” The school community celebrated that first Founder’s Day with a ceremony initiated by Elizabeth Wheeler ’41. Students poured individual portions of water into a fountain, commemorated in the event program as follows: “To our Founder, whose heart and mind conceived Westridge, whose tongue and hand created it, today we pour the living waters of remembrance and of love. Changing yet never lost, old yet ever new, may these waters represent to Alumnae fond memories of school days past, to the Student Body happy gainful hours of the present, and to all of us right promise for the expanding future.” Westridge continues to honor the memory, courage, and foresight of Mary Ranney. Founder’s Day 2013 celebrates her leadership and the legacy carried forward by the 10 heads of school who have followed in her footsteps.
Founder’s Day picnic at w e s t r i d g e s c h o o l
324 madeline drive, pasadena
3 t o 6 p. m . S u n da y
october 6 food! featuring barbecue fare by the Westridge Dads’ Club & ice cream from Mother Moo Creamery in Sierra Madre
music! live music from the Citrus College jazz combo featuring fun tunes from bygone eras and Night Shift, a 20-piece band rocking sounds and vocals from the 60s to now
Fun! games for all ages, a bounce house, and an obstacle course
photos! pose with your friends and family at the photo station RSVP by October 1 to events@westridge.org or 626.799.1053, ext. 273.
Bestselling author Rebecca Skloot spent over ten years dogg the truth about the life, death, and ultimate “immortality” of tobacco farmer named Henrietta Lacks. On a tumultuous ed until a community college biology instructor uttered the wor Lacks,” Skloot—with remarkable focus and tenacity—set of that would shine the national spotlight on both, and become phenomenal book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Crown Broadway 2011).
westridge Centennial Speaker
Rebecca Skloot Bestselling Author • Journalist • Educator
7 p. m. • T h u r s d ay
November 7, 2013
westridge school Fran Norris Scoble Performing Arts Center
Recognizable for its engaging, straightforward language, Sklo both in The Immortal L many feature articles publications—has ch around the world. W trademark sensibility have been lauded for make complex issues diverse audiences. A University, an officia large audience as bein rapt” while the Execu of Public Responsibi & Research called he speaker with a timely needs to be heard.” W University said, “She Rebecca Skloot has a B.S. in biological sciencestop speakers ever!” M communities, schools, and universities have chosen The Imm and a MFA in creative nonfiction. She has their common read programs, with similar praise for her lect
taught creative writing and science journalism at the University of Memphis, the University In The Immortal Life, Skloot tells the story of a young black w of Pittsburgh, and New York University. She is of cervical cancer in 1951—and left behind an inexplicably im founder and president of theHenrietta Henrietta Lacks, Lacks whose cells—harves cells known as HeLa. Foundation. Skloot is currently working on ato scientific advanceme knowledge or consent—contributed new the human-animal bondcancers from and viruses, in-vitro the book polioabout vaccine, treatments for her Chicago, remains close andhome the in impact of and space travelinon human cells. The story is contact withwho the Lacks children, werefamily. later used in research without their conse
Westridge School welcomes bestselling author, journalist, and educator Rebecca Skloot as the Centennial Speaker. In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot tells the story of a young black woman who died of cervical cancer in 1951 — and left behind an inexplicably immortal line of cells known as HeLa. Henrietta Lacks, whose cells were harvested without her knowledge or consent, contributed to scientific advancements as varied as the polio vaccine, treatments for cancers and viruses, in-vitro fertilization, and the impact of space travel on human cells. The story is also about her children, who were later used in research without their consent and who had never benefited from the com-
never benefited from the commercialization of HeLa cells, th have helped biotech companies make millions of dollars. Pa story, part scientific odyssey, and part family saga, The Immo mercialization of HeLa cells, though the cells have helped multi-layered approach raises fascinating questions about rac biotech companies make millions of dollars. Part detective bioethics in America. story, part scientific odyssey, and part family saga, The
Immortal Life’s multi-layered approach raises fascinating Spanningabout a variety topics, Skloot’sinlectures have fascinated questions race, of class, and bioethics America.
from college undergraduates assigned to read the book to tec Join the Westridge community forexpert this special presentation or legal audiences seeking an perspective on medical b and discussion, including a reception and book signing. (Invitation follow.) LYCEUMto AGENCY │ miriam@lyceumagency.com │ For more information about Rebecca Skloot and her work, please visit www.lyceumagency.com or rebeccaskloot.com.
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CentennialFestivities save the dates! october november january march Founder’s Day picnic Sunday, October 6, 2013
Centennial Speaker Rebecca Skloot Thursday, November 7, 2013
Homecoming Friday, January 10, 2014
A new tradition begins with the induction of the first honorees into the Westridge Athletics Hall of Fame.
Centennial Weekend
Thursday, March 20 — Sunday, March 23, 2014 See event descriptions on the next page.
come home to westridge
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Below is Pasadena hotel information for Alumnae and friends coming home to celebrate Centennial Weekend with Westridge!
special westridge centennial r ate at the Sher aton Pasadena Hotel 303 Cordova Street, Pasadena 91101 A limited number of rooms at a reduced rate are available for the Westridge School Centennial at the Sheraton Pasadena. Space is limited, book early. Guests can make reservations by requesting the Westridge School Centennial rate via phone or booking site. The cut-off date for guests to make reservations is 5 p.m., February 19, 2014. Hotel: 626.449.4000 | Sheraton Reservations: 800.457.7940 www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/WestridgeSchoolCentennial Please note that the group rate is only available for the nights of March 21 to 23, 2014.
other local options: Hilton hilton.com 168 S. Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena 91101 626.577.1000 Marriott Court yard marriott.com 180 N. Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena 91103 626.403.7600 Westin starwoodhotels.com 191 N. Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena 91101 626.792.2727 L angham pasadena.langhamhotels.com 1401 S. Oak Knoll Avenue, Pasadena 91106 626.568.3900
Centennial Weekend
Thursday, March 20 — Sunday, March 23, 2014 (Invitation to follow)
Festival of the Arts Thursday, March 20, 2014
Celebrate a century of excellence in the arts among Westridge students and fine and performing arts faculty — past and present.
Exhibit
at the Pasadena Museum of History Friday, March 21 — Sunday, March 23, 2014 A museum display featuring items that chronicle 100 years of Westridge history will be on veiw throughout Centennial Weekend.
reunion Day Friday, March 21, 2014
This is not Alumnae Day as usual! A special former faculty and staff reunion will reconnect generations of the Westridge family. Alumnae are invited to take part in master classes, a combined current and past Glee Club performance, campus tours, and explore the history of Westridge at the Pasadena Museum of History.
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The Celebration of the Century Saturday, March 22, 2014
In the daytime, join the community for tours of the Mary Ranney House, Gamble House, Disney Concert Hall, Art Center College of Design galleries, Descanso Gardens, and Gemini G.E.L. studio or learn more about Westridge’s first century at the Pasadena Museum of History. In the evening, the community will gather for a birthday celebration on campus.
Farewell Brunch Sunday, March 23, 2014
An informal gathering at the home of Head of School Elizabeth J. McGregor will bring Centennial weekend to a close. This is the final day to visit the Westridge exhibit at the Pasadena Museum of History.
Fifth Headmistress of Westridge (1959-1973) Elizabeth Edmundson (center) with students.
teachers • mentors • friends
Reunion Day
Centennial is an opportunity for alumnae to reconnect with one another as well as with the teachers and staff who helped shape their Westridge experience. Contact current teacher and chair of the faculty/staff/administration reunion committee Betty Cole if you are, or are in contact with, a former Westridge faculty or staff member. We would like to reconnect with as many people as possible! [bcole@westridge.org or 626.799.1053, ext. 462] The following current and past faculty and staff members will be present at the reunion — we will add to the list as it grows! Brownie Allen Anna Pechanec Ancheta ’65 Dave Andres Lyssa Axeen George Baker Teresa Baldonado Elizabeth Blandford Mandy Reynolds Boesche ’69 Lisa Bowen Heymann Robert D. Bowlus Linda Brownridge Laura Caron
Tish Colburn Betty Cole* Mary Connor Steve Cooperman Robin DeKleine* Gabby Edwards Selden Edwards Julie Ehrhardt* Gerry Fallon Linda Fisher Laine ’51 Pam Garcia Rachelle Gayl Baiba Graft Willa Greenstone*
Laura Grimm Steve Grimm Betsy Hanger Bill Harrison Laura Hatchman Rebecca Hatkoff Jim Holland Jeanne Holt-Register Helen Hopper Melanie Horn Juanita Jimenez Linda Kallan Kristin Kittscher Karen Klemens
Melodie Kosman Roza Kuppermann* Marian Lipschutz Rosemary Lonergan Art Mack Cindy Martin Bonnie Pais Martinez Lauren McCabe Jim Moran Chuck Ott Susan Ott Mollie Page Kathleen Peck Ann Penn*
Sandy Penrod Gretchen Reed Candace Riecke* Maria Robertson Katie Rothenberg Wei ’94 Fran Norris Scoble Peggy Spear Barbra Tibbles Chabot Vendula Vogel* Naomi Wasserburg JaNelle Weatherford Brian Williams* Andrew Zhou
* faculty/staff/administration reunion committee members
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1966 | The first faculty lounge opens, providing “a tremendous boost to faculty morale.” The Cates property on State Street, known as “State House,” is purchased for $40,000 and renovated to create classrooms for history and foreign language, and the Student Council meeting room.
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1967 | School opens with 293 students, including two AfricanAmerican girls, 30 sets of sisters, and 25 alumnae daughters. Rebecca Kaplan ’67, class valedictorian, enters Radcliffe as a sophomore thanks to Westridge’s increased Advanced Placement offerings.
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1968 | The board organizes an effort to collect 1,716 signatures protesting the planned freeway overpass and access road for the Long Beach Freeway linking Glenarm and Madeline Drive. Westridge becomes a sponsor for “Open Future,” a summer school residency program at Scripps College identifying potential college students from Watts and Compton. Enrollment at Westridge becomes more diverse: 31 receive financial aid (including five faculty daughters), there are 10 African-American and two Hispanic students, and more girls commute from outside the community. Three students, from Pacific Palisades, Santa Barbara, and Guatemala, live with families in Pasadena in order to attend.
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Pasadena, CA Permit No. 1986
324 Madeline Drive Pasadena, California 91105 www.westridge.org