Countdown centennial
2013-2014 Volume 4 | May 2013
Reconnect, Reunite, Reaffirm Established in 1987, the Mary Lowther Ranney Distinguished Alumna Award recognizes an alumna who has made special contributions throughout her life. The recipient, nominated by alumnae at large, is honored at Alumnae Day each year. The citation for the award reads as follows:
To honor Mary Lowther Ranney, this award is given annually by Westridge School to an alumna whose life embodies the spirit of the Westridge motto, Surgere Tentamus, and who, by her commitment to her chosen path, her dedication to lifelong growth and learning, and her habits of heart, mind, and action, is an example and an inspiration to the Westridge community.
I
am greatly flattered to be named the 2013 Ranney Award winner. To be considered a distinguished alumna of a school that has meant so much to me and was crucial to my personal and professional development is truly quite an honor. And to be bestowed with an award named after Mary Lowther Ranney — a smart, independent woman whose early career in architecture reflects her passion for the arts — makes it all the more special. Some of my fondest memories of Westridge include my own involvement in the arts — perhaps a foreshadowing of the career I found in the art world — and yet mostly I feel Westridge introduced me to analytical thinking, and provided me with foreign language ability and creative writing skills that have served me well in my career as a gallery owner and art dealer. I will forever be grateful to the (continued on page 2)
westridge beginnings
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1940 | More than doubling the school’s grounds, Westridge acquires the adjacent S. H. Fullerton estate on South Orange Grove. The old home on the property becomes the first Ranney House, and its lawn and camphor tree provide the venue for that year’s graduation. On Founders’ Day, Mrs. William Brackenridge presents an address on the school’s history. A memorial ceremony patterned after the Egyptian custom is performed in Miss Ranney’s honor.
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1941 | Louise Wood, a Quaker and former head of the Florentine School in Italy, becomes Westridge’s third headmistress.
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1942 | With the United States’ entry into the war, the school holds its first air raid drill. Miss Wood tells the board: “I have given the girls the motto ‘steady does it’,” in response to the inevitable restlessness which sweeps Westridge and the country.
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1944 | Miss Wood tenders her resignation: “I must put myself in line for reconstruction work in Europe after the war.”
1945 | In May, Gladys Peterson is hired as Westridge’s fourth headmistress.