These teachers touched the minds, hearts, and spirits of their students. Though in some cases details of their legacy have been lost in the years gone by, here we present a brief summary of what we know of their career highlights.
Robert E. Archer
Years of service: 1968-1997 (Harvard and Harvard-Westlake)
- English, logic, and ethics teacher
- Department chair
- Coached basketball
- Brought the team teaching system to Harvard School, which is now used across the curriculum at Harvard-Westlake
- Played basketball under John Wooden at UCLA
- Volunteered at the Inner City Educational Foundation after retirement
Clarence A. Barnes
Years of service: 1908-1958 (Harvard)
- Math teacher for 50 years
- Taught algebra, geometry, and trigonometry
- Longest tenured faculty member at Harvard School
R. Lee Carlson
Years of service: 1980-1994 (Harvard and Harvard-Westlake)
- Math teacher
- Director of Athletics
- Athletic Committee Chair
- Coached baseball, basketball, football, and rugby
- Math Olympics team coach
- Graduated from Harvard School in 1950
John P. Clark
Years of service: 1961-1990 (Harvard)
- Physics teacher
- Taught Engineering Principles, Sound: Acoustics, Advanced Placement Physics: Mechanics, and Advanced Placement and Honors Physics: Electricity and Magnetis
- One of the leaders of the Physical Science Study Committee
- Advisor for the Recorder Club
- Advisor for the Ham Radio Club
- Beloved by the science department and mentor to many colleagues
David Coombs
Years of service: 1968-2008 (Westlake and Harvard-Westlake)
- English and history teacher
- English Department Chair
- History Department Chair
- Ran the Westlake summer school program for many years
- Ran the Harvard-Westlake summer school program after the merger
Helen Temple Dickinson
Years of service: 1945-1967 (Westlake)
- Principal, Headmistress and Owner of Westlake School
- Senior advisor
Thomas A. Donahue
Years of service: 1979-2003 (Harvard and Harvard-Westlake)
- Spanish teacher
- World Languages Department Chair
- Head of Financial Aid
- Director of remote campus in Glenwood, New Mexico
- Hiker, explorer, and researcher in the Southwest
Lieutenant Colonel Alpha T. Easton
Years of service: 1912-1932 (Harvard)
- Military science and tactics teacher
Father John S. Gill
Years of service: 1942-1986 (Harvard)
- Chaplain and history teacher for 44 years at Harvard School
- Taught World War I and II History, Western Civilization, Celestial Navigation, and California History
Kinter Hamilton
Years of service: 1902-1949 (Harvard)
- Latin, economics, and history teacher
- Assistant Headmaster, but performed the duties of Headmaster
- Coached track and football
- Founder of the California Interscholastic Federation
Marion C. Hays
Years of service: 1944-1970 (Harvard)
- Chemistry, physics, geometry, and algebra teacher
- Assistant Headmaster
- Member of California Interscholastic Federation and Academic Scholarship Committee
Jim Hosney
Years of service: 1971-1980 (Westlake)
Nathaniel G. Hughes
Years of service: 1938-1978 (Harvard)
- History and mechanical drawing teacher
- Assistant to the Headmaster
- Head of Lower School
Burt Gordon Ijams
Years of service: 1902-1947 (Harvard)
- Principal of the Lower School
Dale Ireland
Years of service: 1965-1981 (Westlake)
- History teacher
- Taught U.S. History, European History, and Modern Society
- History Department Chair
Barbara Jacobson
Years of service: 1963-2005 (Westlake and Harvard-Westlake)
- Math teacher
- Taught algebra, geometry, and calculus
- Eighth grade class advisor
- Dean and Assistant Head of the Middle School
- Math Department Chair
Karl W. Kleinz
Years of service: 1981-1998 (Harvard and Harvard-Westlake)
- History and psychology teacher
- Taught history courses at all levels, including World History, European History II, and Advanced Placement Art History
- Dean of Faculty
- Faculty Academic Committee Chair
Frederica de Laguna
Years of service: 1904-1942 (Westlake)
- Cofounder of Westlake School for Girls in 1904
- Professor of English Language and Literature
- Professor of German and French at the University of Southern California until 1903
- Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University, 1894
- Master’s degree from Columbia University, 1904
James W. McCleery
Years of service: 1925-1973 (Harvard)
- Latin and Spanish teacher
- Coached baseball and golf
Hazel Hartley McNiece
Years of service: 1927-1959 (Westlake)
- History and geography teacher
- Taught European History, American History, Civics, and Economic Geography
Jerome N. Margolis
Years of service: 1970-2006 (Harvard and Harvard-Westlake)
- Music teacher
- Taught Orchestra, Jazz Band, Synthesizer, Music Workshop, Jazz Ensemble, and Music History
- Started Harvard School’s music program in 1970
- Directed musical theater orchestra
- Retired to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and has composed more than 30 major works since retirement
Stephen R. Marsden
Years of service: 1983-2008 (Harvard and Harvard-Westlake)
- Advanced placement and honors chemistry teacher
Mervin H. Miller
Years of service: 1943-1983 (Harvard)
- Chemistry and physical science teacher
- Dean of Faculty
- Academic Scholarship Committee Chair
- Supervised academic program
Carol Mills
Years of service: 1933-1967 (Westlake)
- English teacher
- Vice Principal in 1933
- Headmistress
Joannie Parker
Years of service: 1979-1998 (Westlake and Harvard-Westlake)
- English and women’s studies teacher
- Founder of Westlake’s Women’s History Month
- Very involved in the women’s movement
King Schofield
Years of service: 1975-1995 (Westlake and Harvard-Westlake)
- Speech and debate teacher
- Led the Debate Club
J. Leonard Sherman
Years of service: 1912-1957 (Harvard)
- English teacher
- Dean of Faculty
- Scholastic Committee Chair
- In charge of academics and curricula
- Founder of Student Cabinet
Walter V.V. Stewart
Years of service: 1951-1985 (Harvard)
- Math teacher
- Department chair
- Dean of students, in charge of discipline
- Coached swimming and water polo
William Taylor
Years of service: 1921-1957 (Harvard)
- English teacher
- Harvard School business manager
Junita Van Burg
Years of service: 1927-1968 (Westlake)
- Geometry and algebra teacher
- Head of the math department
Jessica Smith Vance
Years of service: 1904-1939 (Westlake)
- Cofounder of Westlake School for Girls in 1904
- Bachelor of Arts in English Philology and Literature from University of the Pacific, 1893
- Master of Arts in English from Stanford University, 1893
- Taught English at Mills College in Oakland, California
- Teaching assistant at Stanford University
Herbert L. Winans
Years of service: 1901-1936 (Harvard)
- Classics teacher
- Taught Latin and Greek
- Moved to Los Angeles in 1900 and was one of the original faculty members at Harvard School
Tedd D. Woods
Years of service: 1967-1991 (Harvard)
- Speech teacher
- Member of the National Forensics League (now known as the National Speech and Debate Association)