Great Teachers

Years ago, Harvard School, Westlake School, and Harvard-Westlake School would bestow upon teachers who had served a long tenure and were beloved by students the title "Great Teacher." Plaques adorned with the names of these Great Teachers hang in St. Saviour’s Chapel at the Upper School and the bell tower at the Middle School. Although the “Great Teacher” designation no longer exists at Harvard-Westlake, these teachers from years past touched the minds, hearts, and spirits of their students in ways that stood out. 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

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)

• Taught English and film

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

John Luebtow

Years of service: 1971-2013 (Harvard and Harvard-Westlake)

• Visual arts teacher
• Co-founded the Visual Arts Department at Harvard with the late Carl Wilson
• Taught courses in ceramics and sculpture
• Commissioned by the school in 2012 to create the large glass sculpture next to the Munger Science Center at the Upper School

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)

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