When Western Reserve Academy marked its Centennial in 1926, attendance and enthusiasm ran so high that the floors of a packed Chapel began to rumble, ultimately prompting an evacuation mid-celebration. Faculty Master J. Frederick Waring recalled the moment vividly:
Reserve has always had a remarkable story to tell. Forged in the Ohio wilderness of the Western Reserve, we began as an educational outpost with aspiration built into our DNA. The main doors of our original campus buildings all faced west; there was nothing stunted about our zeal for new horizons — on the land, in learning and in life. We were among David Hudson’s final legacies. We were called the “Yale of the West.” We would serve as a beacon of excellence and enlightenment. Though we didn’t officially call ourselves the Pioneers until the 1930s, we were trailblazers from the start.
And yet, it may be this enduring blend of pride and humility, of hardscrabble beginnings and intellectual ascendance, of lovingly local roots and tenaciously global reach — that has propelled us from there to here. We have been a rugged wilderness and an abolitionist’s platform; an observatory and a working farm; home to wartime heroes, fabled faculty, a first woman student, and a first woman Head of School. We have closed down and opened up. We have welcomed newcomers, sent graduates into the world, endured tragedy, and been buoyed by celebration. Vulnerable and resolute, our stories are endearingly individual and beautifully collective.
Now, we have the chance to celebrate them together, or as Head of School Suzanne Walker Buck likes to say, borrowing from sociologist Émile Durkheim, with collective effervescence.
Over the next two years, let’s shake the Chapel floors again, metaphorically speaking, by embracing our dichotomies, sharing our memories and advancing our future. And perhaps, now and then, let’s imagine what those two centuries from now will say about how we marked this moment. We have big shoes to fill and exhilarating trails to blaze. Much is planned to plant our proud stake in the ground for the next 200 years.
Oh, long may time these things preserve.
The Bicentennial Celebration Weekend
A Visual Recap
Scroll through our weekend events to see how we marked 200 years with style and substance. Each event includes a link to a photo gallery. Each picture tells the story of a an action-packed weekend like no other. We are so grateful for all who poured their hearts into our programming and to all who joined us to toast the 200th birthday of a school we all adore. Here's to many, many more.
Thank You To Our Sponsors
Western Reserve Academy’s Bicentennial Gala, FOREVERGREEN, was an unforgettable celebration of 200 years of Light and Truth — and a bold step into our third century.
Premier Viridescent Sponsors | $50,000
The Alpern Family, The Wang Family & The Wortendyke Family | The Bayly Family | Jeannie Donovan ’76 & The Class of 1976 | The Hamlin Family | Michael ’05 & Holli Russell
Legacy Sponsors | $25,000
H. Andrew Decker ’72 | The Forhan Family | Vizmeg Landscape | Evan ’04 & Jaclyn '07 Williams
Lux Sponsors | $10,000
Anonymous | Anonymous | Case Western Reserve University | The Clessuras Family | The Day Family | The Deuble Foundation | The Farr Family | First National Bank | Martin D. ’68 & Sherry Franks | Angela Strach-Gotthardt & Jeff Gotthardt | The Hankins Foundation | The Hunter Family | Drs. Jenifer Lloyd & John Dunne and Family | Leah Maher ’78 | The Mavinkurve Family The Edward Newman Family | Parkhurst Dining | The Reef Family | Lucy B. Saner ’06 & The Saner Family | Paul Schumacher ’84 & Schumacher Homes | Village Dental | Spencer Wells ’88 | Ms. Kate Wood ’02 & Mr. Kent Gryskiewicz
Veritas Sponsors | $5,000
The Amer Family | Boys of ’65 | Meredith Broadbent ’77 | The Burton Family | Cleveland Foundation/Lillian Kuri ’88 | Sunny & Stephan Cole ’66 | Tom ’84 & Julia Dunn | The Fowler Family | The Franz Family | Bruce Harrison ‘67 | Henderson Brothers | Zac Isaac ’73 Family | Michael A.F. Johnson ’84 & Family | Jeff ’89 & Sarah Johnston | The Kelley Financial Group | KeyBank | The Leonard Family | Stephen Archer & Priya Maseelall ’92 | Bob McCulloch ’69 | Mudd Construction | The Parker Family | The Pryce Family | Tim ‘98 and Kelly Hopkins | The Shaw Family | The Warner Family | Wheeler Boltz Architects
Pioneer Sponsors | $2,500
The Filippelli Family | The Godshall Family | The Greissing Family | The Hewko Family | Laurie Howell & The Vaughn Family | Hylant | The Lockwood Family | The Loos Family | Maloney + Novotny, LLC | Paul & Anne Cacioppo Manganaro ’75 The Maronian Family | Scott ‘87 & Marla Moss | The Roemer Family | The Sedlacek Family | The Welshimer Family
Other Sponsors
AGS Custom Graphics | American Fireworks | The Bear and Abramson Family | DJ Suga Ray & Jessy Smith ’01 | Hudson Heritage Painting, LLC | Janco Services, Inc.
Sponsoring FOREVERGREEN is a unique way to honor 200 years of Light and Truth, while helping us invest in the future of Western Reserve Academy. To learn more or reserve a sponsorship, please contact Leadership Gift Officer Kristin Kuhn ’98 at [email protected] | 330-650-9787.
Shop the Bicentennial Boutique!
Our Bicentennial Boutique offers a thoughtfully curated collection of commemorative items — some nostalgic, some playful and some truly one of a kind. Discover retro classics like a camp flag and vintage crew sweater, unexpected favorites like a glow-in-the-dark Bicentennial Tree t-shirt and meaningful keepsakes, including a special jewelry line created to mark this historic moment.