The Western High School Alumni Association: Home

Welcome to this website for the alumni of The Western High School in Washington, D.C. The school's grand building at 35th & R Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. is currently the home of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. The Western High School Alumni Association was formerly named The Western-Ellington Alumni Association, until the Duke Ellington School of The Arts formed its own alumni organization, which can be viewed at www.ellingtonschool.org .

Sept 21, 2008: Help Needed…. The alumni association needs a volunteer publisher for its quarterly news letter. This person would help write articles and get it ready for publication. For details contact Stan Schaper brncobst@verizon.net

All who have attended Western are urged to come in, look around, and learn a bit more about past and present happenings at their old school, as well as about some of our more prominent classmates. Check on reunion plans for your class. Leave a message or query.

Western High School was established in 1890. First classes were held in Curtis School at Potomac and O Streets in Georgetown, with two teachers and 50 students. In October 1897, the school moved to 35th and R Streets NW into what was then a new building. Over the years Western won a national reputation as a school of academic excellence. By the mid 1970’s, however, a declining school age population threatened closure of the majestic but aged building. A new educational program exclusively for performing arts began to use some of the space available at Western.

When the DC School Board made the inevitable decision to close Western with the class of 1977, the grand old building became the home of Washington’s first public school program for the arts.

We welcome your contributions to this site as it develops. We offer it as a place where alumni and those who value the memory of this unique school can share experiences and keep in touch.