WESTERN HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
history, leadership & what we do
History
The origin of the Western High School Alumni Association emerged as soon as the school’s first graduating classes were fresh off the ceremonial stage. The Association’s first chairman was S. Duncan Bradley (class of 1893, Western’s first graduating class). A meeting of the class officers was held in January 1899 “to perfect a permanent organization.”
In 1909, the Association formally convened as an official entity. Bradley continued his leadership role, now as President; Alberta Walker (class of 1897) was Vice President; and George Harrison (class of 1906) was Secretary, among other officers. More than 200 former students attended this first Association meeting, which included a public reading of its Constitution.
[Bradley would be honored in 1932 with a bronze tablet placed at the athletic field (now known as Duke Ellington Field, located at 38th Street, NW), for “his devotion to his alma mater and his wholehearted and untiring efforts [which] made a distinct contribution toward the achievement of the athletic field.”]
By 1917, the Association was actively meeting (including former faculty and staff), complete with formal addresses by local statesmen and musical programs. It was in 1917 that the Association launched its first publication, “The Western Alumni Bulletin.”
Throughout the decades, the Association continued to meet at various locations including the Carlton Hotel Grill (part of the Carlton Hotel, now known as The St. Regis Washington DC); the Chevy Chase’s Women’s Club (for Western’s annual “Holly Hop”); the Touchdown Club (formerly of “U” Street, NW); and the Shoreham Hotel (now known as Omni Shoreham in NW). Western’s alumni have made remarkable contributions. For more than 100 years, our alumni have impacted fields as varied as business and technology, social work, law and entertainment.
With the closure of Western in the late 1970s, it became even more important to maintain the history and spirit of this remarkable institution. Following a period of dual “alumni-ship” with the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Western registered in 1989 as an independent entity with the District of Columbia.
leadership
The Board of Directors consists of all regular officers of the Association, who are elected each year by the membership at the Annual Meeting (held in November). Terms are for the duration of one year. Current leadership comprises:
President: Jorge Castrogiovanni, ’67
Vice President: Theodore Xakellis, ’60
Treasurer: Roger Guilliams, ’67
Secretary: Theodore Xakellis, ’60
Board Member: Theodore Stoddard, ’44
what we do
The purpose of the Association is to operate for the advancement of the public interest on a continuing basis by establishing and maintaining ties, friendships and relationships among alumni, faculty and administration of the former Western High School; preserving the history of Western, recognizing its records of academic, cadet and athletic achievements. The Association fosters a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, as well as adapting to changing circumstances, remaining open to new ideas, and reviewing opportunities to introduce new methods that can optimize the alumni network.
