ANNIEWRIGHT SCHOOL
Beginnings
AnnieWright Schoolwas founded on the dreams of the Right Reverend John Adams Paddock and the hard work of Charles Barstow Wright. Reverend Paddock was appointed the first Missionary Bishop for the Episcopal Church to come to the Washington Territory in 1880. He moved to New Tacoma in 1881 with his wife, Fannie Paddock, and their five children.
Charles Wright was a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was born in Bradford County, PA in 1822. His business was one of banking and railroads, which brought him to Tacoma. He was part of the committee that ventured to the Pacific Northwest in 1872 to determine the final destination for the Northern Pacific Railroad. He later became president of Tacoma Land Company and spokesman for "the City of Destiny" that was Tacoma.
In 1881, Wright wrote to Bishop Paddock and asked him what Tacoma needed. Paddock answered that the little town of some 1,000 people needed a church and a school which would "make possible Christian education for the rising generation of daughters of the pioneers."
The original location of the school was on Tacoma Avenue near Wright Park, between Division Avenue and First Street. The new seminary was named by Bishop Paddock to honor Mr. Wright by naming it after his daughter Annie who was born in 1864.
The cornerstone for the Annie Wright Seminary was laid at four o'clock in the afternoon of August 23, 1883, by Charles Barstow Wright and his daughter Annie. One year later, in the summer of 1884, the building was completed and ready to open for its first day of classes on September 3rd.
The Annie Wright Seminary opened its doors to 46 students from the Washington Territory, Oregon, British Columbia and Hawaii. At that time, there were ten members of the faculty. The first school catalogue outlined the offerings of Annie Wright Seminary, "For board, furnished room, tuition in English branches and Latin, and laundry service, $350 a year." The first headmistress recalled, "The school opened with a small attendance, but grew rapidly and soon was full to overflowing, so that we had to put cots at the ends of the halls and every other available space."
Growing Pains
By the early 1900s, it became apparent that the school building was becoming too small to meet the needs. A new location and new building were desired to give the school its much needed space. Bishop Keator wanted to see Annie Wright as a country school – close enough to the city to be convenient, but far enough out to provide a safe and secure environment for the girls. Property was purchased on Day Island with the promise of a street car soon to follow to provide transportation for day students. When this did not happen, the property was sold and AWS purchased property north of the original location on Tacoma Avenue. June 9, 1924, marked the laying of the cornerstone for the new Annie Wright Seminary on North Tacoma Avenue. Construction of the new school was completed in time for the start of the school year, and the doors opened to students on September 18, 1924.
The rich history of Annie Wright School is filled with many long-standing traditions. The oldest known tradition is that of the Tree and the Spade, which originated with the class of 1891. However, there is no tradition more treasured than May Day. It began in 1912 as the official Field Day for the school and has progressed into an all school event honoring the senior class, while students from lower grades participate in song and dance. May Day continues to be Annie Wright School's signature annual event.
A New Vision
In 1942, Annie Wright Seminary welcomed the arrival of a visionary new headmistress, Ms. Ruth Jenkins. She arrived at a school full of problems – with enrollment waning as a result of WWII, the school was in a financial crisis. Ms. Jenkins was told she must raise $50,000 in 48 hours or the school would be closed. It was the determination of the students and community members that prevented this from happening. The financial crisis was averted, and the enrollment of the school doubled. Ms. Jenkins attracted a strong and talented faculty. Students, alumnae and parents alike adored Ms. Jenkins for her commitment and dedication to the school.
During WWII, Annie Wright welcomed its first international students from Estonia and Latvia. Since that time, the school has prided itself as an institution of international education.
As the student body diversified, the role the church played in chapel services and in the classrooms began to wane. In 1947, Bishop Huston was replaced by Bishop Bayne, Jr. who worked with Headmistress Jenkins to reform the school's religious curriculum with the belief that chapel attendance was for all faiths and forms of worship. While religion is no longer taught in the classrooms, weekly chapel services continue to embrace the strength that honors the spiritual dimension of life. The school's motto, "from strength to strength," was derived from Psalm 84 as a reminder of the tradition and affiliation of Annie Wright School and the Episcopal Church.
Becoming Coed
After a 1949 earthquake damaged nearby Lowell Elementary School, concerned parents who had daughters at Annie Wright besieged Headmistress Jenkins with urgent pleas to educate their young sons while a new elementary school was being constructed. A roomy structure was built at the back of the school with the intent of eventually converting it into a garage. The school for boys was named Charles Wright School and when its campus moved to the Lakewood area in 1957, the structure was converted into an art studio. That same year, the Ruth Jenkins wing was also constructed off the main corridor of the building. The Bishop Bayne Library opened on campus two years later in 1959.
Annie Wright Seminary was renamed Annie Wright School in the seventies when the coeducational format was established throughout the lower school. In 1983, Robert Klarsch became the 16th head of Annie Wright School. He led the school in the celebration of its centennial year in 1984. The Kemper Center theatre and gymnasium were added to the lower grounds in 1986, and a coeducational middle school for grades six through eight was established.
AWS Today
Throughout the 1990s, Annie Wright School flourished with expanded enrollment across all grades. The coeducational middle school grew at a rapid rate and the lower school opened multiple sections in early childhood education. The upper school residence department was remodeled to provide resident faculty their own private apartments.
Annie Wright School entered the 21st century launching a $10 million dollar remodel and expansion of the campus. Klarsch Hall was constructed in 2003, housing a new dining hall and additional classrooms. Other spaces throughout the main building were remodeled to create more efficient learning areas.
In summer of 2007, the entire second floor of the residence department was taken down to the studs to fully restore the dorm rooms, restrooms, and lounge areas. In fall of 2007, Annie Wright opened with record enrollment of 475 students and 65 resident students. A preschool class was also added to the early childhood program.
Annie Wright School proudly celebrated its 125th year on Founders' Day, January 25, 2009, honoring a cherished history of education founded on strength.
The athletics and physical education programs at Annie Wright focus on lifelong fitness and sportsmanship, while providing the training and coaching required to build competitive sports teams. AWS athletes have achieved great success in recent years, winning state championships in tennis, and track and field. Upper school teams have competed at the state level in volleyball, golf, crew, tennis, and track. Middle school teams have won league championships in basketball, soccer, softball, and volleyball.
Annie Wright's mission to educate responsible citizens for a global society is lived out daily in the school through peer-to-peer interactions. The school enrolls approximately 450 students in grades preschool through twelve. While the lower and middle schools are coed through eighth grade, the upper school remains all girls with half of its students as residents hailing from as many as fifteen countries and eight states. Each student contributes a unique global perspective to the community. The upper school also offers the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme which became part of the curriculum in fall of 2009.
Christian G. Sullivan became the 20th head of school in 2010 and is leading Annie Wright through its self study for reaccreditation while working with the Board of Trustees to develop a new strategic plan. The school is well-positioned for an exciting future, making plans that will enhance every student's learning experience, preparing each of them for the opportunities that lie ahead.