The Bishop’s School has been a La Jolla institution for a variety of reasons. That being the case, the school is celebrating a century of excellence.
An upcoming new book will chronicle the school’s history, its contributions to the community and more. “The Bishop’s School: 100 Years and Beyond” will offer the story of the legacy that has taken The Bishop’s School from its founding in 1909 into the 21st century.
Suzanne Weiner, director of marketing and public relations for The Bishop’s School, spoke recently with La Jolla Village News about the book.
LJVN: Talk a little bit about the book, its purpose, et cetera.
Weiner: The last history of the school, “Reviewing the Vision,” written by Thomas W. Mitchell ” then a member of the school’s history department ” took the school’s history through 1979. So we have 21 years to bring the history up to date. For the most part, these are the Michael Teitelman years since he became head of school in 1983.
This book tells the story of the school’s founders, significant school heads and leaders, notable changes in the school’s campus and community, and uses a more feature-writing style than the previous history. We’re showing how the life at Bishop’s reflected the societal and economic times in the country.
The title of the book is the centennial celebration’s tag line: “The Bishop’s School: 100 Years and Beyond.” So while the past is of importance, this history book will talk about the successes of the Bishop’s of today and where the school is looking to go strategically in the next century.
LJVN: How much time and effort went into compiling info for the book, how much manpower?
Weiner: The book will take a year to complete, from the time we first chose the publisher “” Reedy Press ” until its release in November 2008.
I am the editor. The writer is Trisha J. Ratledge, who I’ve worked with for a few years (Trisha is one of the feature writers for the school’s magazine.)
Molly McClain (Bishop’s Class of ’84) is an associate professor of history at the University of San Diego. Dr. McClain wrote the preface and has provided us with the historical chronology.
Other people involved include John Trifiletti, chief advancement office and assistant headmaster; Stephanie Hammond, centennial celebration coordinator; and a crew of alumni who are working on the school’s archives, led by Joan Whitney Flagg, ’82.
LJVN: What will readers take from this book when they’re done with it?
Weiner: An inside look at the school and its campus. A better understanding of the way the school began as a small boarding school, merged to become a coed school with a boarding department, and then grew into the vibrant coeducational day school it is today.
LJVN: If you had to name two or three highlights of the book (time period, people or events), what would they be?
Weiner: The archival photos from the early years ” 1910s to 1920s ” are wonderful. There are two spreads that I like in particular: May Day, with its wonderful photos. This was a tradition that spanned 1913 to 1949.
St. Mary’s Chapel: Everyone knows the school’s very visible gold domed tower, but most people have never seen the chapel when it was built in 1917 “” without a tower. (The Bishop Johnson Tower was added in 1930.)
LJVN: Where and when is the book available?
Weiner: Perhaps the most direct is going to our Web site, www.bishops.com, and using the button on the home page. It takes the reader to info about the book and links to either an order form or the publisher’s Web site where they can place an order.
It’s a four-color, hardcover book. The price is $40 with free shipping; available in November 2008.
