The WRA Bicentennial

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:

According to The Plain Dealer, “large irregular cracks in the pine trunks supporting the chapel were widening…President Vinson was praying.”

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.

Founder's Weekend

April 24–25, 2026

Founders Day honors the establishment of Western Reserve Academy — the courage of our founding trustees, the strength of the generations who followed and the community that continues to shape our future. This April, we celebrate in alignment with the laying of the Academy’s first cornerstone, the moment when vision became reality and a school built on purpose took physical form.

During our Bicentennial year, this takes on even greater meaning. Founders Weekend brings our community together to honor our past, celebrate the present, and carry forward the spirit that has defined Reserve for nearly 200 years.

Two days. Four signature events. One shared legacy.

Friday, April 24

Cornerstone Ceremony
📍 Chapel | 🕰 Time TBA

A special all-school program honoring the founding of Western Reserve Academy.

Just as the original cornerstone marked the beginning of Reserve in 1826, this ceremony invites us to reflect on our history, recognize the people who have shaped our community and recommit to the values that will guide us into our third century.

Class Olympics Finale
📍 The MAC | 🕰 Time TBA

The culminating event of this year’s Class Olympics — where months of competition, teamwork and class pride come to a thrilling conclusion. Every challenge. Every event. Every point has led to this moment.

The winning class will earn more than bragging rights: they’ll unlock an exclusive, grade-wide after-hours celebration in the MAC, reserved just for champions!

Saturday, April 25

The Hudson Relays
📍 The MAC | 🕰 Time TBA

Revived for our Bicentennial year in partnership with Case Western Reserve University, the Hudson Relays reconnect us with a proud tradition of endurance, teamwork and shared purpose. This marathon-style relay brings together 50 runners, each completing a half-mile leg to collectively cover the full distance, symbolizing the many individuals who, together, carry Reserve forward.

Community members of all experience levels are invited to participate. Join the team and be part of history.

Bicentennial Prom
📍 House of Blues Cleveland
After-party at Spins Bowl Independence

A Bicentennial celebration deserves an unforgettable night. This year’s prom will be held at Cleveland’s iconic House of Blues, followed by an after-party at Spins Bowl. Together, upperclassmen will celebrate their time at Reserve while adding their own memories to the Academy’s 200-year story.