School History and Traditions
135 Years of Academic Excellence
In 1888, a young teacher from Maine, newly widowed and accompanied by her young daughter and niece, traveled across the country to relocate to California and start a new life. Within two months of her arrival in Los Angeles in 1889, Mary Caswell founded what would soon become Marlborough School, now the oldest independent girls' school in Southern California.
Over the past century, Marlborough has undergone significant growth and evolution. Today, our student body is representative of the talent and diversity of greater Los Angeles, our academic and athletic programs have expanded, college matriculation is highly competitive and distinguished, and campus facilities have kept pace with the educational innovation taking place inside the classroom.
The Campus
What began as a single building in a barley field has grown into a campus that spans 110,000 square feet, where our students flourish, further their love of learning, discover their passions, and make lifelong friends.
A Legacy of Tradition
For more than 130 years and through nine successive Heads of School, Marlborough has nurtured a cherished number of traditions, each holding its own unique place in the life of the school, its students, and alumnae.
Class Color & Song
Before they leave Middle School, 9th graders select their Class Colors and Song. They carry the colors with them through Upper School and sing their song at various school celebrations.
Pin Ceremony
To celebrate their completion of Middle School, 9th graders are given a Marlborough School pin at a special ceremony at the end of the year.
Banner Presentation
10th-grade students create and present a banner embodying the best characteristics of their class and all they bring to the school community. It is displayed on campus every five years when they celebrate a milestone reunion.
Ring Ceremony
Marking the passage into their final school year, this century-old school tradition utilizes the imagery of the class ring to emphasize the unity and cohesive journey of the Junior Class through their time at Marlborough.
Mascot Presentation
Each Senior Class selects and presents a class mascot—a fictional figure that symbolizes the identity of the graduates. Recent mascots have included Snoopy, Pascal from Tangled, Vector from Despicable Me, and Mushu from Mulan.
The Milestones
- 1889 – Marlborough School, originally called St. Margaret's School for Girls, is founded by Mary Caswell.
- 1890 – Marlborough moves to a new location at the corner of 23rd and Scarff Streets.
- 1924 – Miss Ada Blake becomes the second Principal of Marlborough School.
- 1942 – Miss Ada Blake is succeeded as Principal by Georgia Caswell Overton, daughter of Mary Caswell.
- 1948 – Mrs. Helen Mitchell becomes Principal, focuses on preparing Marlborough graduates for college.
- 1958 – Helen and Kenneth Mitchell purchase Marlborough School.
- 1962 - Marlborough ushers in a new era as a non-profit foundation with its own Board of Trustees.
- 1968 – The “new” School is completed, and two years later, Robert Chumbook (1970-1990) becomes Headmaster.
- 1989 - Barbara Wagner joins Marlborough School.
- 2014 – Marlborough Celebrates 125 Years.
- 2015 – The Arden Project breaks ground as the final phase of a campus expansion envisioned in the 1960s.
- 2015 – Dr. Priscilla G. Sands becomes Head of School.
- 2022 – Jennifer Ciccarelli appointed as Head of School.