About
Rooted In Tradition. Focused On Students. Connected To Community.
Julia Ward Howe Elementary holds a unique and proud distinction: it was one of the first schools in the entire country to be named after a woman. Since opening in 1928, Howe has been a welcoming, community-centered school where students are inspired by the legacy of a remarkable American and encouraged to make their own mark on the world.
Howe At A Glance
- Originally called "Sunset Hills School", Howe opened for the 1928–1929 school year.
- One of the first schools in the country to be named after a woman, Julia Ward Howe, an author and speaker
- Hosted the very first PTA meeting in Mt. Lebanon on October 17, 1935.
- The first principal was Ralph D. Horsman (1931), who later became district superintendent
A School Built with Community Spirit
- On March 1, 1926, the school district acquired 4.25 acres of land for $6,116.21 that would become Howe Elementary School.
Originally called the “Sunset Hills School,” the only street to the school was Sunset Drive. - In 1927, the Board hired Lincoln teacher, Miss Elda Harbison, as the Head Teacher.
- The school opened in the 1928-29 school year with grades K-5. Ralph D. Horsman was named Howe’s first principal in 1931. He went on to become the District’s superintendent.
Honoring a Trailblazer. Inspiring Every Student Who Follows.
- In September 1928, the Mt. Lebanon School Board voted to rename Sunset Hills School in honor of Julia Ward Howe, American author and speaker best remembered for "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
- School Board President Elmer E.E. Stewart personally wrote to Howe's daughters to share the news, explaining simply: "It occurred to me that it would be a graceful act to recognize the efforts of the mothers of our school children by bestowing the name of a woman upon a public school."
- Beyond her literary fame, Julia Ward Howe was a visionary social reformer who, in 1870, penned the Mother’s Day Proclamation—an appeal to women worldwide to unite for peace and justice.
Continuing the Story
- Nearly a century after Julia Ward Howe's name was given to this school, her spirit lives on in every classroom. Howe students are encouraged to be bold, curious, and compassionate, just like the woman who inspired their school's name.