Order your copy of The First Fifty Years of Christ Church Episcopal School: A Journey to Remember, written by Allison Betette Warren '82, illustrated by Lyndi Simms ’01.

Available at CCES and online on September 25.

The journey that took CCES from its humble beginnings in three houses downtown to “Christ High at the Y” to the 72-acre Cavalier Campus where today a thousand students learn, worship, and play together has been a shared adventure. The First Fifty Years of Christ Church Episcopal School: A Journey to Remember tells the story of this adventure: how it began, the route traveled, the leaders who forged its path, and those who paved the road.

As you read about the visionaries, teachers, students, and programs that have built the School’s reputation for excellence, remember that this is also your story. If you were ever a student, staff member, or parent at CCES, you have helped to shape this School’s history. From decade to decade, the story’s details have changed—chapel caps, smoking lounges, the Open School plan, the Parish Campus, and the ban on girls’ pantsuits have all come and gone—but whether you were part of the 1960s or the 2000s, you’ll learn from this history that many things have remained true and constant. The mission of the School and the principles on which it was founded continue to guide CCES today, and a new generation of selfless volunteers has picked up where earlier ones left off in their efforts to make CCES the best place to educate today’s students.

The publication of this first CCES history has a storied history of its own. Begun by former teachers Jean Cochran, Florence Pressly, and Cathy Jones, it was intended for publication for the School’s fortieth anniversary. However, the historians originally approached to write the book, for one reason or another, could not complete the task or quite capture the essence of the School. The project was rescheduled to coincide with the 50th Anniversary, and it took a CCES alumna to write a history that is both accurate and engaging to read.

For almost four years author Allison Betette Warren ’82 has been working closely with Connie Lanzl, CCES Vice President for Advancement, and Alice Baird, Director of Publications and Marketing, to research and write The First Fifty Years of Christ Church Episcopal School: A Journey to Remember. The result, published by Donning, is a handsome hardcover, 144-page history about the visionaries, teachers, students, and programs that have built the School’s reputation for excellence. It is illustrated with more than 150 photos and pastel paintings by Lyndi Simms ’01.