Page 51 - 1998 Wardlaw Hartridge
P. 51
IN MEMORIAM
Prentice C. Horne
On January 15 the Wardlaw-Hartridge community lost one of its most devoted members, Prentice Cross Horne. He was headmaster of the Wardlaw Country Day School and Wardlaw-Hartridge School for 22 years and still remained an important part of the school for many years after his retirement. Mr. Horne almost single handedly made the Ward law-Hartridge School what it is today.
One of the greatest of Mr. Horne's accomplishments was the construction of the Inman Avenue campus through Oper ation Lamplight. In 1968, through financing and donations, the construction of the new campus was able to begin. By the time he retired in 1981, the entire new school was paid for and W-H was in a financially sound position, with an enrollment of over 560.
Mr. Horne built a strong reputation for Wardlaw. At the school's first Middle Atlantic States evaluation, one evaluator said, "We don't know what you are doing at Wardlaw Country Day School, but whatever it is, there is something mag ical about it."
Of the many things that Mr. Horne did for Wardlaw and Wardlaw-Hartridge he will be remembered most for the way he was always there for his students and was directly involved in their lives. His desk was in the hall so any faculty member, parent, or student could come to him at any time. He would take attendance each day and speak to each class as he did so. Mr. Horne personally counseled all students about college and did his best to make sure that all his students went on to college. He made himself accessible to parents by having office hours every Monday from 7-
9 p.m.
Overall, he stressed moral character and integrity, and he expected students to be honest with him because he was always honest with them. Mr. Horne was a mentor for his faculty and acted as a role model for everyone. He under stood what students needed and when teachers needed encouragement. When he died, our school lost a man who made Wardlaw-Hartridge his life. Everyone lost a person who was a gentleman and also a gentle man.
