Besant Hill School of Happy Valley, formerly the Happy Valley School, is an American private,

coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

boarding school and day school in Ojai, California. The school has approximately 100 students and about 35 faculty and staff, all of whom live on or near campus. In the 2017/18 school year there are 13 states and 22 countries represented in the student body. An environmental science and sustainability program is coupled with a working garden/farm on campus.

History

An educational community was envisioned by Annie Besant, which later took the form of a secondary school that was founded by Guido Ferrando,

Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxle ...

, J. Krishnamurti, and Rosalind Rajagopal. The school is on of land that was bought in 1927 by Besant. It opened on October 1, 1946 as the Happy Valley School with Dr. Ferrando serving as the first Head of School. The school was later renamed in July 2007 in Besant's honor.

Notable founders/faculty members

* Annie Besant – Main Founder of the school, women's rights activist and president of the theosophical society * Rosalind Rajagopal – Main Founder of the school and long-time director. *

– Main Founder of the school and author/novelist * Jiddu Krishnamurti – An Indian speaker and writer on philosophical and spiritual subjects * Franklin Lacey – Faculty member and Head of School, playwright and screenwriter *

Beatrice Wood Beatrice Wood (March 3, 1893 – March 12, 1998) was an American artist and studio potter involved in the Avant Garde movement in the United States; she founded and edited ''The Blind Man'' and '' Rongwrong'' magazines in New York City with Fren ...

– Faculty member and Avante garde artist and studio potter

Notable alumni

* Alex J. Mandl *

Tom Pollock Thomas Philip Pollock (April 10, 1943 – August 1, 2020) was an American film producer and studio executive. He started his career as an entertainment lawyer, before transitioning to a studio executive and film producer. He was the chairman of ...

* Kaffe Fassett *

Cheryl Crane Cheryl Christina Crane (born July 25, 1943) is an American retired real estate broker, author and former model. She is the only child of actress Lana Turner. Her father was Turner's second husband, actor-turned-restaurateur Steve Crane. She was ...

Lisa Marie Presley Lisa Marie Presley (born February 1, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter. She is the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley, as well as the sole heir to her father's estate. Presley has developed a caree ...

Ron Cooper (artist) Ron Cooper (born 1943) is an American artist who grew up in Ojai, California and started his career in the late 1960s in Los Angeles. By 1973, Cooper had already participated in numerous international solo and group shows with pieces in the permane ...

* Frazier Mohawk

References

External links

Official website

Happy Valley Foundation
{{authority control High schools in Ventura County, California Boarding schools in California Ojai, California Private high schools in California 1946 establishments in California Educational institutions established in 1946 Monuments and memorials to Annie Besant