Hockaday School

The Hockaday School is an independent, secular, college preparatory day school for girls Pre-K through 12 located in Dallas, Texas, United States. The Hockaday School is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest.

The Hockaday School
Address
11600 Welch Road Dallas, Texas 75229 United States
Coordinates	32.9074°N 96.8272°W / 32.9074; -96.8272
Information
Type	Private, independent, day school
Motto	Virtus Scientia (Virtue through knowledge)
Established	1913
Founder	Ela Hockaday
Headmistress	Laura Leathers[1]
Grades	PK–12
Gender	Female
Color(s)	Green, white
Athletics conference	SPC
Website	www.hockaday.org

History

The school was founded in 1913 by Ela Hockaday in response to a group of Dallas businessmen's demand to pioneer an academic institution for their daughters, one equal to that of their sons’ educational experiences. She added a junior college in 1931 which operated until 1951.^[2] The first class consisted of only ten students. Sarah Trent was one of the first teachers at the school and was influential in its development. As of the 1940 census, Ela Hockaday was living at the school that was located in the block between 5601 Bonita and 2407 Greenville Avenue in Dallas.^[3]

The school announced in 2021 that it would phase out the boarding option by 2025.^[4]

Tuition

The tuition averages $36,705^[5] for upper school day students (not including books). For resident students, costs are approximately $62,828 - $64,191. Financial aid is granted on the basis of demonstrated family need and the school's availability of funds. In the 2019–2020 school year, 13% of the Hockaday student body received financial aid.^[6]

Athletics

Hockaday competes in the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) in 11 sports: basketball, cross-country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

In addition, they compete in crew (rowing) and fencing.^[7]

Publications

Hockaday's mass communication publications are student-run and designed. They produce the newspaper, Fourcast, once a month and the literary magazine, Vibrato, once a year.

Vibrato has won national awards, including the Gold Crown Award (CSPA), Pacemaker Award (NSPA), and Best in Show (NSPA), through Columbia Scholastic Press Association and National Scholastic Press Association.^[8][9]

Notable alumnae

Since 2010, five Hockaday graduates have gone to graduate school at Oxford as Rhodes Scholars, an award that goes to only 32 students per year. Two Hockaday alumnae earned this scholarship in 2022, becoming the first two Rhodes Scholars from the same high school graduating class. These 5 alumnae are: Libby Longino Cohen ’06, Laura Roberts ’12, Mary Clare Beytagh ’14, Elizabeth Guo '18, and Mary Orsak '18 ^[10][11]

Individual alumnae

• Allister Adel, County Attorney for Maricopa County, Arizona
• Jay Presson Allen, 1940. Screenwriter, playwright, novelist.
• Barbara Pierce Bush, attended but left before high school. Co-founder and president, Global Health Corps. Presidential daughter.^[12]
• Dixie Carter, 1982. Businesswoman; former president of Total Nonstop Action / Impact Wrestling.^[13]
• Victoria Clark, 1978. Tony award-winning singer and actress.^[14]'
• Rita Crocker Clements, 1949. Republican Party organizer, First Lady of Texas.^[15]
• Deborah Coonts. Romantic mystery novelist and lawyer.^[16]
• Frances Farenthold, 1942. Politician, lawyer, activist.^[17]
• Farrah Forke, 1986. Actress. Wings, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
• Jenna Bush Hager, attended but left before high school. Author, Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope.^[18] Presidential daughter.
• Amanda Havard, 2004. Novelist.
• Lyda Hill, 1960. Businesswoman, philanthropist.
• Caroline Rose Hunt, 1941. Founder, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. Writer. Philanthropist.
• Helen LaKelly Hunt, 1967. Writer, psychotherapist, philanthropist
• June Hunt, 1965. Bible-based counselor and radio personality. Philanthropist.
• Swanee Hunt, 1968. Ambassador to Austria, Harvard lecturer, photographer, philanthropist.
• Nasreen Pervin Huq, 1976. Activist and campaigner for women's rights and social justice
• Annemarie Jacir, 1992. Palestinian filmmaker and poet
• Lisa Loeb, 1986. Singer-songwriter.
• Dorothy Malone, 1943. Actor
• Anne Windfohr Marion, President of Burnett Ranches and Chairman of Burnett Oil Company.^[19]
• Frances Mossiker, 1922. Historical novelist
• Anne W. Patterson, 1967. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs
• Renee Peck, 1971. Journalist.
• Dawn Prestwich, 1978. Television producer and screenwriter.
• Patricia Richardson, 1968. Actor. Home Improvement ^[20]
• Holland Roden, 2005. Teen Wolf, 12 Miles of Bad Road, Lost
• Harriet Schock, 1958. Songwriter^[21]
• Amy Talkington. Filmmaker, screenwriter.
• Lyda Ann Thomas, 1954. Mayor of Galveston, Texas.
• Pamela Willeford, 1968. Former U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.^[22]