 Louisville
Collegiate School opened its doors on September 23, 1915
in a house at 512 West Ormsby Avenue, becoming the first school
in Kentucky committed specifically to preparing young women
for college. Virginia Perrin Speed (1879–1968) and her
husband William Shallcross Speed (1873–1955) were the
principal founders and sustainers of the school, and are largely
responsible for the school’s success
Needing more land
to grow, Collegiate moved in 1927 to its current home
on Glenmary Avenue in the historic Highlands, just east of
downtown Louisville, in what is now the Lower School. (Construction
of the new facility cost an estimated $115,000.)
Although the school
initially accepted boys in the primary grades, it remained
traditionally a girls’ school until 1972 when the Lower
School became coeducational.
In 1980, Collegiate’s
Board of Trustees—in response to the educational
needs and desires of the community—finalized a bold,
new direction: coeducation in the Upper School. To accommodate
the increase in enrollment, Willig Hall was built in 1983
to house the Upper School. When the first coed class graduated
in 1987, a new era of traditions was born.
 As
part of the school’s Master Plan, Collegiate
launched a campaign in 2001 to expand its Upper School because
of the tremendous growth Collegiate was experiencing—a
growth that continues today because of our rich tradition
of academic excellence. Collegiate expanded its Upper School
into a 62,500-square-foot building that houses 17 classrooms,
seven study areas, three science labs and two computer labs.
Approximately
630 students attend Louisville Collegiate School. Throughout
the years, it has been an educational visionary and pioneer
in the community. The school remains a leader by providing
students mental, creative, and physical challenges within
a supportive community of exceptional faculty and staff.
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