Laurel School: the Early Years

In 1896, Jennie Prentiss established a school for young girls in her Cleveland home.  After several years of increasing enrollment and changes in location to accommodate that growth, the school acquired its name - first Laurel Institute, then later Laurel School - because of the ancient Greek symbol of a wreath of laurel leaves, which signified intellectual achievement.

The arrival of Sarah E. Lyman as Headmistress, just after the turn of the 20th century, initiated a new phase in the development of Laurel School. Mrs. Lyman was a strong, self-confident leader with a dynamic personality who possessed the sensitivity and business sense to carry out Jennie Prentiss’ vision. The student body continued to expand under the leadership of Sarah Lyman, and she oversaw the construction of a large brick building on Euclid Avenue, known as "Millionaire's Row."

In the late 1920’s as her students' families moved to the eastern suburbs, she secured property in Shaker Heights and built the impressive Tudor-style building that is Laurel’s current Lyman Campus. Soon after the move to Shaker Heights, Mrs. Lyman retired. She left as her legacy a secure, established, thriving and academically rigorous school for girls that possessed a national reputation for excellence.