125th History Timeline

Manzanita Hall

In 1893, Frank Cramer founded Manzanita Hall, an all-male boarding and day preparatory school, established to prepare boys to enter Stanford University. We can assume that the school was originally opened for primary, junior and secondary boys because a 1900 school brochure says, "the primary school was discontinued to make room for the advanced department," which is subsequently defined as the last four years before college. However, sometime between 1900 and 1909 a primary school was again added. Although day students were also admitted, we believe most students were boarders who lived in a dormitory with the principal and the teachers. Initially the school was located in the home of Rev. W.D. Bishop at University and Waverley streets in Palo Alto; in 1895 it was relocated to what was known as the Alba Park area of Palo Alto. The first buildings were erected in 1895. Three years later an additional building was erected, and occupied in September 1898. A 1909 brochure says "that the property had 3 buildings: Fenno Lodge, Torosa Lodge and a 3rd building that held a gymnasium, manual training shop and a physics laboratory." A 1913 newspaper, The San Francisco Call, gave this description of the school: "The school is located on the outskirts of Palo Alto, within walking distance of Stanford University, and is in easy reach of San Francisco, combining the advantages of country life with accessibility. Ample athletic grounds surround the school. Saloons are prohibited from the neighborhood by state law." Frank Cramer sold Manzanita Hall to Leroy Dixon in 1902. Dixon sold the school to William Shedd in 1909, but later bought it back from him. Shedd remained as headmaster through at least 1918, presumably until Dixon sold the school to Col. Richard P. Kelly in 1919.

Miss Harker's School

Miss Harker's School was originally housed in Palo Alto at the corners of Kingsley and Bryant in Castilleja Hall, a building that had been vacated and was remodeled for the use as a school. By 1906, the school occupied three rented buildings: two on Bryant and one on Ramona, and they began looking for a permanent site for the school. In 1907 the school purchased 6.25 acres of pasture in the Alba Park section of Palo Alto and the main building was constructed at 1050 Greenwood Ave. One 35-room main building was initially erected, and three more went up before 1921. A pool, three tennis courts, and a combined art and chemistry building were added later. A 1917 brochure says, "the campus property embraces about 7 acres comprised of lawn & gardens around the main building, an orchard, vegetable garden, playground, tennis court, basketball field and baseball field." By 1921, the campus buildings included the bungalow (1910), the domestic science cottage (1913), the studio building (1915) and Alumnae Hall (1921). In 1923, the City of Palo Alto changed its street signs to reflect the school's presence. Katherine and Central became Melville and Harker, respectively. Initially, the all-girls' school was a high school for both boarding and day students, and in the first year 80 students were enrolled and seven graduated. A lower school for girls ages 5-14 was added between 1903 and 1921. Miss Harker's offered a high school program at least through 1953 (newspaper clippings imply the program terminated with grades 9 and 10 after the '52-'53 school year), as referenced in the meeting minutes of the board of directors. However, by 1955 the school program only extended to sixth grade. It is unclear when the boarding program ended; it appears to have been terminated by June 1955, perhaps coinciding with the reorganization of the school in 1955.

Palo Alto Military Academy

In June 1919 Col. Richard P. Kelly purchased Manzanita Hall and changed the school name to the Palo Alto Military Academy. The campus was located at 1150 Parkinson Ave. in Palo Alto. Building on Manzanita Hall's fine academic reputation, Col. Kelly created Palo Alto Military Academy as a non-sectarian, though admittedly Christian, boarding and day school. In the second academic year, the former high school program was discontinued and the enrollment limited to boys ages 5-15, in grades 1-8. The academy continued to prosper throughout the 1930s and 1940s for day and boarding students, building onto the 7-acre campus to support the apparently growing enrollment. Grade 9 was added ca. 1937. The campus included Manzanita Hall, which contained the superintendent's office, classrooms, assembly room and sleeping quarters; Madrona Hall, which housed the dormitory for the younger boys, the kitchen, dining room, music room, outdoor sleeping room and the quarters of the secretary-principal; Encina Hall, which housed the school shop and an athletic dressing rooms with toilets, cold showers and sleeping quarters for teachers and employees. The school grounds consisted of four acres with ample space for athletics and play that included two baseball diamonds, two tennis courts, two handball courts, a combination basketball/volleyball court, soccer/football field, running track and jumping pits and swings, parallel bars, horizontal ladder, climbing ropes and other playground apparatus. By 1937 additional buildings had been added to house more classrooms, band quarters, additional sleeping rooms, a tailor shop, and larger recreation room and social center. The additional building names included Casa Roja and Mills Cottage. Maj. Donald Nichols succeeded Col. Kelly as owner and superintendent of the academy in 1950, when Kelly retired after 30 years of service. Nichols remained in this position through the merging of PAMA and Harker Day School and the relocation to San Jose under the new school name of Harker Academy.

Harker Day School

The Harker Day School, located at 1050 Greenwood in Palo Alto, was established in 1959, after Maj. Donald Nichols purchased Miss Harker's School. It was simply The Harker School at the time of purchase and continued under that name for the first two years. In 1961 the name changed to The Harker Day School and added "for boys and girls" as a tag line under the school name in the school brochures. There were approximately 160 students enrolled at The Harker Day School at the time of the purchase. The school offered a coeducational program for nursery school through sixth grade. In 1970, grade 7 was added, and in 1971 and 1972, eighth graders were enrolled. The earliest brochure in the archives (ca. 1959) indicates that students as young as 3 years old were admitted to the nursery school program. At 4-and-a-half years old, children moved to kindergarten, continuing to the lower achool for grades 1-6. The school was well equipped with facilities for many activities. Tennis courts, an attractive open-air heated swimming pool (75 feet by 35 feet), and large playgrounds provided ample space for health building exercise in the air and sunshine. Nichols served as owner and president of the school through the merging of PAMA and Harker Day School and the relocation to San Jose under the new school name of Harker Academy.

Harker Academy

Harker Academy formed as the result of the merger of the Harker Day School (campus) and the Palo Alto Military Academy (campus) when the schools moved to the Saratoga campus at 500 Saratoga Ave., in San Jose in 1972. The 16-acre San Jose facility was formerly operated as Mother Butler High School, built ca. 1950. The facilities were larger and more modern than the five acres that held the Harker Day School and the Palo Alto Military Academy. After the move to San Jose, the school remained a K-9 program through 1978-79, after which grade 9 was eliminated. Though the academy was no longer a military school, an optional cadet program was available to upper grade boys and girls. There was also a boarding program for K-9. Borders lived in the partially renovated convent building, and girls were added to the program beginning in the summer of 1973. The program was limited to grades 3-8 in the late 1970s. One of the first additions was the Brooks Auditorium/Gymnasium, dedicated on Oct. 20, 1974. Fundraising efforts of the Mothers' and Fathers' Clubs over several years resulted in the addition of a swimming pool and recreational facilities that were dedicated on May 8, 1976. A brochure, circa 1980, stated the following: "Facilities consist of 75,000 square feet of buildings which include 27 classrooms, 2 science laboratories, a library, 2 locker rooms, an auditorium/gymnasium, a computer lab, 2 kitchens, 2 dormitories, art and recreation areas, and a resident student dining room. There are also a 25-meter swimming pool, 2 regulation tennis courts, 3 playing fields, basketball courts and game areas, a baseball diamond, 2 playgrounds, indoor sports and recreation facilities, and spacious grassy areas." In 1992, the name of the school was changed to The Harker School, to shed the last reference to its history as a military academy.

The Harker School

In 1992, we became The Harker School. The boarding program closed in 2002, and the school became one of the largest K-12 independent college preparatory schools in the West, matriculating students to prestigious universities throughout the world. Harker operates four campuses, all within a few miles of each other and named for the streets where they are located. The campuses comprise just under 170,000 square feet on 15.8 acres.

The Harker School, Upper School

The Harker School opened its upper school (grades 9-12) in 1998, graduating its first class in 2002.

• 1998: Harker obtained the Bucknall campus for our lower school (primary K-grade 3 and elementary grades 4-5)
• 2005: Harker leased the Blackford campus for the middle school (grades 6-8)

The Harker School, Preschool

The Harker School opened its preschool, located on Union Ave. in San Jose. The preschool had classes for 3- and 4-year-olds and a transitional kindergarten program. Closed in June 2020 to begin construction for the fall 2021 middle school move to that campus.

Frank Cramer

Manzanita Hall
Founder & Principal, 1893-1902

Frank Cramer was born on Nov. 4, 1861 in Wausau, Wis. After graduating from Lawrence College in Appleton, Wis., in 1886, Cramer worked as a teacher in his home state before moving to Palo Alto to attend Stanford University. He studied zoology, earning a master’s degree in 1893. Under the influence of David Starr Jordan, the first president of Stanford University, Cramer founded a preparatory school for the new university which opened in 1891. The school was first and briefly known as the Palo Alto Preparatory School for Boys, and in 1893 it was renamed Manzanita Hall. The school enrolled 24 students by September of 1894. Cramer resided as head of school from 1893 to 1902. Cramer was one of Palo Alto’s first residents and played a strong leadership role in both the city government and local public schools. He was a member of the town’s first board of trustees, and in 1904 he was elected to the local school board for a three-year term. He had a lifelong interest in nature, and worked with Jordon as a biologist on various projects. Cramer authored the books “The Method of Darwin: A Study in Scientific Method” and “The Case of the People Against the Lawyers and the Courts,” “Interviews with an Outdoor Philosopher,” as well as a 40-page essay that was included in the book “Moral Training in the Public Schools, The California Prize Essays.” In 1926, Cramer went to work for the Palo Alto City Assessor’s Office where he worked until his retirement in1937. Cramer died on Jan. 30, 1948 at the age of 86.

Catherine Harker

Miss Harker's School
Founder & Principal, 1902-1938

Catherine Harker was born on March 2, 1865, in Portland, Ore., the oldest of three daughters born to James Bartlett Harker and Sarah Ellen Polk Harker. A graduate of Vassar College, she began her career teaching Latin at Mills College in Oakland from 1890 to 1893, and again from 1898 to 1901. In the interim, she taught from 1895 to 1898 at Curtner Seminary, a finishing school for men and women. While at Mills College, Harker mentioned her interest in starting a girls school to her fellow teacher and friend, who was the daughter of David Starr Jordan, Stanford University's first president. When Jordon heard of Harker’s interest, he encouraged her to start a school to prepare students for the rigorous academic life at Stanford. In September 1902, Harker opened The Thoburn School, a boarding school for young ladies. Initially a high school, The Thoburn School enrolled 80 students in its first year and graduated seven. In the second year, the school’s name was changed to the Harker-Hughes School when Miss Elizabeth Hughes came in as principal. Hughes stayed only one year, and to fill her position, Sara D. Harker, Catherine’s middle sister, became a silent business associate. The school came to be known simply as Miss Harker’s School in honor of Catherine Harker, whose scholarly achievements began a tradition of academic excellence. Catherine Harker taught Latin and mathematics in addition to performing administrative duties. She has been described in a variety of sources as a dignified woman with a strong sense of the importance of academics, who often laced her lessons with humor. The 1952 edition of the Miss Harker’s School Yearbook, “The Echo,” wrote, “Miss Catherine Harker was not only a meticulous scholar whose daily lessons were carefully organized in neatly penciled notes, but she was a strongly attractive teacher, usually dressed in the dignity of white shirtwaists and long black skirts of her day, who re-assured her students with a contagiously delightful sense of humor.” The October 1952 edition of the local magazine Tall Tree said, “Her faculty of combining humor and scholarliness made her courses a delightful experience.” Catherine Harker passed away Dec. 12, 1938 at the age of 73, after suffering a heart attack while on the school grounds.

Colonel Richard P. Kelly

Palo Alto Military Academy (PAMA)
Superintendent, 1919-1950

Col. Kelly was born in New York and graduated from Cornell University in 1896. While at Cornell, he was editor of two of the university’s publications, wrote considerable poetry, and initially planned a literary career. However, after graduation, he became commandant of the New York State Industrial School at Rochester, and received the title of colonel in the New York State National Guard. In 1902, Kelly moved to the Seattle, Wash., area where his father was living, and became the commandant of Vashon College. He moved to Los Angeles in 1906 to become the commandant of Harvard Military Academy (now the Harvard-Westlake School). Kelly returned to the Washington area circa 1914, and held the position of supervisor of physical training for the Tacoma public schools, where he fostered interscholastic athletics. In 1918, Kelly returned to California to hold the commandant position at Page Military Academy in Los Angeles. Kelly moved to Palo Alto in 1919, bought Manzanita Hall and established the Palo Alto Military Academy. Under his leadership, the school altered its curriculum, and in 1925 the name was changed to Palo Alto Military Academy (PAMA). Kelly served as superintendent of PAMA until his retirement in June of 1950, but retained an active interest in Camp Eldorado, the summer camp affiliated with PAMA. Kelly was also active in civic and educational circles and served as secretary of the Private Camp Directors Association of Northern California. He died on July 7, 1952.

Sara D. Harker

Served Miss Harker’s School 1907-1953
Headmistress, 1938-1953

Sara D. Harker was born in Portland, Ore., on April 1, 1868, the middle of three daughters born to James Bartlett Harker and Sarah Ellen Polk Harker. No records have been found relating to Harker’s formal education; references simply state that she received a musical education. In 1907, Harker arrived in Palo Alto with her mother and aunt to help her sister Catherine Harker run the Miss Harker’s School. A trained musician who played violin and piano, Sara Harker initially worked as director of the music program. She expanded the school’s program and also extended her interests to the Palo Alto community, becoming a champion of the Fortnightly Music Club, which exists to this day and regularly performs free concerts in Palo Alto. Sara Harker’s other main interests were business, humanitarian works and traveling. During World War I, she was in charge of the California State Office for the Commission of Relief of Belgium. She later studied in Boston at the Prince School, affiliated with the graduate school of education at Harvard. In addition to further business studies, she traveled in Australia and Europe, and upon her return from Europe in 1931, became principal of the lower school at Miss Harker’s. In 1938, after Catherine Harker’s death, she took over as headmistress. In an undated brochure published after Catherine’s death in 1938 showing Sara as headmistress, the first aim of the school is thus stated: “The first objective is to inspire every pupil with high ideals, not only of scholarship, but of character, and to awaken the desire to make the greatest possible use of life and talents.” During the 50th celebration of the opening of Miss Harker's School for Girls, an associate wrote of Sara: “Her leadership is one of enthusiasm, sincerity, and high ideals. Always she is interested in the individual, with her talents and potentials. She places strong emphasis upon high academic standards, but above all, she values the building of character.” Sara Harker ran the school until her retirement in 1951. After a series of strokes in 1953, she was hospitalized and then moved to a Mountain View rest home where she remained until her death on April 24, 1956 at age 89.

Major Donald L. Nichols

Served PAMA & Harker Day School 1950-1972
Superintendent, PAMA 1950-1972
President/Superintendent, Harker Day School 1959-1972

Donald L. Nichols, "the Major" as he was affectionately known to faculty, staff and students, was born in 1911 in Massachusetts and moved to California in 1923. His father died at an early age, and his mother, concerned about the absence of a strong role model for her son, enrolled her son in the Palo Alto Military Academy (PAMA). He graduated from there in 1926 and went on to attend Polytechnic High School and Heald's Business College in San Francisco before serving in the California National Guard where he was commissioned as a Major of Infantry. In 1935, he accepted the position of Commandant of Cadets at his alma mater, the Palo Alto Military Academy. Five years later, in 1940, he became the superintendent of the San Rafael Military Academy. During his 10 years at San Rafael, Nichols was active in civic affairs. He was president of the Chamber of Commerce, a director of the Marin County Red Cross and chairman of the disaster relief committee. He also served as chairman of the San Rafael Community Chest campaign. In 1950 Nichols purchased PAMA and made his final move back to Palo Alto where he served as superintendent of the school and took over active management of the institution. In 1959 he purchased Harker Day School, a nursery through grade 6 campus located directly across the street from the PAMA campus. He operated the two schools separately, and when he first took over, he dressed in his military uniform at the academy and would change into a business suit before crossing the street to the Harker Day School to help assure the Harker parents that it was not a military school. In 1972, Nichols merged the two schools, changed the name to Harker Academy, and relocated the campuses to San Jose. He served as superintendent and appointed his son, Howard Nichols, as headmaster. Donald Nichols retired in 1973 but continued to serve as superintendent emeritus until 1997. The Major was credited with turning around the lives of many troubled youngsters, taking them into his home on Melville Ave. when they could not be with their families for normal school holidays. He put several boys through high school and college at his own expense. He was continually involved with the civic community in Palo Alto and was a member of the Rotary Club, Elks Club, Masons and Sheriff's Posse, and was a Shriner of both the Palo Alto Club and the Islam Temple in San Francisco. He was the regular timekeeper at the Shriner game held annually at Stanford stadium and an avid horseman, regularly riding the trails in Woodside. Maj. Donald L. Nichols died on March 13, 1997.

Howard E. Nichols

Served PAMA, Harker Academy & The Harker School 1965-2005
Headmaster, Harker Academy 1973-1992
President, The Harker School 1992-2005

Howard E. Nichols was born on Oct. 10, 1940 in Bremerton, Wash. He moved to the Bay Area as an infant, and when he was in second grade his mother enrolled him at Palo Alto Military Academy (PAMA). He attended PAMA and graduated from ninth grade in 1956. He went on to attend Palo Alto High School followed by Stanford University where he received a degree in economics in 1963. He then served two years in the Army.

In 1965, Nichols returned to PAMA to work for his father, Maj. Donald Nichols, as commandant and athletic director of the military academy. In 1966, they formed Palo Alto Private Schools, Inc. (P.A.P.S.) as an umbrella corporation for PAMA and The Harker Day School. In 1972, he oversaw the merger of the academy and Harker Day School, and the school relocation to the current site of the upper school on Saratoga Ave. in San Jose. Nichols assumed the headmaster responsibilities when his father retired in 1973. He had complete responsibility for the school, from the facilities and grounds to the enrollment and staff. The boarding program was an integral part of the school, and Nichols rotated with other staff to serve as duty master, staying over one night per week to supervise the dorms. In the first few years at the new location, Nichols added girls to the boarding program and slowly phased out the military program. He also had some minor remodeling done to the campus, including additions to the dorm for staff housing, enclosure of an overhang in the front of the school for additional office space, and the addition of an overhang for buses. The biggest change to the campus came with the addition of the pool and tennis courts in the spring of 1976.

The late 1980s found Howard Nichols administering an increasingly complex organization. A hallmark of his leadership style was his ability to listen, which consistently guided his expert management of the school. He listened carefully to staff, students, parents, board members and the community, and used their insights in his decision-making. He believed strongly in effective communication, and included the Headmaster's Message in the newsletters as one way to impart information to parents and the community. He often wrote about the importance of parents' involvement in their children's education, and encouraged parents to set an example by volunteering and by generously contributing to the school. Nichols also recognized the need for strategic planning. Over the years, he made a series of visionary changes to the school, including dropping the military program in 1979, putting the school through the accreditation process for California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) in 1988, changing the school name to The Harker School in 1992, and launching Harker's college-prep upper school and expanding the school onto two additional campuses in San Jose in 1998.

Leading by example, Nichols never hesitated to get involved. Perhaps his greatest gift to the school was his personal participation in events and activities large and small, ranging from drama and dance to athletics. Nichols was always a leader in mobilizing the Harker community to action. Whether it was the school's campaign to write letters to soldiers of Desert Storm in 1990, the award-winning recycling program, or Jump Rope 4 Heart (for which he was a record-setting participant), Nichols was personally behind each schoolwide effort. Howard Nichols retired in 2005, but continued to consult for the school and serve on the board until his passing on Dec. 31, 2008.

Related Links
Remembering Howard Nichols

Diana Nichols (1942-2018)

Served Harker Academy & The Harker School 1973-2005
Head of School, The Harker School 1993-2005
Board of Trustees 2005-18 (Chair 2010-18)

Diana Nichols began her teaching career in 1963, as a biology teacher at Marshfield High School in her home state of Massachusetts. In 1965 she moved to Brockton High School, also in Massachusetts, where she taught College Biology and AP Biology. Her move to California came in 1966, when she took a job teaching several different science, botany and biology classes to grades 7-12 at Crystal Springs School in Hillsborough. It was in 1973 that she began teaching grade 9 biology to some of Harker’s 350 students, marking the beginning of her illustrious relationship with the school. In 1979 she became the assistant principal, and was principal/head of school from 1984-2005, during which time she also earned her master’s degree in marriage, family and child counseling.

Nichols was named to the Harker Board of Trustees in 2005, and was the Board’s chair from 2010-18. It was Nichols and her husband, former school president Howard Nichols, who dreamed of expanding Harker to include grades 9-12, and guided the process through the upper school’s opening in 1998.

Nichols’ influence in the creation of the school’s curricula during those years cannot be overstated. She developed the K-12 science curriculum, developed the Our Trees project (a program still going strong between Harker and its many foreign sister schools), was lead writer on the personal development curriculum and developed the K-12 sex education curriculum. She also oversaw and was an integral part of developing the curricula of all of the school’s academic departments. Her work on guiding the new upper school’s curriculum development to such noted success led to Nichols being named to a University of California advisory board in 2002, where she worked with educators from other schools as they wrote their syllabi for U.C. submission.

Nichols has received much recognition for her outstanding career in education. Early in her career she was the recipient of three National Science Foundation Awards, granting her further study in field biology and ecology. In 1990 she was honored by the Peninsula Conservation Society for work in environmental education, and she was twice nominated (1991, 1993) for the Woman of Achievement Award by the Women’s Fund of Santa Clara County. In 1993 Mayor Susan Hammer honored Nichols at the State of the City Convocation for her work on the Earth Day Task Force for the City of San Jose. Also in 1993 Nichols was presented the “Clean Air Award” by the American Lung Association for work in bringing awareness of the need to protect our air. In 1994 she received a mayoral citation for her work on educating students and the community.

Nichols' leadership and guidance were a major force in the development of The Harker School into one of the premiere independent schools in the nation, and she served the school tirelessly until her death on Sept. 2, 2018.

Visit Diana Nichols' Memorial Page

Christopher Nikoloff

Served The Harker School 1999-2017
Head of School, The Harker School, 2005-2017

Christopher Nikoloff was born and raised in upstate New York, near the famous thoroughbred racing town of Saratoga. Mr. Nikoloff received a B.A. in English with a minor in philosophy and an M.A.T. in education with a concentration in English literature, both from Boston University. A job as English teacher in the newly formed East Bay French-American Middle School in Berkeley brought him to California, and he eventually assumed the title dean of students there. In 1999 he joined Harker as the middle school head and then assistant head of school for academic affairs. In 2005, he assumed the position of head of school. In 2008, Nikoloff earned an MBA from Santa Clara University. Nikoloff left Harker in 2017 to become headmaster of The American School in Switzerland.

Brian Yager

Head of School, The Harker School, 2017-present

Brian Yager has held many educational positions, serving as a teacher, department chair and upper school head. For more than 15 years, he worked in various capacities for the Cate School in Carpinteria, including director of residential life, annual fund director, lacrosse, water polo and soccer coach, and founder of the summer program. In the seven years before joining Harker, he was the head of school at the Keystone School in San Antonio, Texas, a well-respected school of about 500 students. Yager has a master’s degree in education from Harvard University, with emphases in administration and planning, and technology in education. He was a Klingenstein Summer Fellow at Columbia University and graduated from Stanford with a B.A. in quantitative economics and a B.S. with honors and distinction in applied earth sciences. Yager and his wife, Megan, have three children.

Transitional Kindergarten Campus

Boynton Ave., San Jose

The transitional kindergarten moved from the Union Ave. campus, which temporarily operated as a preschool from 2013 to 2020, over to a newly purchased building at 888 Boynton Ave. (All other grades of our preschool were phased out in anticipation of that closure.) Transportation, security and facilities departments also moved to the Boynton Ave. campus.