Historical Feature Archive:
A History of the Stack House
Could you identify the John Stack house on campus? A private residence built in 1958 and named for the original owner, the property caught the attention of college officials in 1966 because of its proximity... Read More
Finding Westmont’s History in Family Photos
As the college archivist, Diane Ziliotto collects and organizes historical documents and artifacts. She studies Westmont history and seeks to know as much as she can about the college and the campus throughout the years. She’s always been interested... Read More
The Legacy of Ira and Sue Rapson
A supply sergeant returned from World War II and studied economics at the University of Michigan. The son of a Detroit businessman, he felt called to teach. While still in school,... Read More
A Family Sacrifices to Serve Westmont
Westmont’s first faculty taught faithfully even though they never knew when they’d get paid and rarely received their full salaries the first 10 years. Unlike most of his colleagues, Paton Yoder brought his wife, Hazel, and a child to... Read More
The Faithful Life of Margaret Jacobsen Voskuyl
One of Westmont’s first faculty members has died. Margaret Jacobsen Voskuyl passed away March 15 in Santa Barbara at the age of 94. Gracious, energetic, smart and articulate, she enthusiastically embraced the vision of Westmont’s founders. Margaret’s long history... Read More
Seasons of Sorrow at Westmont
The supportive and loving response of the Westmont community to the death of Nick Davis ’13 recalls two earlier tragedies in Westmont’s history. In the midst of mourning, students, faculty and staff have proclaimed their faith in God and... Read More
The Building of a Residential Campus
Established as a residential college, Westmont faced challenges housing students during its first few decades. Despite some unusual living spaces, the college succeeded in creating a vibrant campus community. Ruth Kerr, Westmont’s principal founder, purchased the Westlake School for... Read More
A Community Called to Global Service
Many of the students who enrolled at Westmont during its earliest years envisioned careers as missionaries, answering God’s call to take the gospel throughout the world. Ruth Kerr and the other founders set the school up as the Bible... Read More
An Enduring Christian Commitment
It’s impossible to talk about Westmont without mentioning its commitment to Christianity. The founders established the college as a Christian institution, and succeeding generations of trustees, administrators and faculty have faithfully maintained this essential character. Rather than being an... Read More
Westmont and the Liberal Arts
Since Westmont’s founding 75 years ago, the five planks of its educational program—liberal arts, Christian, undergraduate, residential and global—have characterized the college and shaped its history. A commitment to the liberal arts developed in the early years. When Ruth... Read More