President Thomas C. Hudnut will remain ingrained in school history as the force that forged Harvard-Westlake’s path to greatness. A chief architect of the 1989 merger of Harvard School for Boys and Westlake School for Girls, Hudnut made Harvard-Westlake his brainchild. Coaxing it through the early years, he expected nothing less than excellence in academics, athletics and the arts.

In 2006, Hudnut created his own role as President to improve athletics, create an environment where academics are a priority and oversee the greater image of the institution. The role he created is suited uniquely to him, to his ideals and charisma. To fill that individualized role aptly will be a difficult task.

Hudnut is an educator, representing Harvard-Westlake on numerous committees and boards both nationally and internationally. He is a prodigious fundraiser, piloting the epic fundraising campaign that led to the Middle School Modernization Project. He is the face of Harvard-Westlake to the world.

But beyond any literal aspect of his job, Hudnut is a multidimensional figure that ties our community together. He opens each year with a President’s address and closes it with handshakes at graduation. He is a brilliant orator who enriches our community with wisdom and personality.

We are on the brink of what will certainly be a new era. To maintain the unparalleled foundation that Hudnut has laid, we must continue to evolve. A successor for Hudnut has yet to be named, but truthfully every individual of the Harvard-Westlake community is Hudnut’s successor. We are the keepers of his legacy.

Hudnut’s innate humanity and intense love of learning must be kept alive and thriving through the passionate endeavors of every member of our community.

Only by doing so can we give Hudnut his much-deserved thank you.