Island wisdom, global purpose
Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy was founded on March 12, 1949, when Bishop Harry Kennedy of the Episcopal Church and a group of Hawai‘i Island citizens signed the articles of incorporation for Hawai’i Episcopal Academy. Since then, the school has grown from five boarding students in a World War II building to about 600 students on two campuses encompassing more than 220 acres adjacent to the world-famous Parker Ranch. From its early days, the school was coed and served both day and boarding students in grades seven to twelve.
In 1954, James M. Taylor left Choate School in Connecticut to become headmaster, bringing with him strong values and educational ideals. For the next 20 years, HPA would thrive under the direction of Taylor, who believed strongly in both academic excellence and the development of character.
In 1957, two Honolulu firms pledged substantial financial assistance and the church gave its direction to a new governing board. The school was then independently incorporated and the name changed to Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy. The board of governors purchased 55 acres in the foothills of Waimea and announced their plans to build a new campus. Iconic Honolulu architect Vladimir N. Ossipoff was hired to plan the campus site and to design HPA’s core buildings.