Phoebe Hearst Elementary School

Our Mission

Phoebe Hearst Elementary School is an Early Childhood Education Center dedicated to the principles that make learning effective for every child and make each child a life long learner. Because of our unique focus on students from prekindergarten to third grade, Hearst has long been one of the smallest schools in the District of Columbia’s Public School system with an enrollment of around 160. For decades we have attracted an ethnically and racially diverse student population from all of the city’s eight wards. Hearst Elementary School is a community of culturally diverse learners committed to “Keeping the Promise” by providing a challenging, high quality education for all young children in a nurturing, caring, safe and successful learning environment. Through arts-based learning, every child’s experience will transcend to their adult life to become leaders in their community and the global society.

The History of Hearst

Historic Plaque: A portrait of Mrs. Hearst done by artist John Flanagan. Presented by Harriet Niel, director of Pheobe A. Hearst Kindergarten College, a now-defunct Washington institution financially backed by Mrs. Hearst that had vital role in the establishment of early childhood education as a field of study.

This bronze John Flanagan portrait of Mrs. Hearst graces a Hearst wall.

Hearst was built in 1932 and dedicated to the memory of Phoebe Apperson Hearst, the noted philanthropist, wife of Sen. George Hearst and mother of the publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. Mrs. Hearst was an early proponent of early childhood education and financial benefactor to Washington’s now-defunct Kindergarten College, where teachers were trained. She also left considerable sums of money to both American University and National Cathedral School and was a co-founder of the Parent Teacher Association.

At the opening ceremonies to Phoebe Hearst Elementary School on November, 1932, Mrs. Hearst’s two grandsons, William Randolph Hearst and John Hearst donated a giant six-foot marble and bronze aquarium in her memory. Today, the aquarium still sits in Ms. Dawkins’ prekindergarten class along with a bronze portrait of Mrs. Hearst done by the artist John Flanagan. At the time it was built, the two-story, Georgian-style building was among the finest in Washington.

Past Articles about Hearst:

1932 W. Post article on Hearst dedication (PDF-62 KB)

1982 W. Post article on Hearst 50th anniversary (PDF-766 KB)

W.R. Hearst Column 1992 (PDF-14KB)