Saratoga News

Harry McKay Jr.

Harry McKay Jr. becomes headmaster at St. Andrew's

He was attracted by school's reputation

By Michelle Alaimo

St. Andrew's School has a new headmaster to usher in the next school year. Harry V. McKay Jr., replaces Julian Lentz, who left Saint Andrew's after nine years to become headmaster at a school in Carmel.

McKay began July 1 after being selected in a nationwide search, said Pauline Abate, president of St. Andrew's board of trustees. She added that he was one of a substantial number of applicants for the position and was chosen for his "strong breadth and depth" of experience--and for sharing the school's philosophy.

McKay, who said he has always seen himself working in education, added that he accepted the position at St. Andrew's because he knew of the school's reputation and about the community, and in general, he likes the Bay Area.

Since 1995, McKay has served as director of the Master of Arts in Teaching Program and lecturer in education at Chatham College in Pittsburgh, Penn.

But he has lived in the Bay Area before. McKay served as headmaster at the Cathedral School for Boys in San Francisco from 1986 to 1990.

In addition to his stint in San Francisco, McKay has also served as head of three other independent schools. Most recently, he was headmaster of St. Edmund's Academy, a coed Episcopal day school, for five years. Prior to that, McKay ran a K-12 international school in St. Croix, Virgin Islands from 1983 to 1985 and for 10 years headed another international school in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

McKay, a widower with a 15-year-old daughter, also taught high school math in the late 1960s in Pittsburgh. While teaching, he went to night school to earn his master's degree in curriculum and supervision from the University of Pittsburgh. He completed additional graduate study at Michigan State University and at Fordham University in New York City.

While all of the schools McKay has headed are private schools, he said this was not a conscious choice. He said he just likes the way private secular schools are run and compared them to running a private business. He added that the main difference is "they all have in their mission the development of the spiritual side of children," which is something he believes is important.

McKay said that he has been welcomed with open arms by the St. Andrew's community and is currently immersing himself in the community, trying to learn everything he can.

McKay, a golf enthusiast and music lover, said he hopes to develop his interests in the arts more. He has been active in many community organizations including the Northern California Association of Episcopal Schools, which he served as vice chairman. He also sat on the executive committees of both the Pennsylvania and California associations of independent schools and recently served on the boards of the Pittsburgh Dance Council and the Western Pennsylvania Family Center.

[ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ]