Julia Morgan School | Mission and History

We are dedicated to the intellectual, creative, social, and emotional growth of girls during their critical middle school years. Our goal is to provide educational opportunities and positive role models not fully afforded girls in coeducational institutions. We strive to create an arena for academic excellence, critical thinking, positive risk taking, and the development of individual talents. Learning will extend beyond the walls of the classroom into the community to foster compassion and social responsibility.

Julia Morgan School for Girls is committed to creating a school community that reflects the remarkable diversity of the East Bay. In addition, we aspire to serve as a resource on girls' education for public and independent school educators.

Our school was created by a group of educators, parents, and members of the community who agreed that East Bay girls would be well-served by the existence of a girls' middle school. As educators, they were inspired by the demonstrated successes of an all-girls education; as parents, they wanted the best for their daughters. The founders believed a girls' school would enable girls to develop their individual voices and acquire the intellectual and social tools to realize their full potential.

The creators of JMSG brought a wide range of expertise in teaching, education administration, gender equity, child psychology, art, journalism, science, and law. They came together in the fall of 1996 from diverse backgrounds but united in a singular vision—to create an all-girls middle school.

Who was Julia Morgan?

Julia Morgan (1872-1957) was a renowned and innovative architect who paved the way for women in architecture. She was one of the first women to graduate from the College of Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, the first woman admitted to and certified by the École Des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and the first licensed woman architect in the state of California.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Julia Morgan designed more than 700 structures. Many of her public works are buildings dedicated for use by women. She excelled in math, science, and engineering while displaying a unique artistic genius. Morgan’s ability to overcome great obstacles and break barriers for women in the combined fields of art and technology makes her life and spirit an invaluable inspiration.

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