Walden Golden Jubilee

50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

DATE: September 20, 2025
TIME: 4:00-8:00pm
LOCATION: Walden Green Space

Walden is turning 50, and we’re pulling out all the stops for the unforgettable Golden Jubilee! Join us on September 20, 2025, in the Walden green space as we honor 50 incredible years of memories, community, and Walden spirit. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime celebration—mark your calendars and get ready to make history with us!

Admission to the event is FREE! The whole family is welcome to attend. Please let us know if you’ll be attending so we can plan accordingly: RSVP HERE.

Featuring…

• Live music by *This, That & the Other*
• $5/plate BBQ, hot dogs, & veggie burgers from Morris’s Deli
• Treat trucks with delicious options
• Arts & crafts and face painting for the kids
• Cash bar for the adults
• Petting zoo for all animal lovers
• Hot air balloon rides for a breathtaking view!
• “Walk Down Memory Lane” experience
• Alumni VIP area
*• And more!*

RSVP For the Golden Jubilee

commemorative apparel

Want to celebrate Walden’s 50th Anniversary in style? Show off your Golden Jubilee pride and support the school with our exclusive 50th Anniversary commemorative t-shirts! These special edition shirts are the perfect way to honor five decades of Walden spirit. Check out the apparel **here**.

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Our Story

Walden School was founded by Dr. Edward F. Vermillion in 1975, as an independent, coeducational school, offering a K-12 college preparatory program in an environment where curiosity and an enthusiasm for lifelong learning would be fostered.
Walden School was named in honor of Henry David Thoreau’s book *Walden* (1854), which stressed respect for individuality. Since Walden School’s founding in 1975, there has been a strong emphasis on small class size and a strong fine arts education, to complement a rigorous curriculum grounded in critical thinking. Walden graduates enter the world as creative and innovative thinkers, who value diversity and compassion, and appreciate their roles as ethically-minded scholars, citizens, and leaders in a global community.
Walden was originally located on the KMI (Kentucky Military School) campus on LaGrange Road, before relocating to our current Westport Road home in 1981. Walden is an accredited member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS), and the Kentucky Association of Independent Schools (KAIS).

“The most rewarding thing that has happened in my life since Walden, would be our film, Overtime…[the film] went on to premiere at the Fright Night Film Festival here in Louisville, where it won 8 awards including: Best Film, Best Actor, and Kentucky Filmmaker of the year to name a few. That really was the pivotal moment where I said: “I did it.”

— MATT NIEHOFF, CLASS OF 2000

Walden Alumni Association Drum Award

The Walden Drum Award was created in 2010, by a committee of Walden Alumni, to publicly recognize and honor a person whose exceptional achievements have promoted Walden School and have served to inspire and challenge today’s students. The Drum Award’s name is based on Thoreau’s quote: “When a man does not keep pace with his companion, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer, let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” Ted Bressoud a graduate of 1979, an architect, artist, and a Walden volunteer and former Board of Trustee, designed and created the actual award you see on display at Walden’s campus.

Past Award Recipients

2010 - Charlie Sexton, 1981
2011 - Linda Van Houten
2012 - Jonathan Holloway, 1982
2013 - Marcy Tucker
2014 - Christy Sherman Llewellyn, 1978
2015 - Brooks Bower

2016 - Leslie Broecker, 1980
2017 - Carroll Frey
2018 - Doug Proffitt, 1982
2019 - Joe Steinhauer
2020 - Jim Hunter
2022 - Kim Sorise

Walden Alumni Map

FIND YOUR CLASSMATES

Over years of collecting alumni information, we've launched our Walden Alumni Map! Zoom into the map to discover which alumni are in your hometown or across the globe! Prepare to reconnect with your fellow classmates….click the top right corner of the map to view full screen.

Spotlight on Walden Lifers & The Giving Tree

WALDEN LIFERS

Students who attend Kindergarten-12th Grade at Walden are honored with a plaque on the Walden Lifer tree found in the High School lobby. Their names become part of the interwoven network of "roots" that aptly represent a growing foundation of alumni who participated in the full Walden educational experience. To date, we have 53 Walden Lifers and growing!

THE GIVING TREE

The Giving Tree is a commemorative wall sculpture honoring the individuals who supported Walden through generous donations from 2002-2013. We are grateful to the many families, alumni and friends whose generous contributions enabled the construction of invaluable facilities: Walden High School, Bower Athletic Field and the Walden Field House.

Connect with Us

We'd love to hear from you! We're happy to answer any inquiries about attending/planning alumni events, how to become involved with the Walden community or scheduling a class reunion. For more information about Walden School's alumni events and reunion programs, please email Sarah Smith, Director of Development, at ssmith@walden-school.org