Ardis Egan

Who was Ardis Egan?

Ardis G. Egan was the founder of Egan Junior High School, in Los Altos, California. He was also superintendent of the Los Altos School District during the 1950s. During his 21 year-term, he spearheaded a campaign that resulted in the construction of 14 new schools as he watched the elementary school population grow from 350 to more than 6,000. Egan, with the help of Bert Schweitzer, Don Gordon, and Wallace Stanley, founded Los Altos's first service club, the Kiwanis Club. Earlier that same year, those four also organized the town's first Pet Parade, now an annual event in Los Altos. Egan also started an annual Special Games for physically handicapped youth.