Webster Groves High School was first established in 1889 as a ninth grade course. The school originally occupied the first floor of the original white frame Bristol School building, then known as Webster School;^[4] the elementary school took up the second floor. As enrollment increased, the high school used hallways and storerooms as supplementary classrooms. Eventually, they rented space in the Congregational Church, and the Brannon Building. In 1905, the entire high school was moved to the second floor of the Brannon Building.^[5]

In 1905, citizens started recognizing the need for a new high school for Webster Groves, so they voted for a $40,000 bond issue to purchase the site where it currently stands 100 Selma Avenue, and build the school. The building was completed in 1907.

James Hixson served as the first principal from 1907 to 1943.^[6] At first the high school was a two-story brick building with three classrooms and an auditorium, built at the corner of Bradford and Selma. In 1909, "manual training" and "domestic sciences" rooms were added. In 1914, two wings were added to the school, a south wing for a gymnasium, and a north wing for an auditorium, 12 classrooms, and a "girls gym". In 1917 an Armory for the Home Guard was erected on Bradford Avenue, which was eventually given to the high school. In the 1920s a three-story section and the city's public library were added just north of this building. In 1925, a bond issue provided funding to complete a new section of the school meant specifically for seniors, children from 9-12th grade. The old section was designated for juniors, children from 6-8th grade. This is likely where we get Senior and Junior entrance names from. This new section was completed on October 6, 1927 and was named Frank Hamsher High School, after the school district's 4th superintendent. This new addition contained an auditorium, girls gym (again), and 9 classrooms. The old building that was being used for juniors was torn down in 1935 and rebuilt. This new addition contained 28 classrooms for classes like drama and science, 2 gyms, music rooms, the Little Theatre, FACS rooms, art rooms, and the city's public library. In 1947, that building was replaced by Roberts Gym, named after Charles A. Roberts, who coached and taught at the school for 39 years.^[7]

In the 1920s a three-story section and public library were added. In 1935 an addition was completed that added the drama, home economics, and science department classrooms.

Howard Latta was principal from 1943 to 1968.^[6] WGHS was racially integrated in 1956, bringing in children from Douglass High School, and in 1966 a three-story wing was added onto the back of the building and the Herbert Schooling Library was donated. Jerry Knight was principal from 1969 to 1986.^[8]

Patricia Voss was principal 1994–2003. Since 1977, Voss had been an assistant principal at the high school.^[9] The main common area, used largely for lunch, is named P.V. Commons is named after her. In October 2002 a white powdery substance found in a tissue box provoked a two-hour lockdown. Investigators later determined the substance was not Anthrax.^[10] The Webster Groves School Board appointed Jon Clark as principal in 2003. Clark had been an assistant principal at the high school for seven years.^[11]

In 2011, construction began on a 106,000-square-foot addition to the school. Completed in 2012, this addition included new classrooms, state-of-the-art science labs, vocational labs, a main band room, private band practice rooms, and art studios. The roof of the building also features a vegetation area surrounded by a glass curtain wall. In addition, three 20,000 gallon water harvesting tanks are located at the base of the building for rain collection and irrigation for the field behind the building. The expansion was built to resemble the look of the existing building, including the use of terrazzo floors and steps, and limestone accents.^[12]

The Webster Groves High School building has approximately 130 classrooms along with an auditorium, a media center, and a theater. It has a soccer field to the west and a baseball and softball field to the east. Moss Field, the football stadium, is located at Hixson Middle School at 630 South Elm Avenue, a short drive from the high school. The field was built in 1946 and has been renovated several times. It now has locker rooms, bleachers, lights and an all-weather track. As of 2023, it is undergoing a full transformation, including an eight lane track, turf field, concession stands, locker rooms and restrooms, concrete seating, and a video scoreboard.^[13]

24 credits are required to graduate from Webster Groves High School. The class of 2010 required four credits of Communication Skills; three credits each of Science, Math, and Social Studies; one Fine Art credit; one and a half credits each of Practical Arts and Physical Education; and six and a half Elective Credits. Students are also required to take a half credit of Personal Finance, which is considered either a practical art or a social studies credit.

The 2023-24 school year required students to have 4 credits of English, 3 of Math, Science, and Social Studies, 1 of Fine Arts (such as Art, Drama, or Music), 1 of Practical Arts (such as Business, Family and Consumer Sciences, or Industrial Technology), 1 of Physical Education, 0.5 of health, and 1 Personal Finance course, combined with 7.5 elective credits.

Webster Groves High School offers over sixty clubs for its students to participate in, covering a wide range of student interests.

Students may organize their own clubs as long as they are accompanied by a faculty sponsor and chartered by the student council.

Webster Groves High School sponsors a number of different sports, including football (men's), field hockey, soccer (men's and women's), basketball (men's and women's), baseball (men's), softball (women's), golf (men's and women's), track and field (men's and women's), swimming (men's and women's), and lacrosse (women's). Ice hockey and men's lacrosse are non-affiliate sports at the high school.

The Turkey Day football game is an annual game held on Thanksgiving Day between Webster Groves High School and its longtime rival, Kirkwood High School. The rivalry between the two schools is the oldest current Thanksgiving Day rivalry west of the Mississippi River. The location of the game alternates each year between Webster’s Moss Field and Kirkwood’s Lyon’s Memorial field. A number of festivities surround the game, including a shared dance and a separate bonfire and pep rally at each school. 2007 was the 100th year of this storied series between the two schools, and the game had attendance exceeding 12,000 fans.

State championship wins edit

In 1966 CBS produced an award winning documentary called 16 In Webster Groves, which was about the lives of students in Webster Groves. In 1996 then-President Bill Clinton came to the school to recognize the Webster Groves School District’s work towards preventing drugs and violence among its students. In 1999 Time magazine devoted a cover story to a week at Webster Groves High School.

• Average professional experience: 15.3 years.
• Percentage of teachers with advanced degrees: 79.4%.

• Grades: 9-12
• Enrollment: 1,378
• Senior class of 2018: 339
• Student/teacher Ratio: 19:1
• Rate of Attendance: 93.6%
• Graduation Rate: 97.9%
• 2008 Composite ACT Score: 23.4
• 2014 National Merit Semifinalist Students: 4
• 2014 National Merit Commended Students: 4
• Courses offering College Credit: 23

Webster Groves High School is a closed campus for grades 9-11. Juniors and Seniors are given the privilege to leave campus during their lunch hour, with Juniors being given said privilege more recently.

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