Tag archives: Ruth Kerr

Westmont’s History in a Mason Jar
By Scott Craig   |   December 6, 2022

Westmont celebrated the life of its founder Ruth Kerr on National Mason Jar Day on November 30. Following the death of her husband Alexander, Ruth became president of the Kerr Glass Manufacturing Company in 1930. Kerr became one of most recognizable American mason jar brands.  Alexander started the company in Portland, Oregon, in 1904 after […]

Drought Claims Beloved Pickle Tree
By Scott Craig   |   July 15, 2021

Long before Westmont founder Ruth Kerr decided to move the burgeoning college to the former Dwight Murphy Estate in Montecito, the grounds featured a wide array of mature trees. Today, many overarching trees still provide shade for walkways serenely wending their way through campus. One soaring redwood tree on Kerrwood Lawn was well-known for its […]