Founded in 1876, Hathaway Brown began as "afternoon classes for young ladies" at the all-boys private Brooks Military School in downtown Cleveland. Its original name was the Brooks School for Ladies. In 1886, the school was purchased by Anne Hathaway Brown. During her tenure, Brown changed the school's name to “Miss Anne H. Hathaway Brown's School for Girls” and introduced the school motto:
non scholae sed vita discimus (“we learn not for school but for life”). At that point, only women were accepted. The building at 1945 East 97th Street was completed in 1905, and designed by the Cleveland architectural firm of
Hubbell & Benes. It was later demolished. The school moved to its current location at 19600 North Park Boulevard in Shaker Heights in 1927. Mary Elizabeth Raymond (1912–38) and Ann Cutter Coburn (1938–68) were notable headmistresses. The head of the school is Mary Frances Bisselle.
Ohio High School Athletic Association team state championships • Girls
Basketball - 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 • Girls
Soccer - 2007, 2004 • Girls
Tennis -2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 ==Accreditation and membership==