Its namesake, Horton Watkins, was vice president of the International Shoe Company and died in 1949.

The family of Horton Watkins donated the 28-acre (11 ha) tract of land on South Warson Road to the school for the high school site as a memorial.

The racial/ethnic breakdown of the 1,271 students enrolled for the 2012–2013 school year was: The male/female ratio for 2012-13 was: In addition, 12.2% of the students were eligible for free or reduced lunch.

[3] In addition to its MSHSAA activities, the school offers students an opportunity to participate in a variety of other school-sponsored clubs.

The Ladue Rams have won several state championships:[4] [5] In 2013 Ladue's Scholar Bowl team won the National Scholastics Championship.