The Albany Academy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Albany Academy | |
 |
|
| Honor Integritas Officium Honor, Integrity, Service |
|
| Established | 1813 |
| School type | Private, Single-Sex |
| Religious affiliation | None |
| Head of School | Caroline B. Mason |
| Location | Albany, New York, USA |
| Campus | 25 acres |
| Enrollment | 340 students (Age 3 - PG) < 10% Boarding |
| Faculty | 38 teachers |
| Average class size | 15 students |
| Student:Teacher ratio |
9:1 |
| Average SAT scores (2001-2004) |
1210 |
| Athletics | 13 interscholastic sports teams |
| Color(s) | Red and Black |
| Mascot | Cadets |
| Conference | Colonial Council; New England Prep School League |
The Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school for boys in Albany, New York, enrolling students from "Early Childhood" (age 3) to Post-Graduate. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer and the city council of Albany.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Albany Academy is the oldest boys' day school in the New York Capitol Region. The Albany Academy has an intensive coordinate program with its sister school, The Albany Academy for Girls (formerly known as the Albany Female Academy), enabling students in the Upper School to cross-register for classes and extracurricular activities.
Classes began within months after the charter was granted, offering a college preparatory track (including intensive study of Ancient Greek and Latin) and an arithmetic-based track to prepare young men for Albany's role as a center of commerce. Two years later, in 1815, a purpose-built building was completed in present day Academy Park, adjacent to the New York State Capitol. The Federal-style building, now known as the Old Academy and headquarters of the City School District of Albany, was designed by renowned Albany architect Philip Hooker. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance and role as home to scientist Joseph Henry's laboratory. [1]
In 1870, in response to a lack of military preparation institutions in the north during the American Civil War, the Albany Academy adopted the Battalion Leadership Program, instructing the "cadets" in military procedure and the art of leadership. In 2005 the school ended compulsory involvement in the program in favor of a House-based leadership program commonly found in English preparatory schools. The four houses, named for prominent historical Academy figures (Beck, Gates, Henry, and Olcott), compete against one another in the fields of academics, athletics, community service, and extracurricular involvement for honor and special privileges awarded to the leading house.
In 1931, the school moved from its original downtown building in present day Academy Park to its current location on the corner of Hackett and Academy Roads, in the University Heights section of Albany. Designed by Marcus T. Reynolds in the neo-Georgian style, the building incorporates many elements of the Old Academy building, namely the main entryway and cupola. The school stands approximately two miles from the city center, allowing students access to the resources of the State University of New York at Albany, Russell Sage College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the state capitol, and the state museum and library. The red-brick Academy building's marble corner stone was laid by the then Governor and future President Franklin D. Roosevelt. All grades enrolled in the Albany Academy are housed under the same roof, a point of pride for the Academy Community. Though the Academy is primarily a day school, the school opened a 16-student dormitory in 2003 and offers a residential boarding program to students from beyond the Capital Region. The Van Rensselaer Dormitory is named for the School's first Chairman of the Board of Trustees and one of the richest Patroons in North America, Stephen Van Rensselaer III. In 2004 there were 340 students, of whom 187 were in the Upper School.
In August 2006, The Albany Academy, Albany Academy for Girls, and Doane Stuart School announced their intent to merge into a single institution. The new institution would occupy The Academies' campus on Academy Road, continue single-gender education (a change for Doane Stuart students), and be led by current Doane Stuart Head of School Richard Enemark (Caroline Mason, the current head of both Academies, previously announced her intention of stepping down after the 2006-2007 school year). After parent protest, Doane Stuart withdrew from the proposed merger in September 2006, announcing its decision to remain a separate institution. The Academies will continue their close partnership and search for an interim Head of Schools for the 2007-2008 academic year.
[edit] Facilities
The main Academic building houses 40 classrooms, two libraries, Mac and PC computer labs, the cafeteria (called the Buttery), the school book store, the auditorium (known as the Caird Chapel), the Wellness Center, the Black Box Theater, a dark room, the state-of-the-art Joseph Henry Science Wing, student and faculty lounges, board rooms, art and music studios, the school's Archives, and various administrative offices. The school's athletic facilities include 11 team locker-rooms, 2 soccer/lacrosse fields, 2 baseball diamonds, 2 football fields, the 400-meter Robison Track, the Robison Hockey Arena, 6 outdoor tennis courts, the 6-lane, 25-yard Standish Pool, the Rea Fitness Center, 2 indoor gymnasiums, a climbing wall, conference rooms, long- and high-jump pits, a discuss court, and a shot-put court. Other on-campus facilities include the 16-bed Van Rensselaer Dormitory, and the Headmaster's Residence (known as the Leonard House).
[edit] Student Body
Drawn from a six-county area and from within a radius of 65 miles, the student body is ethnically, religiously, and economically diverse. The total 2005–06 school population is 340 boys, including 82 in the Lower School, 71 in the Middle School, and 187 in the Upper School. There is a total of six countries represented in the school. Students are encouraged to actively participate in all aspects of school life; they are expected to conduct themselves responsibly and treat each other and their teachers with respect. Students are responsible for upholding school rules. The Albany Academy adheres to a schoolwide honor code. Student Council members, especially seniors, occupy important leadership positions at Albany Academy. Its Leadership Development Program prepares students to hold leadership positions at school and beyond by providing formal classes on leadership, advising/student mentoring, community service, and involvement in cocurricular programs—all within the structure of a British-based House System.
[edit] Mission Statement
The school gives its primary mission as:
"to create an environment rich in possibilities that encourages and inspires each student to attain the level of mastery of which he is capable, and to develop those personal qualities and talents that make him a unique individual, a leader, and a contributing member of society."
[edit] Code of Honor
Introduction:
"In the 1994-95 school year, Headmaster Carmen M. Marnell,
1990-1996, engaged the faculty and students in the tasks
of developing a mission statement and creating a code of honor.
the Latter now appears on a bronze plaque to the left
of the door to the Chapel for all to see and ponder."
Code of Honor:
"As members of the Academy community, we acknowledge that our individual actions and attitudes affect the well-being of others as well as the school as a whole. We believe that our community must be built on the trust and mutual respect which will encourage each member to reach his or her unique potential.
To this end, we will strive to foster the ideals of honesty, tolerance, and integrity both in ourselves and in others. We recognize that we must have the courage to support and affirm one another and to conduct ourselves with civility in all aspects of our lives. Through self-discipline, commitment, and mutual support, these goals of personal growth and pride in our school community will be achieved."
[edit] Accreditation and Memberships
The schools is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools and recognized by the Regents of the State of New York.
It is a member of the following associations: the College Board, the Cum Laude Society, the National Association of Independent Schools, the Educational Records Bureau, the Capital Region Independent Schools Association, the Association of Boys' Schools, the Secondary Schools Admission Test Board, and the New England Prep School Athletic Association.
[edit] Alumni
Noted alumni include:
- Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick
- Andy Rooney, author, journalist, and commentator
- Joseph Henry, natural philosopher, telegraphy pioneer, first Curator of the Smithsonian Institute
- Theodore Roosevelt Jr., U.S. Army Brigadier General and Medal of Honor Recipient
- Rufus Wheeler Peckham, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1895-1909)
- Wheeler Hazard Peckham, U.S. Supreme Court nominee
- Learned Hand, Justice of the U.S. District Court and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- Stephen Vincent Benét, Poet Laureate, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize (1929, 1944)
- William Rose Benét, Poet Laureate, winner of the Pulitzer Prize (1942)
- Erastus Corning II, Mayor of Albany from 1942 to 1983; held the record for longest serving Mayor
- John Boyd Thacher II, Mayor of Albany from 1926 to 1941
- Charles Emory Smith, U.S. Minister to Russia (1890-1892), U.S. Postmaster General (1898-1902)
- John W. Causey, U.S. Representative from Delaware
- Egbert Ludoricus Viele, U.S. Representative from New York
- Raymond Castellani, actor, Los Angeles philanthropist
- Stephen Hannock, landscape painter
- Christopher Cuomo, Emmy Award-winning television journalist for ABC News
- Craig Hatkoff, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival and Tribeca Film Institute [2]
- William Durden, President of Dickinson College
- Douglas M. North, President of Alaska Pacific University
[edit] Faculty
Noted faculty include:
- Joseph Henry, natural philosopher, telegraphy pioneer, first Curator of the Smithsonian Institute
- Merrill Edwards Gates, President of Amherst College and Rutgers University
- George Olds, President of Amherst College
- Alexander Meiklejohn, President of Amherst College, Dean of Brown University, Winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Julian Gibbs, President of Amherst College
- William H. Campbell, President of Rutgers University
- George W. Atherton, President of the Pennsylvania State University
- Albert Hull, Physicist, inventor of the magnetron and dynatron
- Theodric Romeyn Beck, forensic medicine pioneer
- Charles Emory Smith, U.S. Minister to Russia (1890-1892), U.S. Postmaster General (1898-1902)
- George H. Cook, Chemistry Professor and surveyor
