Mercersburg Academy

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Mercersburg Academy
School type	Private, Boarding
Religious affiliation	Non-Denominational
Head of school	Douglas Hale
Location	Mercersburg, PA, USA
Campus	Rural, 300 acres (2 km²)
Enrollment	440 total 85% boarding 15% day
Faculty	89, 70% with Advanced Degrees
Average class size	12 students
Student:teacher ratio	5:1
Athletics	14 Men's, 14 Women's, 2 Co-ed
Color(s)	Blue and White
Mascot	Blue Storm

Mercersburg Academy is an independent, coeducational boarding school for grades 9-12 located in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, United States. The school's mission is: "[to] prepare young men and women from diverse backgrounds for college and for life in a global community. Students at Mercersburg pursue a rigorous and dynamic curriculum while learning to live together harmoniously in a supportive residential environment. Mercersburg's talented faculty instill in students the value of hard work and the importance of character and community as they teach students to think for themselves, to approach life thoughtfully and creatively, to thrive physically, to act morally, to value the spiritual dimension of human existence, and to serve others.^[1]"

1 History
2 Mercersburg Academy today
3 Facilities
4 Athletics
5 Notable alumni
6 References
7 External links

[edit] History

On March 31, 1836, the Pennsylvania State Legislature granted a charter to Marshall College to be located in Mercersburg. Dr. Frederick Augustus Rauch came from Switzerland to be the first president of the college under the sponsorship of the Reformed Church in America. Dr. Rauch served as president from 1836 until 1841. His successor in the position was John Williamson Nevin who served until 1853, when Marshall College joined with Franklin College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to become Franklin & Marshall College. At this time, the preparatory department of Marshall College became known as Marshall Academy which later changed to Marshall Collegiate Institute. In 1865, the name was again changed to Mercersburg College, under whose charter the school continues to operate. The historic tie to the church continues through Mercersburg's membership in the Council for Higher Education of the United Church of Christ.

On April 27, 1893, the Board of Regents elected Dr. William Mann Irvine, who had joined Franklin and Marshall College as an instructor after receiving his Ph.D. in Political Science from Princeton University in 1892, to become the Headmaster at the age of twenty-eight. In July, Dr. Irvine changed the name of the institution to Mercersburg Academy and began his work as the founder of the present-day preparatory school. In the fall of 1893, he opened the school with an enrollment of 40 boys, four instructors and four acres of ground. During Dr. Irvine's tenure, three dormitories, a dining hall, gymnasium, infirmary, administration building and the Chapel were built. A new Main Hall and Annex were built after a fire gutted Old Main in 1927.

After Dr. Irvine's death on June 11, 1928, Dr. Boyd Edwards was elected headmaster, where he remained until he retired in 1941. After his retirement, Dr. Charles S. Tippetts '12 resigned from a deanship at the University of Pittsburgh to become Headmaster, where he remained for twenty years. During this time, Irvine Hall was completed and the James Buchanan cabin was moved onto the campus. His successor was William C. Fowle who came from the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. Headmaster Fowle's tenure saw Tippetts Hall competed, Boone Hall constructed and Ford Dining Hall constructed. In 1969, Mercersburg again became a co-educational school and racial integration became a reality.

In 1972, Walter H Burgin Jr. '53 was appointed the Academy's fifth headmaster. Mr. Burgin had been a member and the Chairman of the mathematics department from 1959 – 1964 and was teaching at Phillips Exeter Academy at the time of his appointment. Mr. Burgin oversaw a comprehensive reshaping of the Academy's academic facilities, the building of Lenfest Hall library and the integration of technology into community and classroom life.

Douglas Hale was appointed head of school in 1997, coming from Baylor School where he had been a teacher, assistant headmaster and headmaster since 1973. Under Mr. Hale, all dormitories have been renovated with new Faculty apartments added, the entire campus has been connected electronically, the Smoyer Tennis Center and the Davenport Squash Center were constructed. In 2005, Boone Hall was razed to begin the construction of the new Burgin Center for the Arts, which opened in the fall of 2006.

[edit] Mercersburg Academy today

In its 112th year as a college preparatory school, the growth of Mercersburg is evident in its size and caliber. Now set on 300 acres, Mercersburg is home to 440 students: 233 boys (53%), 207 girls (47%). The school has 83 9th graders; 107 10th graders; 122 11th graders; 130 12th graders; and two students participating in a School Year Abroad. Students come from around the world, representing 29 states and 22 countries. Mercersburg's endowment now holds more than $174 million, making it one of the highest endowment-per-student independent schools in the country. Mercersburg's endowment-per-student of $322,355, ranked it tenth among the 50 Schools Reporting the Most Voluntary Support and Endowments Per Student, 2004^[2].

[edit] Facilities

As of the 2006-2007 academic year, Mercersburg Academy's facilities consists of 7 dormitories (3 male, 4 female) and 3 main academic buildings. In the mid to late 1990s, all dormitories were remodeled and outfitted with air conditioning as well as phonelines and Internet access. Nolde Gymnasium, built in 1912, has seen numerous expansions over the years. The Davenport Squash Center opened in 2005.

The Burgin Center for the Arts opened in 2006. Designed by the Polshek Partnership, the facility includes a 600-seat main theater as well as a 120-seat studio theatre. The entire building is 65,500 square feet.

[edit] Athletics

Since 2000, Mercersburg has been a member of the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL), which includes Blair Academy, The Hill School, Hun School of Princeton, Lawrenceville School and Peddie School. Mercersburg has produced 41 Olympians, 18 of whom were swimmers. There are also numerous Mercersburg alums playing on Division I college athletic teams. During the 2005-06 academic year, the school's football and baseball teams won league titles.

[edit] Notable alumni

In 112 years, Mercersburg has produced many outstanding individuals, including 48 Olympians (and 9 gold medalists), 7 Rhodes Scholars, 3 Fulbright Scholars, 1 Nobel Prize winner, 2 Academy Award winners, 1 Emmy Award winner, and 1 Golden Globe winner.

Medal of Honor recipients