Randolph-Macon Academy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Type: | Private (Boarding) |
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| Founded: | 1892 |
| Location: | 200 Academy Drive Front Royal, Virginia, United States |
| Programs: | Air Force Junior ROTC |
| Phone: | (800)272-1172 |
| Website: | [1] |
Founded in 1892, Randolph-Macon Academy (R-MA) is a coeducational college preparatory school for students in grades 6-12 and postgraduates. It features both boarding and day school programs. R-MA's goal is to maintain a safe, positive environment for spiritual, intellectual, athletic, and character development. The Academy is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Upper school (Grades 9-12) students are required to participate in the Air Force JROTC program and have the opportunity to learn to fly in school-owned aircraft.
Situated on its own "campus within a campus," the middle school provides an interactive, structured community, with separate buildings and its own uniform and staff.
Extracurricular opportunities include the Speech and Debate team, over twenty varsity sports, band, chorus, drama, color guard, drill teams, and more. The athletic teams are affiliated with the Delaney Athletic Conference, a collection of several independent schools in northern and central Virginia.
R-MA aims to help students achieve their potential through personal attention in small classes, tutorial sessions, mentoring groups, and supervised study halls. Advanced Placement course, honors courses and college credits are available. The 84 graduates of the senior class of 2005 earned over $4.9 million in college scholarships.
The 135-acre campus overlooks Front Royal, VA, only 70 miles west of Washington, D.C.
[edit] History of the Upper School
R-MA was founded in 1892 by Dr. William W. Smith as part of Randolph Macon College's preparatory school program. The original twenty-six acre campus had one main building which housed classrooms as well as dorms. The building resembled a castle.
- Randolph-Macon Academy first transformed to a military school in 1918. The program later undertook the moniker of the "National Defense Cadet Corps."
- By 1922, the academy had paid off all but one of its original debt. Later this year, construction began on Rives Hall, which served as an auxiliary gymnasium.
- On January 10, 1927, the original building burned down completely. The fire's origin is unknown. The academy continued to operate; however, cadets were housed by local residents and classes took place in municipal buildings.
- A new building was constructed by October of 1927.
- With the onset of the Great Depression, R-MA hit rock-bottom. By 1932, enrollment reached a low of 78 cadets.
- In an effort to reduce losses, Randolph-Macon College's Bedford, VA military academy closed. Cadets from Bedford moved to Front Royal for the '33-'34 school year.
- In 1954, the academy began its expansive "golden age."
- Additional 63 acres of land purchased
- President's house built
- Staff apartments and houses built
- Seven local houses purchased
- Melton Gymnasium built
- Rives Hall converted to classroom use
- At some point during the 1960's, R-MA received enough funding from the United Methodist Church to build a 500 seat chapel, thus starting R-MA's Methodist affiliation.
- During the 1960's, Virginia's military boarding schools saw a large boom in enrollment, leading to the rejection of many students. Forced public school integration was one of the reasons for the decade-long surge in R-MA's enrollment. Many parents didn't want their sons exposed to the racial conflict present in many public schools at the time, and in response, turned to all-white military and Christian schools, such as R-MA.
- However, the 1970's were a time of change. Following in the footsteps of other military schools in Virginia, R-MA admitted its first black applicant in 1974.
- During the 1970's, enrollment dropped yet again. The 70's generation dismissed R-MA's structured military environment; many blame the declining popularity of military schools, the war in Viet-Nam, and economic jitters (although not as bad as the Great Depression). In a desperate effort to bolster the low enrollment, R-MA adopted the United States Air Force Junior ROTC program, abandoning its all male, traditional army style (NDCC) military program. With its new Air Force affiliation, for the first time in its history, R-MA became co-ed.
- In the late 80's and into the early 90's, R-MA again moved to expand.
- Additional 45 acres annexed, bringing the total to 135
- Crow Hall built, estbalishing new classrooms
- Turner Hall built, establishing a female dorm and a new cafeteria
- Fulton Building built, creating a maintenance building and band room
- Middle School campus built, establishing a "gateway" for younger students to become (AFJROTC) cadets in the Upper School.
- Fire strikes yet again, this time destroying the third and fourth floors of Sonner-Payne Hall. Unfortunately, flooding also destroys the rest of the main building. Damage was estimated at $4.5 million. Nobody was hurt. During reconstruction, cadets lived in area hotels and attended class as normal. Sonner-Payne hall was gutted and rebuilt with computer networking, air-conditioning and new windows.
- In 1997, current President and CEO, Major General Henry M. Hobgood (USAF Ret.) took his position.
- At the end of the '04-'05 school year, Colonel Ivan G. Mieth, USAF, Ret. retired from his position as Commandant.
- During the summer of 2005, R-MA's current Commandant, Colonel Gary N. Sadler, USAF, took his position.
[edit] Trivia
- Rives Hall was originally a gymnasium
- Randolph-Macon College originally had two Randolph Macon Academies, one in Front Royal and one in Bedford; however, R-MA, located in Front Royal, is the only one that remains in operation today.
- Crow Hall is named after elite Texas realtor Harlan Crow. According to public record, Crow donated $25,000 dollars to the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth, a group that aimed to discredit John Kerry's military service record during the 2004 presidential election.
