Wheaton Academy

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Wheaton Academy
Motto: Soli Deo Gloria For Christ and His Kingdom
Established	1853
Type	Private Christian
Principal	Jon Keith
Headmaster	Dr. Gene Frost
Faculty	74
Students	589
Grades	9–12
Location	900 Prince Crossing Rd. West Chicago, Illinois USA
Campus	Suburban
Colors	Maroon, White
Mascot	Warriors
Website	www.wheatonacademy.org

Wheaton Academy is a private Protestant Christian, evangelical high school located in West Chicago, Illinois founded by abolitionist families in 1853. These same families who created Wheaton Academy itself were granted permission to found Wheaton College itself two years later (originally called the Illinois Institute). Abolitionist Jonathan Blanchard eventually headed the foundation upon arrival in 1860.

1 History
2 Athletics
3 Academic Competitions
4 Notable Alumni
5 Current Administration
6 External links

[edit] History

Wheaton Academy began in 1853 when a group of abolitionists founded Illinois Institute to educate their children. Two years later, they were given permission to form a college. Jonathan Blanchard was called upon to head the school and when he arrived in 1860, Illinois Institute was reorganized into Wheaton College and its preparatory school, Wheaton College Academy.

For fifty years the college and academy students were closely mingled; it was not until 1915 under Dean William Rice that Wheaton College Academy began to achieve its own identity by acquiring a separate faculty and building, known as Schell Hall on the Wheaton College campus today.

In 1945 the high school bought land and building (an old sanitorium) from the University of Chicago in West Chicago and henceforth then existed twenty minutes from its college. The new campus provided dormitories for boarding students, while the Aurora & Elgin train line that ran just north of the school was convenient for commuters. The campus was also not without its historical moments nor its anomalies. It holds the title as one of the oldest members of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. A crypt, though closed off still lies beneath the rooms of Academy Hall. There is even an abolitionist hideout on the Underground Railroad as well as Illinois' fourth oldest tree. By 1951 the faculties of the campus were complete, with the construction of LeTourneau Gymnasium and the chapel, which was transported from an army camp.

Wheaton College owned and operated Wheaton Academy throughout its history until the early 1970s. The high school was attended by local Christians and also served as a dorm school, in large part for children of missionaries who were out of the country on mission. Increasing expenses and discipline problems at the dormitories led Wheaton College to attempt to shut down Wheaton Academy in the early 1970s.

It was only a group of dedicated parents and teachers who saved the high school from bankruptcy and closure after Wheaton College cut it off. It was renamed Wheaton Christian High School as part of an agreement with a new board of directors and no longer received any support, financial or otherwise, from the famous Christian institution it inspired.

During a difficult period during the 1970s, the Academy's existence was continually challenged. In order to continue, the board of directors had to arrange a mortgage and continuing financing not only for that mortgage but for the teachers and staff and operating expenses. Many board members, parents, and others gave significant personal sums to help the school. But even so, many times teachers and staff were paid late. The dormitories were shut down in exchange for a "hosting" program, which involved some families taking in students into their beds. Problems with heating the old hospital building were legion and facilities were scarce. This led enrollment to decline. In 1973 – 1976 the school's enrollment was approximately 100 — or lower. Since 1976 the enrollment has steadily climbed, and the school’s fortunes have hesitantly bettered, notably in conjunction with a building program which began at the beginning of the 1980s. This building program was a flowering of the many years of sacrifice and planning of parents and board members over the decade of the 1970s. A momentous "mortgage-burning" ceremony was held by many of these same teachers, parents, and board members on the occasion of the buy-out and pay-off of the mortgage in the 1980s. The dedication of all who were involved in running the school during these difficult years is to thank for the existence of the Academy today.

Wheaton Academy dropped its name "Wheaton Christian High School" in the 1990s in a return to a more traditional prep school culture which involved renaming the principal the 'headmaster' (as had been the title during its boarding school years and through the 1970s).

Wheaton Academy also offers the "Winterim", a single course in January which allows students various opportunities, including interning at a company or university or going on special trips. The school is involved in a Zambia AIDS relief project, focusing on the poverty-stricken country with fundraisers and charity benefits. This has been in the large part a success for the school. This so called "Zambia Project" has been featured in widespread publications such as Christianity Today. Since early 2005, Wheaton Academy has partnered with Indiana Wesleyan University to offer college courses through distance learning. This unique opportunity has allowed high school students to earn college credit during their senior year of high school.

In June 2004, Wheaton Academy opened its new Fine Arts Center.

[edit] Athletics

Athletically, the girls soccer team won the school's first, and so far, only state championship in May 2004. The girls' cross-country team holds one of the longest stints in consecutive trips to the state championship (9 straight year, from 1998-2005) and has taken home three consecutive 3rd place trophies (2000, 2001, 2002). The boys soccer team went to the Elite 8 two straight years (2004 & 2005) and finished in third place during the 2005 season. Individually, Carl Meyers was the state champion in the triple jump in 1991 and Matt Field was the 1600m state champion in 2001. The school has competed in Class A, but since the Illinois High School Association re-instituted the 1.65 multiplier on December 29, 2005, Wheaton Academy began competing at the Class AA level. The fall 2006 seasons featured a football team for the first time since 1989. Ben Wilson was hired to coach the team. The team lost their first game in 17 years to Chicago Christian, but finished up the season with a 5-5 record.

Wheaton Academy also broadcasts some of it's sports online through the WA Live! program. Started in February 2005, WA Live! mainly broadcasts basketball games, but has also covered softball, volleyball, soccer, and football. Tom Jamerson serves as the school's athletic director.

[edit] Academic Competitions

In 2004 and 2005, Wheaton Academy sent a team to the Illinois state competition for the Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) at University of Illinois. In 2004, they took 3rd place overall in the 300-700 school division, placing in students in Math, Chemistry, and Computer Science. In 2005, they took 5th place overall in the 300-700 school division, placing students in Chemistry, Math, and Computer Science.