Elgin Academy (Elgin, Illinois)
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| Elgin Academy | |
| 'Non Sibi (Not for One's Self) Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) |
|
| School type | Private |
|---|---|
| Established | 1839 |
| Head of School | Dr. John Cooper |
| Colors | Orange & Black |
| Mascot | Foxman (team name Hilltoppers) |
| Location | Elgin, Illinois United States of America |
| Website | www.elginacademy.org |
Elgin Academy, founded in 1839, is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory school in Elgin, Illinois. The school occupies a 15 acre (61,000 m�) campus 35 miles (55 km) northwest of Chicago in the Historic District of the city of Elgin. The current Head of School is John Cooper (2000-present). The school has found itself in significant financial difficulty on a number of occasions most recently during the early 1990s. Under new leadership, a highly successful student recruitment program was implemented which when combined with strategic financial aid decisions and the addition of a pre-school, set the stage for the school's current financial health.
The Academy offers an academic, college-preparatory curriculum that endeavors to present maximum challenge and maximum support to its students. The Academy is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and is accredited by both the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; it is recognized by the Illinois Non-Public Schools Recognition Program. The school is the oldest coeducational, non-sectarian school west of the Allegheny Mountains.
The Academy was established by charter of the Illinois General Assembly in 1839 to provide students with a classical education. The Academy's original building, "Old Main", was constructed in 1856, and is now on the United States' National Register of Historic Places. It serves as a museum of the Elgin Area Historical Society (see below).
Principal Nathaniel C. Sears expanded it from a local-area school to a boarding school with the construction of its Sears Hall. Edwards Hall was built in 1969.
The school's classrooms are housed in three buildings:
- Edwards Hall
- Sears Hall
- North Hall
Other buildings on campus include:
- Sears Gallery (theater)
- A gymnasium
- Raymond House (business office)
- Penney House (admissions and alumni relations offices)
The Elgin Academy also owns a small sports field complex, approximately one half-mile away from the main campus, including tennis courts, grass fields, and 1/5-mile cinder track.
[edit] The Old Main
The Old Main is the original building in which the Academy was housed. When the school had enormous debt, the Academy attempted to donate the building to the city of Elgin, so it wouldn't have to pay for a dilapidated building. Due to legal technicalities, the building could not be given as a gift. The school consequently sold it to the city for $1.
Today, the building is primarily used as the museum for the Elgin Area Historical Society. However, there is one room set aside for use as a regular classroom by the school, commonly referred to as the "Museum Room" by students.
