Hargrave Military Academy
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| President | Col. Wheeler L. Baker |
| School type | Private |
| Religious affiliation | Christian |
| Founded | 1909 |
| Location | Chatham, VA, USA |
| Annual Tuition | $25,500 |
| Student: Teacher ratio | 11:1 |
| Campus | 214-acre rural |
| School colors | Black & Orange |
| School mascot | The Tigers |
| School motto | Mens Sana In Corpore Sano |
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Hargrave Military Academy is a private American boarding school located in the town of Chatham, Virginia.
Hargrave is a school affiliated with the Baptist Convention of Virginia emphasizing Christian values that focuses on a college and military preparatory program. The school serves boys from around the world from grades seven to twelve and has a postgraduate program, through which high school graduates can improve their athletic abilities, grades, and SAT scores in preparation for college. The PG program is also available for those attempting to enter the Naval Academy.
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[edit] History
Hargrave Military Academy was founded in 1909 as the Chatham Training School. In 1925, it was renamed in honor of one of its founders J. Hunt Hargrave, a well-to-do local farmer. Chatham Training School and its predecessor, the Warren Training School, were general training schools for boys. The renaming was part of the school's evolution into a military high school.
On February 20, 1950, a fire ravaged the Academy. The fire and the rebuilding process was written about by former Hargrave president Col. Joseph Hathaway Cosby in his 1984 book entitled From Ashes to Excellence: 1950-1970.
Hargrave has long been one of the Southern United States' leading military preparatory schools, and preparing young men and women for success in college is its stated primary goal.
The military department works hand-in-hand with the academic office and the faculty in providing an organized program. The school pursues a policy of student involvement in athletics, spiritual activities, and various other extracurricular activities are also an important part of intellectual and social maturity.
All students are encouraged to become involved outside the classroom and to be active participants in the Hargrave community.
Mens Sana In Corpore Sano is the Academy's motto, which is also found on the logo. It is a Latin phrase which means "A Sound Mind In a Sound Body".
The school is situated on a 214-acre campus with woods, pastures, trails, and ponds, in the hills of the Piedmont region of southern Virginia.
In addition to the extensive academic and athletic facilities, the campus also has the Owen R. Cheatham Chapel, Walter Cox Indoor Rifle Range, and an observatory. The Hargrave Rifle Team has gone 2 years undeafeted in the VMSRL league.
[edit] Organization
Hargrave is governed by a Board of Trustees, many of whom are alumni and community leaders. In addition, Hargrave has developed its own charitable foundation to allow philanthropists an opportunity to make gifts to the school.
The school is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The school is a member of the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States and the National Association of Independent Schools.
The current president of Hargrave is Col. Wheeler L. Baker, USMC (ret.). Col. Baker has received a doctorate in education. He succeeded Col. John Walter Ripley, USMC (ret.) as president in 1999.
Past presidents:
- T. Ryland Sanford (1909-1920)
- Col. Aubrey H. Camden (1920-1950)
- Col. Joseph Hathaway Cosby (1950-1970)
- Col. Vernon T. Lankford, Sr.
- Col. Andrew Todd
- Col. Thomas N. Cunningham
- Col. John W. Ripley (1997-1999)
- Col. Wheeler L. Baker (1999-present)
[edit] Military Aspects
Hargrave is a military academy and thus takes a firm grip on the military culture. Every cadet wears a uniform, cadets are required to follow the chain of command, every cadet has rank, the student body is divided into companies, and there is a strict set of rules including an honor code.
Basic Uniforms
Class A uniform is divided into four classes. The first class consists of a blouse, white ducks, white shirt with black tie, dress hat with white cover, black shoes with black sock, belt according to rank, saches and white waist belt for officers, and officers wear white gloves with sabre. The second class is the same as the first except the blouse is not worn and only ribbons and President's List/Dean's List stars may be worn. The third class is the same as the first except gray trousers are worn. The fourth class is the same as the first except a gray shirt with a black tie is worn, gray trousers, and dress hat without a white cover.
Class B uniform is divied into three classes. The first class consists of a white shirt with black tie, gray trousers, dress hat with white cover, black oxford shoes with black socks, sashes with white waist belt for officers, and belts according to rank. The second class is the same as the first except it's a long sleeve gray shirt with black tie, garrison hat, and no sashes with white waist belt. The third class is the same as the first except it has short sleeve gray shirt with no tie, garrison hat, and no sashes with white waist belt.
Class C uniform consists of BDU's, the BDU hat, and combat boots.
Class D uniform consists of khaki pants and the black HMA polo shirt.
Companies
The student body is divided into eight companies. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Band, Echo, and Headquarters companies make up the high school. Delta is the middle school company. Golf is the Post Graduate (PG) company. The companies compete for rewards ranging from shorter Physical Training (PT) to sleeping in on saturdays.
Every six weeks grading period, a "Honor Company" is chosen. The honor company is the one that is best overall in acedemic and military performance. Competition for honor company is usually fierce, the winners are often victors by only a few points. The rewards for achieving honor company greatly outweigh the difficulty in getting it. The honor company sleeps in on saturdays, eats first at meals, and life gets easier all around.
Rank
Every cadet in the core has rank, but not all ranks have insignia. New cadets begin with the rank of basic cadet, they get no insignia. Anyone that hasn't gone to NCO school can achieve up to the rank of Private First Class (PFC) or even corporal in a few rare cases. After going to NCO school, you are able to get up to the rank of sergeant. After SNCO school, you can get up to the rank of Sergeant Major. To reach any rank between Second Lieutenant and Colonel, though, you must attend OCS.
Honor Code
The honor code restricts cadets from lying, cheating, or stealing. Any cadet that violates, or is accused of violating any of the parts of the honor code is sent to honor counsel, where he/she will be punished based upon the severity of the incident. Punishment can range from expulsion, Motivational Platoon, or honor counsel tours.
Punishment
Any cadet that is caught violating a rule will recieve punishment. Punishment can range from sticks for being late, to expulsion for illegal substance possession. Getting "stuck" means that you have to walk tours, each tour is an hour of marching around a white square outside. More severe punishment is motivational platoon, or "moto" for short. A week of moto is comparable to a week of USMC basic training. The punishment system is usually very fair, and in the event that it's not, you can fill out a form to file an appeal for your punishment.
