Montgomery Academy

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The Montgomery Academy
Image:Montgomery academy seal.jpg
Established 1959
School type Independent Day School
Headmaster Archibald Douglas
Location 3240 Vaughn Road
Montgomery, AL 36106
Phone (334) 272-8210
Enrollment 850
Mascot Eagle
Colors Cardinal and Navy
Homepage http://www.montgomeryacademy.org/

The Montgomery Academy is a non-sectarian independent day school located in Montgomery, Alabama. The school comprises two campuses. The "lower school" accommodates kindergarten through fourth grade, and is located at 1550 Perry Hill Road. The "upper school" campus, for the fifth through twelfth grades, is located at 3240 Vaughn Road. The school's current total enrollment is 850, of which 282 are in the Upper School. While the Montgomery Academy was founded in 1959 during the period when the desegregation of public schools was hotly debated, the academy now accepts students without regard to race or religion, and has become one of the top elementary and high schools in the nation.

Contents

[edit] History

The Montgomery Academy was founded in 1959 by a group of prominent Montgomery citizens, most prominently the cotton merchandiser and philanthropist Robert Schoenhof Weil. [1]. The first classes were held in Alabama's first governor's mansion on South Perry Street.[2]

Like a number of private schools formed in the United States during this time period, the Montgomery Academy is reputed to have been founded in reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education, which required public school boards to eliminate segregation "with all deliberate speed."[3][4] Archie Douglas, the headmaster of the Montgomery Academy for the last decade, has stated that he believes the school was started in reaction to desegregation and that he is sure "that those who resented the civil rights movement or sought to get away from it took refuge in the academy." He also notes that the school now has a philosophy of openness and does not discriminate with regards to race.[3] (For more on private schools founded to avoid desegregation, see segregation academies).

For the first two decades of its existence, the Montgomery Academy did not admit many (if any) African American students. The school was identified as a discriminatory institution by the plaintiffs in Allen v. Wright, a lawsuit by black parents decided in 1984 by the U.S. Supreme Court. [5]

The school is part of the National Association of Independent Schools and adheres to the association's standards, which state that the "school will not discriminate on the basis of race, color or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its admission policies."[6] According to recent data, the student body of the Montgomery Academy is currently 7.7 percent non-white.[3] Students from the Montgomery Academy have also been involved in projects in recent years to promote racial harmony and to document Montgomery's links to the civil rights movement.[7]

[edit] Facilities

In 1994 the school added the 10,000 square foot Garzon Library, designed by local architects Seay Seay and Litchfield. The library's central octagonal rotunda establishes a focal landmark for the upper school campus.

The firm was then later contracted to design a new upper school building, named the Mary Katherine Archibald Blount Upper School Building, and a bridge connecting the academic campus with the then newly acquired athletic fields across the busy Vaughn Road. Previously, the land which is now the athletic campus was an immense lawn for a masonic retirement home.

[edit] Academics

The Montgomery Academy's curriculum is entirely college preparatory, with more than 85 different high school course choices in nine disciplines. Students must carry at least five academic courses at all times. Thirty AP and honors sections are offered in all core areas. Each year a number of students rank as National Merit Scholars and semifinalists. During the 2002 and 2003 academic years, 36 students were honored by the College Board as "Advanced Placement Scholars."[8] Other students have also been named as Presidential Scholars.[9] The school's studio arts program is known as the best in the state and the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts ranks the school's program in the top 9 percent nation wide,[10] while the school's Forensics Team is the largest speech and debate program in Alabama.[11]

Graduates of the school routinely attend Ivy League and other prestigious universities and colleges.

The Academy is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and the Alabama Association of Independent Schools.

[edit] Athletics

The school's athletics teams and squadrons are nicknamed the Eagles and the school colors are cardinal and navy blue. The school competes with other Alabama high schools in the Alabama High School Athletic Association. The director of athletics at the Montgomery Academy is John Tatum.

For a relatively small school, the Montgomery Academy offers a large number of sports. Fully two-thirds of students take part on various teams. The Academy was recognized as the leader in 3A varsity sports for both boys and girls by the Birmingham News.

[edit] Championships

The school has won a number of state championships, including:

[edit] Eagle Day

Every May the student body competes in a series of athletic competitions during "Eagle Day." The finale is always a tug-of-war between two factions ("Navy" and "Cardinal") of the senior class, a culminating event that carries the most "points" relative to the rest of the competition. The winner hoists a victory flag which flies their colors for the entire academic year.

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Robert Schoenhof Weil. Alabama academy of honor (1998-09-02). Retrieved on May 2, 2006.
  2. ^ History of Alabama Governor's Mansion.
  3. ^ a b c Connolly, Regan Loyola. "Private schools diversify", The Montgomery Advertiser, 2004-01-12.
  4. ^ No. 81-757, No. 81-970. Office of the solicitor general, United States department of justice (1983). Retrieved on May 2, 2006. Text of the Allen v. Wright ruling, Supreme Court of the United States, which specifically mentions the Montgomery Academy (among other defending schools).
  5. ^ No. 81-757, No. 81-970. Office of the solicitor general, United States department of justice (1983). Retrieved on May 2, 2006. Text of the Allen v. Wright ruling, Supreme Court of the United States.
  6. ^ Principles of good practice. National Association of Independent Schools. Retrieved on May 2, 2006.
  7. ^ "Journalist recalls violence, change" by Erica Pippins, The Montgomery Advertiser March 30, 2005.
  8. ^ "Students Recognized for Academic Achievements" by Lori Quille, from Visions (Montgomery Academy alumni magazine), fall 2002, pages 6-9.
  9. ^ "Senior Artist Nominated as Presidential Scholar" by Lori Quille, from Visions (Montgomery Academy alumni magazine), winter 2003, page 11.
  10. ^ "Thoughts on Graceful Giving…" by Archie Douglas, from Visions (Montgomery Academy alumni magazine), fall 2002, page 3, and "A message from the Board President" by Millie Houston, from Visions (Montgomery Academy alumni magazine), winter 2005, page 16.
  11. ^ "A message from the Board President" by Millie Houston, from Visions (Montgomery Academy alumni magazine), winter 2005, page 16.

[edit] External links

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