The Albany Academy

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The Albany Academy
Image:Albany Academy Seal.jpg
Honor Integritas Officium
Honor, Integrity, Service
Location
Albany, New York, USA
Information
Religion None
Head of School Richard F. Barter
Enrollment

340 students (Age 3 - PG)
< 10% Boarding
Faculty 38 teachers
Average class size 15 students
Student:teacher ratio 9:1
Type Private, Single-Sex
Campus 25 acres
Athletics 13 interscholastic sports teams
Athletics conference Colonial Council; New England Prep School Athletic League
Mascot Cadets
Color(s) Red and Black
           
Established 1813
Homepage www.albany-academy.org

The Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school for boys in Albany, New York, USA, enrolling students from "Early Childhood" (age 3) to Post-Graduate. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer and the city council of Albany. On November 16, 2006, the Board of Trustees announced the school will merge with its sister school, Albany Academy for Girls, to form The Albany Academies, which will consolidate the governance, finances, and facilities of the two schools. The Albany Academy will, however, retain its own identity and continue to grant diplomas under its present name.

Contents

[edit] History

The Albany Academy is the oldest boys' day school in the New York Capital Region, chartered in March 1813 to educate the sons of Albany's political elite and rapidly growing merchant class. In the Census three years prior, Albany was the tenth-largest city in the United States, and would remain so through the 1850s due to the prominence of the Erie Canal.

Classes began within months after the charter was granted, offering a college preparatory track (including intensive study of Ancient Greek and Latin) and an arithmetic-based track to prepare young men for Albany's role as a center of commerce. Two years later, in 1815, a purpose-built building was completed in present day Academy Park, adjacent to the New York State Capitol. The Federal-style building, now known as the Old Academy and headquarters of the City School District of Albany, was designed by renowned Albany architect Philip Hooker. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance and role as home to scientist Joseph Henry's laboratory. [1]

In 1870, in response to a lack of military preparation institutions in the north during the American Civil War, the Albany Academy adopted the Battalion Leadership Program, instructing the "cadets" in military procedure and the art of leadership. In 2005 the school ended compulsory involvement in the program in favor of a House-based leadership program commonly found in English preparatory schools. The four houses, named for prominent historical Academy figures (Beck, Gates, Henry, and Olcott), compete against one another in the fields of academics, athletics, community service, and extracurricular involvement for honor and special privileges awarded to the leading house.


In 1931, the school moved from its original downtown building in present day Academy Park to its current location on the corner of Hackett and Academy Roads, in the University Heights section of Albany. Designed by Marcus T. Reynolds in the neo-Georgian style, the building incorporates many elements of the Old Academy building, namely the main entryway and cupola. The school stands approximately two miles from the city center, allowing students access to the resources of the State University of New York at Albany, Russell Sage College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the state capitol, and the state museum and library. The red-brick Academy building's marble corner stone was laid by the then Governor and future President Franklin D. Roosevelt. All grades enrolled in the Albany Academy are housed under the same roof, a point of pride for the Academy Community. Though primarily a day school, The Academy opened a 16-student dormitory in 2003 to offer a residential boarding program to students from beyond the Capital Region. The Van Rensselaer Dormitory was built and named for the School's first Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the 10th Wealthiest man in history, Stephen Van Rensselaer III. In 2006, the dorm was closed to re-focus the school on day-education and the building is now rented out as office space.

In August 2006, The Albany Academy, Albany Academy for Girls, and Doane Stuart School announced their intent to merge into a single institution. The new institution would occupy The Academies' campus on Academy Road, continue single-gender education (a change for Doane Stuart students), and be led by current Doane Stuart Head of School Richard Enemark (Caroline Mason, the current head of both Academies, previously announced her intention of stepping down after the 2006-2007 school year). After parent protest, Doane Stuart withdrew from the proposed merger in September 2006, announcing its decision to remain a separate institution. The Board of Trustees announced the two Academies will merge to form The Albany Academies by the 2007-2008 academic year under a unified administration and interim Head of Schools. Single-gender education will continue under the present form in Lower and Middle Schools, while Upper School students may continue to cross-register for dual-gender classes and certain extracurricular activities.

[edit] Facilities

The main Academic building houses 40 classrooms, two libraries, Mac and PC computer labs, the cafeteria (called the Buttery), the school book store, the auditorium (known as the Caird Chapel), the Wellness Center, the Black Box Theater, a dark room, the Joseph Henry Science Wing, student and faculty lounges, board rooms, art and music studios, the school's archives, and various administrative offices. The school's athletic facilities include 11 team locker-rooms, 2 soccer/lacrosse fields, 2 baseball diamonds, 2 football fields, the 400-meter Robison Track, the Robison Hockey Arena, 6 outdoor tennis courts, the 6-lane, 25-yard Standish Pool, the Rea Fitness Center, 2 indoor gymnasiums, a climbing wall, conference rooms, long- and high-jump pits, a discuss court, and a shot-put court. Other on-campus facilities include the 16-bed Van Rensselaer Dormitory, and the Headmaster's Residence (known as the Leonard House) which has since been used to house the admissions department.

[edit] Student body

Drawn predominately from a six-county area and from within a radius of 65 miles, the student body is ethnically, religiously, and economically diverse. The total 2005–06 school population is 340 boys, including 82 in the Lower School, 71 in the Middle School, and 187 in the Upper School. There is a total of six countries represented in the school. Students are encouraged to actively participate in all aspects of school life; they are expected to conduct themselves responsibly and treat each other and their teachers with respect. Students are responsible for upholding school rules. The Albany Academy adheres to a school-wide honor code. Student Council members, especially seniors, occupy important leadership positions at Albany Academy. Its Leadership Development Program prepares students to hold leadership positions at school and beyond by providing formal classes on leadership, advising/student mentoring, community service, and involvement in co-curricular programs—all within the structure of a British-modeled House System.

[edit] Mission Statement

The school gives its primary mission as:
"to create an environment rich in possibilities that encourages and inspires each student to attain the level of mastery of which he is capable, and to develop those personal qualities and talents that make him a unique individual, a leader, and a contributing member of society."

[edit] Code of Honor

"As members of the Academy community, we acknowledge that our individual actions and attitudes affect the well-being of others as well as the school as a whole. We believe that our community must be built on the trust and mutual respect which will encourage each member to reach his or her unique potential.
To this end, we will strive to foster the ideals of honesty, tolerance, and integrity both in ourselves and in others. We recognize that we must have the courage to support and affirm one another and to conduct ourselves with civility in all aspects of our lives. Through self-discipline, commitment, and mutual support, these goals of personal growth and pride in our school community will be achieved."

[edit] Accreditation and memberships

The schools is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools and recognized by the Regents of the State of New York.

It is a member of the following associations: the College Board, the Cum Laude Society, the National Association of Independent Schools, the Educational Records Bureau, the Capital Region Independent Schools Association, the Association of Boys' Schools, the Secondary Schools Admission Test Board, and the New England Prep School Athletic Association.

[edit] Alumni

Noted alumni include:

[edit] Faculty

Noted former faculty include:

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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