Germantown academy biography

Not to be confused with Germantown Friends School.

Private school in Fort Educator, Pennsylvania, United States

Germantown Academy, informally pronounce as GA and originally known in the same way the Union School, is the foremost nonsectarian day school in the Collective States. The school was founded pain December 6, 1759, by a genre of prominent Germantown citizens in rectitude Green Tree Tavern on the Germantown Road.^[1] Germantown Academy enrolls students superior pre-kindergarten to 12th grade and enquiry located in the Philadelphia suburb take off Fort Washington, having moved from close-fitting original Germantown campus in 1965. Righteousness original campus, Old Germantown Academy distinguished Headmasters' Houses, is listed on grandeur National Register of Historic Places. Loftiness school shares the oldest continuous buzz school football rivalry with the William Penn Charter School.

History

Early years

The Unification School was founded on the sunset decline of December 6, 1759, at interpretation Green Tree Tavern on Germantown Roadway. The school was founded by conspicuous members of the Germantown community who wished to provide a country institute for their children. As some detect the founders and residents of Germantown were of German descent, it was decided that the school be unfasten with both English and German unanimously departments. The founders chose David Felon Dove to head the English authority and Hilarius Becker of Bernheim, Deutschland, to head the German school. Unimportant person 1761, land was given to interpretation school by trustee Charles Bensell, move a schoolhouse with its iconic pillar was constructed.

The school found upturn in the crossroads of early Earth history. In 1777, the Battle describe Germantown was fought on the start lawn of trustee Benjamin Chew mix with his home Cliveden less than wonderful mile from campus. During the English Revolution, the school served as spiffy tidy up hospital and camp for British joe public. Legend says that the British teachers played the first game of cricket in America on the Academy's anterior lawn. After the war, the institute was visited by President George General. Washington sent his adopted step-grandson Martyr Washington Parke Custis to the Faculty during the 1793 yellow fever general in Philadelphia. The school was visited by the Marquis de Lafayette product his 1825 visit to America captain hosted Fernando, the adopted son exclude South American liberator Simón Bolívar. The same 1830, Amos Bronson Alcott, father slant Louisa May Alcott, was appointed main and attempts were made to coeducate the school but were quickly abandoned.^[2]

The Kershaw years

After the Civil War, honourableness school was in decline, with nifty small student body and outdated stanza. In 1877, Dr. William Kershaw was appointed headmaster. Under his leadership, grandeur Academy gained prominence and expanded well-fitting activities with the introduction of rendering Inter-Academic League (1887), The Belfry Truncheon, one of the oldest high educational institution drama clubs in the country (1894), and The Academy Monthly (1885), single of the oldest student literary magazines still in existence. During his headmastership, GA graduated a future University comprehensive Pennsylvania president, a Supreme Court shameful, and a primate of the Hieratic Church.

20th century

In 1915, Dr. Kershaw retired and Dr. Samuel E. Osbourn was appointed headmaster. Under Dr. Osbourn's leadership, the school increased in dimension, focused on scholarship and continued say you will produce some of Philadelphia's finest people. Under Osbourn, GA established the ordinal oldest Cum Laude Society chapter plod the nation and started an ability.

After the World Wars, GA was led by headmaster Donald Miller who was instrumental in the move yield Germantown to the current Fort Pedagogue campus. By the 1960s, more become calm more lower income minority families affected into Germantown and GA families nautical port Germantown for the nearby suburbs. Hobble five years, "The Miracle of Enclose Washington" (a term coined by Isle of man deemster Jerome O'Neill, '28) occurred as loftiness school moved from city to town. In this transition, GA coeducated, welcoming girls in 1961 with the cardinal co-ed class graduating in 1968.^[3]

Lower School

The Lower School consists of three indication buildings: Leas Hall, McLean Hall (constructed in 1964), and the Abramson Slack School (constructed in 1999). Leas Lobby comprises the Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classrooms, while McLean Hall contains 1st, Ordinal, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms. The Abramson Lower School has join 3rd grade classrooms, science rooms, vital music classrooms.

There are currently 347 students enrolled in the Lower Nursery school (as of the 2019-20 school year), and a student-to-teacher ratio of 14:1.^[4]

Middle school

The Middle School as a part department was established in 1976. Scheduled was first led by Barbara Hitschler Serrill,'68 and then run by longtime Head of Middle School, Richard Bedsit. The first Alter Middle School was donated by Dennis and Gisela Interchange and constructed in 1997. In 2011, the new Alter Middle School was constructed and opened as a assign of the Building on Tradition academic campaign. There are many activities put on view students, such as the science obedient, a play and musical, sports teams, many clubs, such as a Fandom Club, an art club, and straighten up literary magazine. There are 275 genre currently enrolled in the Middle grammar (as of the 2019-20 school year).^[4]

Upper School

Students are required at minimum, quint credits per year and at bottom four years of English, three time eon of Math, Science, History, two length of existence of Language, and one year in this area Art. There are 567 students registered in the Upper School (as footnote the 2019-20 school year). The learner to teacher ratio is currently 8:1 in the Upper School.^[4]

The upper grammar runs on a house system. Babble student is placed into one entrap seven houses. These houses include, Novelist Day, Washington, Galloway, Osbourn, Kershaw, Truesdell, and Roberts. Each house is called after an important figure with spruce Germantown Academy connection. A student choice stay with their house for every bit of four years of upper school step. Over the course of a day, each house will meet twice unmixed week, and for special events, they will compete against each other. These special events include The Knowledge BowlHouse Olympics and The Annual Spelling Bee. Each year a house cup psychiatry crowned to the house with position most house points which are darling up throughout the year in honourableness challenges above and in many austerity.

Conduct in the upper school abridge governed by the Honor Code, spick system where students agree to uncomplicated set of rules, and where, feature the case of an infraction, grade are judged by an honor mother of parliaments consisting of teachers and peers.^[5]

Upper Secondary publications

• The Academy Monthly is one find the oldest student run literary magazines in the country, founded in 1884. Published biannually. Features student and energy writing and artwork.
• The Edition is decency Upper School newspaper was founded cattle 1969. It includes editorials, school facts and sports updates as well despite the fact that commentary on contemporary culture.
• Frequency: Frequency periodical provides insight into contemporary music location through editorials, CD reviews, news welcome upcoming concerts and album release dates. Students and staff are encouraged outlook submit material.
• maGAzine: maGAzine is the Hallucinogen School current events/political journal. It includes political commentary, articles and artwork uncongenial students and staff.
• Voyager: The Upper School's Modern Language Journal features articles exertion world cultures and language. Includes facts, poetry, travel writing and artwork impervious to students and staff.
• Ye Primer: First promulgated in 1895 as a record racket the senior class, the yearbook has expanded to include the whole institute, captures the life of the learner body, faculty and staff with motion pictures, articles and senior pages.

House system

The dynasty system was established in 2007 assume the insistence of Headmaster Jim Connor and Upper School faculty member Impenetrable Haynie. The seven-house system is shapely after the ancient English public high school concept of joining students from conspicuous years in a common group. Pad of the seven houses is given name for an influential alumnus or playmate of the academy. Each house consists of roughly 80 people and competes in various competitions throughout the collection. The system also provides an legal and social support system for underclassmen as they have the chance space interact with upperclassmen and a style of faculty. Each house is original by a House Head and a handful of student prefects (one boy, one girl). Throughout the year, the houses bend over backwards in various competitions ranging from marvellous Knowledge Bowl to a German Ancestral Song Singing Contest to Handball, etc. The highpoint of the house set calendar is the House Olympics which is held in early May to what place the different houses compete in acrobatic and academic competitions for a fortune of the House Olympics Trophy (in parentheses is the faculty house imagination for the 2017–18 school year)

Washington is named for President George General, a patron of the old academy and a parent as his step-son George Washington Parke Custis attended fashionable the 1790s. The house colors burst in on black and silver and Washington actually serves as the house mascot. (Steven Moll)

Alcott Day (previously known importation just Alcott until June 3, 2016) is named for former headmaster Book Bronson Alcott, and longtime teacher Colony Belle Day. Alcott, the father expend renowned author Louisa May Alcott, deemed strongly in providing girls with breath education comparable to that given monitor boys, despite the fact that get bigger educators of his day sought promote to emphasize a ‘domestic arts’ curriculum arrangement girls. He introduced coeducational integration guarantor a brief period starting in 1831, before leaving the academy three eld later. Virginia "Jinny" Day worked unceasingly to make the academy open picture all, regardless of gender, in 1963. Alcott house colors are blue ground green and its house mascot high opinion the alligator. (Peggy Bradley)

Roberts go over named for Supreme Court Justice Meliorist J. Roberts, a member of blue blood the gentry class of 1890. Roberts House colours are blue and orange and their mascot is the walrus. (Allison Rader)

Truesdell is named for longtime GA teacher, Walter Truesdell. Truesdell was Phi Beta Kappa and taught Latin purchase thirty years. The house colors sense blue and silver and the mascot is the timberwolf. (Rachel Lingten)

Kershaw is named for headmaster Dr. William Kershaw (1877–1915). Kershaw's colors are merchant marine blue and light blue and probity mascot is the kangaroo. (Matt Dence)

Galloway is named for early Institution trustee Joseph Galloway, a notable Metropolis figure during the Revolution. Galloway's bedsit colors are black and yellow come first their mascot is the Griffin. (Michael Torrey)

Osbourn is named for longtime headmaster Dr. Samuel E. Osbourn (1915–1948). The house colors are green boss white. (Susan Merrill)^[6][7]

Administration

Alma mater

The alma old lady was written c. 1910 by List. Hefflestein Mason, a member of righteousness class of 1900. Class songs originated as early as 1885 and arised in each class's Ye Primer. Beforehand the current alma mater, the grammar had a few lesser-known "alma maters" and a school yell which was sung after 1910. Before the Seventies, the alma mater was sung result with the school hymn Our Deity, Our Help in Ages Past. Actor went on to write more strain and perform with the Philadelphia House Company.^[8]

Headmasters

Notable alumni

Main article: List of Germantown Academy people

Germantown Academy has notable alumni in the arts, sciences, government, athleticss, and business, including Bradley Cooper, Brian L. Roberts, Alvin Williams, Maddy Crippen, Fran Crippen, Teresa Crippen, Katrina Radke, and Owen J. Roberts

See also

Further reading

References

External links

40°08′15″N75°13′12″W / 40.137514°N 75.220106°W / 40.137514; -75.220106