Lawrence Academy at Groton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other schools of this name, see Lawrence Academy.
Lawrence Academy at Groton
Address
26 Powderhouse Road
Groton, Massachusetts, 01450
United States
Coordinates 42°36′14″N 71°33′58″W / 42.60389°N 71.56611°W / 42.60389; -71.56611Coordinates: 42°36′14″N 71°33′58″W / 42.60389°N 71.56611°W / 42.60389; -71.56611
Information
School type Private
Established 1793
Headmaster Douglas S. Wiggins
Faculty ~80
Enrollment 406
Campus type Exurban
Color(s) Red and blue
Mascot Spartan
Publication Powderhouse Gazette, The Consortium, The Elm Tree, The Academy Journal, The Spectrum
Website http://www.lacademy.edu
Lawrence Academy
Lawrence Academy at Groton is located in Massachusetts
Location: 20 Academy Ln., Falmouth, Massachusetts
Coordinates: 41°33′9″N 70°36′57″W / 41.5525°N 70.61583°W / 41.5525; -70.61583Coordinates: 41°33′9″N 70°36′57″W / 41.5525°N 70.61583°W / 41.5525; -70.61583
Area: 2.5 acres (1.0 ha)
Built: 1834
Architectural style: Greek Revival
Governing body: Local
NRHP Reference#: 98000123[1]
Added to NRHP: February 20, 1998

Lawrence Academy at Groton, (occasionally called LA or Lacademy), is a co-educational preparatory school located in Groton, Massachusetts, in the United States. Founded by Samuel Lawrence in 1793 as Groton Academy, and chartered by Governor John Hancock, Lawrence is the tenth oldest boarding school in the United States, and the third in Massachusetts, following Governor Dummer Academy (1763) and Phillips Academy at Andover (1778).[2] Lawrence's first headmaster was Samuel Adams Holyoke, a renowned musician. One of the school's first benefactors was Col. William Prescott, a trustee and patron.[3] The phrase on Lawrence Academy's seal is "Omnibus Lucet": in Latin, "Let light shine upon all."

Contents

[edit] Lawrence Academy

Founded by 50 Groton townspeople (Including the above mentioned Samuel Lawrence,) in 1792 as Groton Academy, and chartered in 1793 by Governor John Hancock, Lawrence is the tenth oldest boarding school in the United States, and the third in Massachusetts, following Governor's Academy (1763) and Phillips Academy at Andover (1778).[1] Lawrence's first headmaster was Samuel Adams Holyoke, a renowned musician. One of the school's first benefactors was Col. William Prescott, a trustee and patron.[2] The Academy's motto is "Lux Omnibus Lucet" however, the phrase on Lawrence Academy's seal is "Omnibus Lucet": in Latin, "Let light shine upon all."

[edit] History

In 1845, Groton Academy changed its name to honor Amos, Abbott, and William Lawrence, famed alumni, and major benefactors during that era. At the time, Lawrence Academy was considered a feeder school for America's leading colleges, particularly Dartmouth and Williams Colleges. In 1868, during a Fourth of July celebration, an errantly tossed firecracker burned Lawrence Academy's main schoolhouse to the ground. In 1956, amidst commencement exercises, fire once again destroyed Lawrence Academy's academic and administrative buildings. Following both fires, Lawrence Academy rebuilt; however, because of these incidents, it encountered financial difficulties through parts of the twentieth century, until the late 1970s. Lawrence was coeducational until 1898, when it switched to a boys-only student body. It remained single sex until 1971.

The First Parish Church is a landmark on Main Street in Groton, set at the northern end of Lawrence Academy's campus, though is not associated with the school.

[edit] Background

Lawrence Academy is seated upon 100 acres (405,000 m²) of rolling countryside, in Groton, Massachusetts, 31 miles northwest of Boston, eight miles south of New Hampshire. At the bequest of James Lawrence, a Lawrence family descendant, it shares the meadows and mansion along Peabody Road and Farmer's Row with the Groton School, another renowned preparatory school. Architecturally, Lawrence's campus features a mix of historic Federalist-Era houses and Neo-Georgian academic buildings. From Lawrence's central quadrangle, one can see the outline of Mount Wachusett to the west, the pastures of Gibbet Hill Farm, (the site of colonial gallows and The Castle), to the north, and the fairways of the Groton Country Club to the east.

[edit] Enrollment

Each year Lawrence Academy enrolls approximately 400 students, 200 of whom are boarding students. (Its enrollment has increased by over 120 students in the last decade.) As of 2006, students hail from 20 U.S. States and 15 countries. The student-to-teacher ratio at Lawrence is approximately 7:1, with an average class size of 14 students. Tuition for the 2006–2007 academic year was $49,900 for boarders, $39,900 for day students. Thirty percent of students receive financial aid to attend. Lawrence accepts approximately 35% of applicants.

[edit] Unique academic programs

Lawrence Academy's notable programs include Winterim, a two-week adventure program, promoting experiential learning. Students choose their Winterim programs from a number of offerings. Offerings have ranged from learning to sail the "Northwest Passage" in British Columbia, to exploring ecology in Costa Rica, to storytelling to local children in New England. Lawrence Academy also has the Independent Immersion Program, which allows its students to focus for one or two years on a single endeavor, as though at a conservatory, with courses or projects completed both on and off campus.

[edit] Athletics

Lawrence Academy's athletic teams compete in the Independent School League. Many Lawrence student-athletes attract the attention of coaches of Division I athletic programs. For example, several LA basketball and football players have been ranked by ESPN as among the best secondary school players in the United States; others have received scholarships to play various sports for renowned college programs.

[edit] Affiliations

Lawrence Academy is directed by a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees. It is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council. Lawrence Academy has over 3,800 active alumni.

[edit] Traditions

From Spaulding Hall: Gibbett Hill, site of The Castle.

[edit] Headmaster's Holiday

In the past, they have occurred each trimester. On these occasions, to the surprise of students and faculty, Lawrence Academy will cancel all classes and athletics. Previous Headmasters would don a bright orange blazer and walk across the Quad to signify the holiday.

[edit] Bos'n Ball

  • Bos'n Ball is a 2-on-2 soccer tournament, named after the beloved dog (Bos'n) of faculty member Robinson C. Moore. Bos'n was struck by a car and killed in 1985, on the night before the Brooks soccer game. The boys' varsity squad, mourning the loss of their team mascot, went out the next day and defeated the top-ranked Brooks squad at Brooks during their Parents' Weekend. To honor the dog, the team started this tournament, which still runs today. Participants parade in elaborate costumes before playing. A trophy is awarded to the victors.

[edit] Mountain Day

  • Mountain Day is a tradition held every year in the fall, when the entire school is bused up to Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Students and faculty hike up the mountain's two mile long trails. The class with the most students arriving at the top is recognized and receives some form of prize for their participation. Although no classes are held on Mountain Day, sports are required that afternoon.

[edit] Senior Beach Day

  • Senior Beach Day is a senior class tradition that takes place in the final week of every spring term. The entire senior class, along with selected faculty and the head of school, head to the beach for a day full of lounging, swimming, and tossing a Frisbee a week or so before graduation.

[edit] The Dick Gagne Elm Tree Classic

  • A charity golf tournament that brings together students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the school to raise money for the Winterim Scholarship Fund. This tournament is named after Richard "Gags" Gagne a renowned French teacher and coach who retired from the Academy in 2000 after 41 years of distinguished service.

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Notable faculty

[edit] Student Media

The logo of the Lacademy Sun

The Spectrum is the official student newspaper of Lawrence Academy.

Discontinued in 2007, the Lacademy Sun, a student-run, on-campus newspaper, was founded following concerns in 2004 that students were afforded few avenues through which to express concerns. The initial goal of the Lacademy Sun's editorial board was to provide students an open venue in which to discuss school policies; the paper's editorial policy remained laissez-faire through the last issue. Contributors often, though not always, published pseudonymously and anonymously.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
  2. ^ Boarding Schools with the Oldest Founding Date – All Schools. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
  3. ^ The American Revolution (William Prescott)

[edit] External links
Topics
Lists by states
Lists by territories
Lists by associated states
Other
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lawrence_Academy_at_Groton&oldid=476999523"
Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages