Western Reserve Academy

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Western Reserve Academy
WRA chapel.jpg
The Chapel
Lux Et Veritas (Light and Truth)
Location
Hudson, Ohio, USA
Information
Type Private Boarding and Day
Religious affiliation(s) None
Established 1826
Head of School Christopher Burner
Faculty approx. 69 [1]
Enrollment approx. 370 [1]
Average class size 12 [1]
Student to teacher ratio 6:1 [1]
Color(s) Hunter Green and White
Athletics 23 interscholastic [2]
Mascot Pioneer
Website http://www.wra.net

Western Reserve Academy (also known as 'WRA' or 'Reserve') is a private, mid-sized, coeducational boarding and day college preparatory school located in Hudson, Ohio.

Contents

[edit] History

The gates at Chapel Street

Western Reserve Academy was established in 1826 as the Western Reserve College and Preparatory School in Hudson, Ohio, on a 190-acre (768,930 m²) plot of land set aside via charter. In 1882 the college moved north to Cleveland, Ohio, and became Western Reserve University, later merging with the Case Institute of Technology. Reserve is the 27th oldest preparatory boarding school in the United States, and the oldest outside of the Northeast.[3]

Loomis Observatory, on the Academy campus, was constructed in 1837 and still stands today. It is the second-oldest observatory in the United States and houses its original instruments inside.

Western Reserve Academy remained open for another twenty-one years, until 1903, when it was forced to close due to financial problems. In 1916, however, the school reopened due to the graces of benefactor James Ellsworth, a former student and Hudson resident who had returned after making millions of dollars in the coal industry.

The "Ellsworth Era" was marked by significant construction, namely Seymour Hall (the newly appointed academic building), the Bicknell Gymnasium, and Ellsworth Hall, a dormitory and dining hall.

In 1922, Western Reserve Academy became an all-boys institution, which it remained for fifty years, until 1972, when girls were once again admitted.

The historic "Brick Row"

In the late 1990s and into the early 21st century, Western Reserve Academy again underwent a major construction period, eclipsing even the growth of the "Ellsworth Era." During this time the following projects were completed:

  • Renovation of computer lab in Seymour Hall (1995)
  • Expansion/ Construction of the Metcalf Center (1999)
  • Renovation of Wood House (2000–2002)
  • Construction and expansion of athletic facilities, including the Murdough Athletic Center (2001–2004)
  • Renovation of Bicknell Gymnasium into Bicknell House (2004)
  • Construction of the John D. Ong Library (2000)
  • Renovation of Wilson Science Hall (2001)
  • Construction of Long House Dormitory (2000)
  • Renovation of Nathan P. Seymour Guest House (1998)

In 2001, Western Reserve Academy was recognized by US News and World Report as one of the top boarding schools in the country.[4]

A boarding school, Western Reserve Academy is largely a residential campus, with 249 of 391 students living on campus and the remainder attending the day program as "day-students."[1] In that population, students matriculated from 25 states and 17 countries.

82% of the faculty hold advanced degrees. Approximately 90% of the faculty members reside on campus in either faculty homes or dormitory apartments.

Reserve participates in an annual summer exchange program with the Caterham School in Surrey, England.

[edit] Boarding

A typical Reserve male dorm room

There are nine dormitories, in which over 200 boarding students reside during the school year.

Boys dormitories

  • North Hall
  • The Athenaeum (The A)
  • Wood House
  • Bicknell House

Girls dormitories

  • Carroll Cutler House
  • Cartwright Hall (Garden)
  • Ellsworth Hall
  • Hobart House
  • Long House

[edit] The arts

Reserve offers over 20 different classes catering to students interested in the arts. Courses are available through the school's music, dance, theater, and visual arts programs. Midge Karam is the head of the Art Department at Reserve.

[edit] Music program

Music students perform in instrumental and vocal groups, compete and perform locally and internationally and study music theory and history. Historic Hayden Hall houses the music department and features six practice rooms, two large rehearsal rooms, a recital room, music classrooms, five Steinway grand pianos, two harpsichords, drum sets and electronic studio equipment. Performances take place in the Knight Fine Arts Center (KFAC) or in the Chapel, which facilitates the use of a Holtkamp pipe organ. In recent years, ensembles from Reserve have traveled to Austria, Germany, The Czech Republic, and China.

The Academy Choir

The Academy Choir performs music from a variety of styles and periods. The Choir presents an array of concerts, including the Midwinter Madrigal Feaste, Vespers, traditional choral concerts and major works with the Chamber Strings. Notable works performed in the past include Mozart's Requiem, Hayden's Lord Nelson Mass, and Rutter's Mass of the Children. The choir is under direction of Margaret "Midge" Karam, Chair of Fine Arts at Western Reserve Academy.

Symphonic Winds

The Symphonic Winds provide an opportunity for woodwind, brass and percussion players to perform traditional concert band literature and transcriptions. The Symphonic Winds are under the direction of Edward E. Wiles.

Reserve Jazz Project

The Reserve Jazz Project is a contemporary jazz group that performs at numerous school and community events. The Reserve Jazz Project is under the direction of Edward E. Wiles.

The Academy Orchestra

The Academy Orchestra provides performance opportunities for students interested in performing classical orchestral literature. The Orchestra also provides accompaniment for the Academy Choir's Masterwork series.

[edit] Clubs and activities

Reserve offers a wide variety of extracurricular organizations geared to meet interests, foster talent, and broaden horizons. Student interest and initiative can also spur the formation of new school groups.[citation needed] The school's Latin Club functions as a local chapter of both the Ohio Junior Classical League (OJCL)[5] and National Junior Classical League (NJCL).[6]

[edit] Athletics

The school offers a wide variety of sports, including soccer, football, golf, cross country, field hockey, volleyball, swimming and diving, basketball, wrestling, riflery, ice hockey, baseball, softball, track and field, tennis, and lacrosse.

In recent years, Western Reserve Academy has gained a reputation as one of the top high school lacrosse teams in the United States. In 2006 and 2009, WRA won the Midwest Scholastic Lacrosse Championship. Only three different teams have won the Midwest Championships since 1992; Brother Rice, Western Reserve Academy and Upper Arlington. Inside Lacrosse ranked the 2009 WRA lacrosse team number one in the Midwest.

WRA lacrosse national rankings according to Laxpower poll:

  • 2004: 49th
  • 2005: 49th
  • 2006: 27th
  • 2007: 23rd
  • 2008: 41st
  • 2009: 28th

The track and cross-country teams under Frank Longstreth, also the Latin department head, achieved extraordinary success from the 1940s through the 1980s, winning many Interstate League championships, with the cross country team at one time boasting a streak of 179-1.

[edit] Notable alumni

 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2010)

The following represents an incomplete list of renowned graduates of the school. Individuals with a † next to their name were enrolled in either or both institutions before Western Reserve College moved from the Hudson campus to Cleveland in 1882 and became Western Reserve University. As such, the degree to which they were affiliated with both institutions may vary. Individuals with a * next to their name did not complete their studies.

[edit] Politics, government and law

[edit] Literature and journalism

[edit] The arts

[edit] Business

[edit] Miscellaneous

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Western Reserve Academy - Visitors - WRA at a Glance Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  2. ^ Western Reserve Academy - Athletics - Statement of Principles Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  3. ^ http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/oldest_founding_date.php
  4. ^ Smith, Gary (5/6/2001). "Boarding Schools". http://search.usnews.com/search?client=default_frontend&output=xml_no_dtd&proxystylesheet=default_frontend&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF8&as_q=boarding+schools+in+the+nation+&as_epq=Western+Reserve+Academy&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_occt=any&btnG=submit&sort=date%3AD%3AS%3Ad1. Retrieved November 24, 2008. 
  5. ^ "Elected Officer Pre-file Application". Executive Board Pre-File Application. Ohio Junior Classical League. 2009. http://ohiojcl.org/prefile.shtml. Retrieved October 24, 2009. [dead link]
  6. ^ "OJCL Constitution". OhioJCL.org - July 2002. Internet Archive: Wayback Machine. 2010. Archived from the original on July 21, 2002. http://web.archive.org/web/20020721140258/http://www.ohiojcl.org/resources/constitution.html#c31. Retrieved August 16, 2010. "... by paying both OJCL annual chapter dues and any annual chapter membership dues required by NJCL." 

[edit] External links

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