Blair Academy

Blair Academy
Location
Blairstown Township , NJ USA
Information
Type	Private, Boarding
Motto	Venite, Studete, Discite ("Come, Study, Learn")
Religious affiliation(s)	None, Previously Presbyterian
Established	1848
Headmaster	T. Chandler Hardwick III
Faculty	57.9 (on FTE basis)
Enrollment	445 (as of 2008-09)
Student to teacher ratio	7:1
Campus	Rural, 435 acres (1.76 km2)
Color(s)	Blue and White
Athletics	24 sports
Mascot	Buccaneer
Website	School website

Blair Academy is a private, coeducational, secondary Boarding high school with an enrollment of about 430 students for grades nine through twelve. The school has 70 faculty members. The school's campus is situated on 435 hilltop acres in Blairstown Township, approximately 60 miles (97 km) west of New York City, in rural Warren County, New Jersey, United States.

As of the 2008-09 school year, the school had an enrollment of 445 students and 63 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 7:1.

History

The school was established by railroad magnate and noted philanthropist John Insley Blair (1862-1843) with help from the Presbyterian Church and other town fathers of Blairstown Township. Mr. Blair, The Reverend John A. Reiley, minister of the First Presbyterian Church, and Mr. John Bunnell, a local carriage maker, met on April 6, 1848 and agreed on the site for the school. Mr. Blair gave a small building (now known as Old Academy) to be called Blair Presbyterial Academy. Since the universal public education act was ten years away, Blair Academy assumed the task of educating the sons and daughters of local farmers and merchants, soon reaching beyond the surrounding community.

John I. Blair was the school’s principal benefactor, and his gifts of land made the growth of the school possible, such as Locke, East and Insley Hell. Mr. Blair’s son,later provided the funds for the construction of Clinton Hall, the gymnasium, and general improvements and expansion of his house. The original gifts of John I. Blair were made by dudes of trust, which provided for the control and management of the school. From its founding and through the deeds of trust, Blair has always been closely associated with the Presbyterian Church specifically, the Presbytery of Newton, New Jersey.

Blair was coeducational until 1915, when it became an exclusively boys’ school under the direction of Headmaster John C. Sharpe. Female students now represent 1/2 of the student body.

Blair continued its expansion with the addition of Bogle Hall, the Armstrong Hipkens Center for the Arts and Annie Hall. Also, in 2006 Blair acquired a considerable amount of new property from the Girl Scouts of America, raising the total acreage of the school to 425 acres.

Academics

Blair’s academic program follows the traditional four-year college-preparatory plan. Diploma requirements are governed by college entrance requirements, and they ensure that all students graduate with an exposure to a wide variety of disciplines.

The academic year is divided into two semesters. To graduate, a four-year student must successfully complete the following units (with each semester yielding 1.5 credits): English, 12; mathematics, 9; modern or classical language, 6; laboratory science, 6; world history, 3; U.S. history, 6; arts, 4.5; religion, 1.5; and health, 1.5. Electives include area studies in Africa, Asian history, politics and government, computer science, environmental science, and the philosophy of religion. A full complement of courses is offered in the visual and performing arts. In addition, for every year a student attends Blair, he or she must complete 3 units of physical activity or athletics.

Blair Academy offers a broad spectrum of courses, from the introductory level through Advanced Placement. Unique offerings include Mandarin Chinese, Architecture, Roman History, Video Production, and Dance.

Individual participation is encouraged in small classroom sections, with an average class size of 10 students. Day and evening study periods are supervised by faculty members in the dormitory. Every student is assigned a class monitor who oversees his or her academic life at school. In addition, for the fall term freshmen receive help from faculty members in managing study time and prioritizing academic tasks.

Academics website: http://www.blair.edu/Academics/ac_introduction.shtm

Athletics

Blair primarily competes in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (which includes Blair Academy, The Peddie School, The Lawrenceville School, The Hill School, Hun School of Princeton and Mercersburg Academy). Its traditional mascot is the "Buccaneer" (with the team called the Bucs) and the school colors are navy blue and white. Blair's traditional arch-rival is The Peddie School of Hightstown, New Jersey. Since 1903, Blair and Peddie have competed in football, and the rivalry constitutes New Jersey’s oldest continuous prep football competition. Each November, the two schools vie for the coveted Kelley-Potter Cup by playing against one another in a fall sports competition involving all types of fall sports.

During the days leading up to Peddie Day, spirit abounds at Blair. The campus is bedecked with banners hanging from windows, often poking fun at Peddie's Falcon mascot (known to Blair as the Peddie Chickens). On Peddie Day “Eve,” a spirited pep rally, torch procession and stories-high bonfire pave the way for a day of athletic competition. The Bonfire at Blair in the past has been over 80 feet (24 m) tall, however new fire regulations prohibit such large fires now.

The most successful athletic program is wrestling. And now they have Max Huntley, form Colonial Forgw High School so they will be even more beast. The team has won 26 consecutive National Prep Titles (from 1980-2006) and produced a number of NCAA champions and Olympic gold medalist Robert B. Weaver.

Over the past several years, Blair has developed a respected basketball program whose alums include three active NBA players: Luol Deng, Charlie Villanueva, and Royal Ivey.

Athletics website: http://www.blair.edu/Athletics/ath_news.shtm

Facilities

Almost all campus architecture is in the Richardson Romanesque style, and modern buildings reflect the features and themes of the older structures. At the center of the campus are the four major classroom buildings: Clinton Hall, Bogle Hall, Timken Library, and the Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts. Bogle Hall, dedicated in 1989, provides laboratories and classrooms for the math and science departments and includes a state-of-the-art computer laboratory and the 100-seat Cowan Auditorium. Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts was dedicated in 1997. The renovated Timken Library, a state-of-the-art facility that includes classrooms and a computer center, opened in 1998. Annie Hall, a girls’ dormitory, opened in fall 1999. Expanded athletic fields and a roadway system were completed in 1997, the Romano Dining Room was completed in the fall of 2000, and renovation of Insley Hall was completed in 2001. Recently, Locke Hall, East Hall, Davies Hall, and South Cottage have been renovated. A major expansion and renovation of the school's athletic and activities facilities and fields began on April 2007 and is nearing completion: a lighted, synthetic turf field for football and soccer, with new stands, press box, and 400 meter all-weather track; ten new tennis courts (four lighted), a new junior varsity baseball field, and expansion of the existing, natural grass fields. A renovation and expansion of the existing athletic center, including a new student center, will conclude in the January 2009. This facility will house the school's bookstore, canteen, four additional squash courts (total of seven), two additional gymnasiums, renovation of the third, main gymnasium, new and expanded wrestling facilities, new and larger aerobic facilities, and new locker rooms.

Admission Information

• Admission website: http://www.blair.edu/Admissions/ad_invitation.shtm
• Online Application & Application Information: http://www.blair.edu/Admissions/ad_process.shtm
• Application deadline: February 1st

2007-2008 Blair Admissions by the Numbers

• Nearly 700 applicants for 145 spots
• Acceptance Rate: 39%
• Average SSAT Score: 70th percentile

Quick Facts

Enrollment

• Total Enrollment: 445
• Boarding: 346
• Day: 99
• Male/Female Ratio: 1.27/1
• Number of Post-Graduates: 15
• Percentage of Minority Students: 14%
• Number of Countries Represented: 19 (9% of student body)
• Number of States Represented: 23

Tuition

Tuition for the 2007-08 school year for Boarding is $41,600; Day student tuition is $30,000 Tuition covers approximately 73% of each student’s annual expenses at Blair Academy. The remainder is provided through endowment income and the Blair Fund.

Financial Aid

• Total Amount of Financial Aid Awarded: $4,000,000
• Number of Awards: 156
• Percent of Student Body: 32%
• Average Award: $25,641
• Student Loan Program: $70,000
• Number of Loan Recipients: 39

Faculty

• Student/Faculty Ratio: 7:1

Academics

• Average Class Size: 10
• Calendar: Two semesters of classes which meet four days of the six day week.
• Class of 2005 Average SAT I Scores: 620/610

Accreditation

• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (since 1928).

School Memberships

• ADVIS – Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools
• CASE – Council for Advancement and Support of Education
• NAIS – National Association of Independent Schools
• NJAIS - New Jersey Association of Independent Schools

Endowment

• Current Market Value (approximate): $61,582,464.

Campus

• The campus, set among 425 acres of rolling hills in the shadow of the Delaware Water Gap, is home to numerous grand old buildings and in 1992 was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its historic and architectural significance.

Interscholastic Athletics

Fall: Boys’ Cross Country, Girls’ Cross Country, Field Hockey, Football, Boys’ Soccer, Girls’ Soccer, Girls’ Tennis

Winter: Boys’ Basketball, Girls’ Basketball, Ice Hockey, Boys’ Squash, Girls’ Squash, Ski Team, Swimming, Winter Track, Wrestling

Spring : Baseball, Crew, Golf, Boys’ Lacrosse, Girls’ Lacrosse, Softball, Boys’ Tennis, Track

Miscellaneous

• Blair Academy celebrated its sesquicentennial in 1998.

Notable alumni

• John C. "Jack" Bogle (born 1929), founder of the The Vanguard Group
• John Cassavetes (1929-1989), actor
• Luol Deng (born 1985), professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls.
• Dr. J. George Franklin - Astrophysicist - NASA
• Bob Guccione - Penthouse Publisher.
• James Hagerty - White House Press Secretary during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
• Andrew R. Heinze - Scholar of American history
• Royal Ivey - Professional Basketball - Milwaukee Bucks.
• Tucker Max - Internet ingenue and New York Times best-selling author
• Steve Mocco, amateur wrestler.

• John Sebastian - Lead singer and guitarist for the band "The Lovin' Spoonful"
• Herbert Siegel - Billionaire investor, former CEO of Chris-Craft
• Samuel S. Stratton - Congressman
• Taki Theodoracopulos - Conservative writer
• William Timken - Founder - Hambrecht & Quist
• Charlie Villanueva - Professional Basketball - Milwaukee Bucks.
• Alexis Wangmene - Cameroonian basketball player at the University of Texas at Austin
• Robert B. Weaver - Olympic Gold Medalist in Wrestling - 1984 Summer Olympics.

External links

• Blair Academy Wrestling
• Blair Academy Web Site
• Data for Blair Academy, National Center for Education Statistics
• index of Blair Family Papers housed at the Princeton University Library includes a brief biography and basic genealogy of the family.