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Blair Academy
Old Academy Building, Blair Academy, NJ.jpg
Old Academy Building
Address
2 Park Street

Blairstown
,
Warren County
,
New Jersey
07825

United States
Coordinates 40°59′06″N 74°57′50″W / 40.98500°N 74.96389°W / 40.98500; -74.96389
Information
Type Private, Boarding, Day
Motto Venite, Studete, Discite
("Come, Study, Learn")
Established 1848; 177 years ago (1848)
NCES School ID 00869091
Head of school Peter G. Curran (2021–present)
Faculty 59.8 FTEs
Enrollment 479 (as of 2021–22)
Student to teacher ratio 8.0:1
Campus Rural, 463 acres (1.87 km2)
Color(s)      Navy blue
     White
     Gray
Athletics conference Mid-Atlantic Prep League
Team name Buccaneers
Rival Peddie School
Accreditation Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools
Tuition $72,700 boarding; $50,600 day (2023–24)
Blair Presbyterial Academy
The Mill, Blair Academy, NJ.jpg
The Mill, built 1825, also part of the Blairstown Historic District
Area 55 acres (22 ha)
Architect Addison Hutton
Architectural style Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Richardsonian Romanesque
NRHP reference No. 89001944
Significant dates
Added to NRHP January 24, 1992

Blair Academy is a coeducational, boarding and day school for students in high school. The school serves students from ninth through twelfth grades as well as a small post-graduate class. The school's campus is located on a 463 acres (1.87 km2) campus in Blairstown Township in Warren County, New Jersey, approximately 60 miles (97 km) west of New York City.

As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 479 students and 59.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 8.0:1. The school's student body was 55.1% (264) White, 23.0% (110) Asian, 11.1% (53) two or more races, 7.9% (38) Black and 2.9% (14) Hispanic.

Academics

Blair's academic program follows the traditional four-year college-preparatory plan. Diploma requirements are governed by college entrance requirements.

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). The school's traditional mascot is the "Buccaneer" (with the team called the Bucs) and the school colors are navy blue, white and grey. 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 compete against one another in a fall sports competition, with the winner receiving the Kelley-Potter Cup.

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 fire regulations prohibit such large fires now. On Peddie Day held at Blair in November 2021, Blair claimed the Kelley-Potter Cup for the ninth time.

The most successful athletic program is wrestling. Under previous head wrestling coach Jeff Buxton, the team won 31 consecutive National Prep Titles (from 1981–2012) and produced a number of NCAA champions and Olympic gold medalist Robert B. Weaver. Most recently, Blair has produced PAC12 Champion Evan Martin Silver. He has gone on to wrestle for Stanford University after leading as wrestling team captain at Blair. The academy's wrestling team is considered one of the most successful high school wrestling programs in the nation, winning 41 National Team Championships.

The boys swimming team won the NJSIAA state Non-Public state championship in 1926, 1932 and 1935-1940.

Blair's basketball program has developed alums including NBA players Luol Deng, Charlie Villanueva, and Royal Ivey.

Former Blair football player Dion Lewis was drafted in the 5th round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He has received numerous honors in 2010 such as, Sporting News Top 5 Heisman Trophy Candidate, Top 25 Overall Players (No. 6), All America Team (first team), All-Big East, as well as ESPN.com "Big East's 25 Best" No.1. Other notable alums from the Blair football program include Baltimore Raven players Odafe Oweh (1st round 2021) and David Ojabo (2nd round 2022).

Facilities

Almost all campus architecture is in the Richardson Romanesque style, and modern buildings reflect the features and themes of the older structures. There are five major academic buildings: Clinton Hall, Bogle Science Center, Timken Library, Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts and the Chiang-Elghanayan Center for Innovation and Collaboration.

Bogle Science Center, dedicated in 1989 and expanded and renovated in 2019, provides laboratories and classrooms for the science department and includes the 100-seat Cowan Auditorium. Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts was dedicated in 1997 and includes the 500-seat DuBois Theatre, the black box Wean Theatre, and practice rooms. The renovated Timken Library opened in 1998. Annie Hall, a girls' dormitory, opened in the fall of 1999. The Romano Dining Hall was completed in the fall of 2000, and renovation of Insley Hall was completed in 2001.

A major expansion and renovation of the school's athletic and activities facilities and fields occurred between 2006 and 2009: a lighted, synthetic turf field for football, field hockey, and soccer, with new stands, press box, and 400 meter all-weather track; ten new tennis courts (five lighted), a new junior varsity baseball field, and expansion of the existing, natural grass fields. The renovation and expansion of the existing athletic center, including a new student center, concluded in March 2009. This facility, known as Hardwick Hall, houses seven squash courts, three gymnasiums, wrestling facilities, aerobic space, a fitness center, a training room, and locker rooms, and also includes Blair Commons, home of the School's bookstore, The Black Canteen, and college counseling offices. Blair's athletic facilities also include a nine-hole golf course.

The School's pedestrian campus was completed in 2010, making the center of campus vehicle-free. In 2015, the School opened Kathryn Hall, an upper-school girls' dormitory, and Lakeside Hall, an upper-school boys' dormitory, each of which includes three faculty apartments. The Chiang-Elghanayan Center for Innovation and Collaboration, a modern, technology-rich academic facility was completed in 2017 and serves as home to Blair's technology and fine arts departments. Also in 2017, Weber Hall was renovated to best facilitate the teaching of math. In 2018, Blair added the J. Li Golf Training Center and seasonal winter sports complex to its athletic facilities. In 2021 a crew training center was opened and the "Shipyard" outdoor basketball court was named.

Statistics

Enrollment

Characteristics of the student body:

  • Total Enrollment: 470 (83% boarding / 17% day)
  • Male/Female Ratio: 51% / 49%
  • Number of postgraduate students: 8
  • Number of countries represented: 23 (17% of student body)
  • Number of states represented: 28

Tuition and fees

For the 2023–24 academic year, Blair charges $72,700 for tuition, room and board. Day students are charged $50,600, which covers tuition, study rooms, and meals at school.

In rankings based on tuition, room and board and required fees for the 2013–14 school year, Business Insider ranked the school as the 29th-most-expensive boarding school in the United States. The school was 26th-most expensive based on the publication's rankings based on 2012-13 data.

Faculty

  • Student/Faculty Ratio: 6:1
  • Head of School: Peter G. Curran

Accreditation

  • Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (since 1928). The school's accreditation status was extended for seven years in Fall 2018.

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): $140 million as of June 30, 2022.

Campus

  • The campus, set among 463 acres (1.87 km2) 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.
  • In the 1960s and 1970s, the campus was used in the summer by Camp Racquet, a tennis camp run by Charlie Lundgren, then the coach of the tennis team at Upsala College.

Notable alumni

See also (related category): Blair Academy alumni
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