Thayer Academy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thayer Academy
Address
745 Washington Street Braintree , Massachusetts 02184 United States
Coordinates	42°12′30″N 71°0′20″W / 42.20833°N 71.00556°W / 42.20833; -71.00556
Information
Type	Private
Established	1877; 148 years ago (1877)
Founder	Sylvanus Thayer
Director	Highley Thompson (US) Galen Hamann (MS)
Head of school	Chris Fortunato
Grades	5–12
Gender	Co-educational
Number of students	700
Student to teacher ratio	6.5:1
Campus type	Suburban
Color(s)	Black & orange
Athletics conference	Independent School League
Team name	Tigers
Accreditation	NEASC
Endowment	80 million

Thayer Academy (often called TA) is a private school in Braintree, Massachusetts. It teaches both boys and girls, helping them get ready for college. The school was started in 1877. It was created because of a gift from General Sylvanus Thayer in 1871. General Thayer is famous as the "father" of the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Thayer Academy has about 470 students in the Upper School (grades 9–12). Another 220 students are in the Middle School (grades 5–8). The school's campus is about 34 acres big. It has eight buildings and 54 classrooms. Most students come from areas near Boston, like MetroWest and the South Shore.

History of Thayer Academy

General Thayer was born in Braintree, Massachusetts. He was a very smart student, graduating at the top of his class from both Dartmouth College and the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He believed strongly in hard work and education. When he was 17, he taught in schools to earn money for college.

General Thayer led the Military Academy at West Point from 1817 to 1833. In his will from 1871, he planned for Thayer Academy to be built. The school first opened its doors on September 12, 1877. It started with 30 students in what is now called the Main Building. Another building, Glover, opened in 1894.

The junior school, called Thayerlands, began in 1924. It taught students from kindergarten up to eighth grade. Over time, the younger grades were removed. By 1969, Thayerlands became the Thayer Academy Middle School. Thayer Academy has always taught both boys and girls since it first opened.

Sports at Thayer Academy

Thayer Academy's sports teams are part of the Independent School League (ISL). This is the oldest sports group for independent schools in the United States. Thayer teams, known as the Tigers, compete in many different sports.

Tuition Information

For the 2023-2024 school year, the cost to attend Thayer Academy was $56,780 for the middle school. For the upper school, the tuition was $59,390.

Famous People from Thayer Academy

• Jared Porter '99, a leader in baseball.
• Tony Amonte '89, a professional hockey player and Olympian. He is in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
• John Cheever, a writer who won a Pulitzer Prize.
• Charlie Coyle, a current professional hockey player for the Boston Bruins.
• William D. Delahunt '59, a former U.S. Representative.
• Corey Griffin, a kind person who helped start the Ice Bucket Challenge. This challenge raised money for ALS research.
• Kelly Amonte Hiller '92, a successful lacrosse coach at Northwestern University.
• Mike Jones '03, a basketball player for the University of Maryland.
• Tiffany Kelly '05, who was Miss Massachusetts USA in 2006.
• Asa S. Knowles, an educator and former president of Northeastern University.
• Mike Mottau '96, a hockey player who won the Hobey Baker Award.
• Brooks Orpik '98, a hockey player for the Washington Capitals.
• Jeremy Roenick '88, a professional hockey player and Olympian. He is in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
• Dave Silk '76, a former professional ice hockey player.
• General Gordon R. Sullivan '55, a United States Army general.
• Ryan Whitney '01, a hockey player for the Anaheim Ducks.
• Mary Parker Follett graduated 1885, a social worker known for her ideas on management.
• Frank N. Newman '59, an international banking leader. He also served in the U.S. Treasury Department.
• Charles Martin Castleman '57, a talented violinist and teacher.
• Frederick C. Murphy '39, who received the Medal of Honor during World War II.
• Bradley Birkenfeld '83, a private banker.
• Asa P. French, a former United States Attorney.
• Ella Lyman Cabot, an educator, author, and speaker.
• Armand Zildjian, a famous maker of cymbals.
• Enrico Cappucci, a politician who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
• Adam Gaudette, '15, a Hobey Baker Award winner and current professional hockey player.
• Carmelo Travieso, a basketball player for UMass Amherst.
• Austin Gallagher, a marine biologist known for his shark research. He founded Beneath the Waves.
• Michael J. Connor, a retired United States Navy Vice Admiral.
• Richard Wassersug, a scientist and professor.
• David Hemery, a former track and field athlete and Olympian.
• Leif Tilden, an American actor, director, and writer.
• Richard Prince, an American painter and photographer.
• Suzanne Ciani, an American musician and composer.
• Dick Mills a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.
• Ryan Ashton, an American actor.
• Jay O'Brien, an ice hockey player.
• Brian Gibbons, a former NHL hockey player.
• Samuel Okunlola '22, a college football player for the Colorado Buffaloes.
• Samson Okunlola '23, a college football player for the Miami Hurricanes.
• Ally Sentnor '21, a soccer player.

Notable Teachers

• Robert Vonnoh a famous American Impressionist painter.