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Worcester Academy
WA Dexter.JPG
Dexter Hall
Address
81 Providence Street

,
01604

United States
Information
Type Independent, day and boarding
Motto Ἐφικνοῦ τῶν Καλῶν
(Achieve the Honorable)
Established 1834; 191 years ago (1834)
Head of School Kevin Breen
Faculty 80
Enrollment 450 upper school
65 middle school
Average class size 14
Student to teacher ratio 8:1
Campus size 71 acres (290,000 m2)
Campus type Urban
Color(s)      Maroon
Athletics 24 Interscholastic sports
54 Interscholastic teams
Athletics conference NEPSAC
Mascot Oskee
Team name Hilltoppers
Newspaper Vigornia
Yearbook The Towers

Worcester Academy is a private school in Worcester, Massachusetts. It's a place where both boys and girls learn together. Students can attend during the day or live at the school as boarding students.

This school teaches students from grades 6 to 12. It is the oldest school founded in Worcester. It's also one of the oldest day and boarding schools in the United States. Worcester Academy helps students get ready for college. It is part of the National Association of Independent Schools.

The History of Worcester Academy

Worcester Academy started a long time ago in 1834. Its first name was the Worcester County Manual Labor High School. The school changed its name to "Worcester Academy" in 1847.

Isaac Davis (cropped)
Isaac Davis helped lead Worcester Academy for many years.

Isaac Davis was a very important person in the school's early days. He was the President of the school's Trustees from 1834 to 1873.

The school moved to different places when it was first starting. It began on a 60-acre farm. In 1854, the school moved into a building that used to belong to the American Antiquarian Society. This building was on Belmont and Summer streets.

In 1869, Isaac Davis bought an old hospital building. This hospital was on Providence Street. It had been a military hospital during the American Civil War. Davis gave this building to the school. It became the school's new permanent home. The building was named Davis Hall to honor him.

Davis Hall was the only building for Worcester Academy for many years. Sometimes, students even lived there. Davis Hall was damaged by a big hurricane in 1938. It was taken down in 1965. A new building called Davol Hall was built in its place.

Daniel Webster Abercrombie was the principal from 1882 to 1918. He created the school's motto, "Achieve the Honorable," in 1890. During his time, the school grew a lot. New buildings like Kingsley Laboratories (1897) and The Megaron (1905) were added.

Worcester Academy in 1910. Buildings shown are Davis Hall, Abercrombie House, Walker Hall, The Megaron, Adams Hall, Dexter Hall, and Kingsley Laboratories.

Fun Clubs and Teams

Worcester Academy has many interesting clubs and teams. Students can join groups that match their interests.

We the People Club

The "We the People" club is about learning about the U.S. Constitution. In 2010 and 2011, this club won the championship in Massachusetts. They then traveled to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national championship.

Math Team Success

The school's math team is also very strong. In 2011, they won their seventh championship in the Worcester County Mathematics League. They also won their seventh state championship. The team even won their fourth New England championship that year.

Famous People Who Attended Worcester Academy

Many people who became well-known went to Worcester Academy. Some were famous athletes, actors, or leaders.

Here are a few examples:

  • H. Jon Benjamin 1984, an actor and comedian.
  • Aliyah Boston 2019, a top player in the WNBA basketball league.
  • Jim Davis 1962, the chairman of New Balance Athletic Shoe.
  • Dane DiLiegro 2007, an actor and professional basketball player.
  • Mark Fidrych 1974, a former pitcher for the Detroit Tigers baseball team.
  • Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor 1893, who helped start and was the first editor of National Geographic magazine.
  • Abbie Hoffman 1955, a social and political activist in the 1960s.
  • Tom Holland 1962, a film director.
  • Cole Porter 1909, a famous Broadway composer.
  • Charles Starrett 1922, an actor known as the "Durango Kid."
  • William Toomey 1957, who won a gold medal in the decathlete event at the 1968 Summer Olympics.

Some student-athletes come to Worcester Academy for just their senior year. Or they might come for a special year after high school. They do this to get more attention from college coaches. It also helps them improve their grades.

Here are some notable student-athletes:

Leaders of Worcester Academy

The school has had many leaders, called Headmasters or Heads of School, over the years. Here is a list of all of them:

Number Name Years
1st Silas Bailey, D.D. 1834–1838
2nd Samuel Stillman Greene, LL.D. 1838–1840
3rd Nelson Wheeler, A.M. 1840–1847
4th Eli Thayer 1840, A.M. 1847–1849
5th Charles C. Burnett, A.M. 1849–1852
6th Eleazer J. Avery, A.M. 1852–1854
7th William S. Greene, A.M. 1854–1858
8th Werden Reynolds, A.M. 1858–1860
9th James R. Stone, D.D. 1860–1862
10th Ambrose P. S. Stuart, A.M. 1862–1864
11th Charles Ayer, A.B. 1865–1866
12th Albert Prescott Marble, PhD 1866–1868
13th William C. Poland, A.B. 1868–1870
14th Willard T. Leonard, M.A. 1870
15th Rev. David Weston, A.B. 1870–1871
16th John D. Smith, A.B. 1872–1875
17th Nathan Leavenworth, A.M. 1875–1882
18th Daniel Abercrombie, Litt.D., LL.D. 1882–1918
19th Samuel Foss Holmes, A.M. 1918–1933
20th Harold H. Wade 1933–1942
21st LeRoy A. Campbell, PhD 1942–1950
22nd Paul K. Phillips, A.B. 1950–1954
23rd William S. Piper, Jr., Ed.D. 1954–1968
24th Harold G. Rader, Ed.D. 1968–1969
25th David R. Jefferson, B.A., B.D. 1969–1970
26th Robert A. LaBranche 1946, M.S. 1970–1974
27th John A. Bloom, M.A. 1974–1985
28th Ben Williams, M.A. 1985–1991
29th John Mackenzie, M.A. 1991–1997
30th Dexter P. Morse, M Ed., C.A.G.S. 1997–2012
31st Ronald M. Cino 2012–2021
32nd Kevin Breen 2021–Present

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