Phillips Academy

Infobox Private School
background = #f0f6fa
border = #ccd2d9
name = Phillips Academy


motto = "Non Sibi"
(Not for Oneself)
"Finis Origine Pendet"
(The End Depends Upon the Beginning)
established = 1778
type = Independent, Boarding
head_name = Head of school
head = Barbara Landis Chase
city = Andover
state = Massachusetts
country = United States
campus = Suburban, convert|500|acre|km2|0|lk=on
enrollment = 1,102 total
802 boarding
300 day
faculty = 217
class = 13 students
ratio = 5:1
year = 2005
SAT = 2003
athletics = 30 sports
colors = Blue and White
mascot = Gunga the Gorilla
homepage = [http://www.andover.edu/ www.andover.edu]

Phillips Academy (also known as Phillips Andover or P.A. or simply Andover) is a co-educational University preparatory school for boarding and day students in grades 9-12. The school is located in Andover, Massachusetts, 25 miles north of Boston.

Phillips Academy is the oldest continuously running incorporated boarding school in the United States Fact|date=June 2008, established in 1778 by Samuel Phillips, Jr. Phillips' uncle founded Phillips Exeter Academy three years later, starting a rivalry that has continued through the centuries. [The Governor's Academy (formerly Governor Dummer Academy), "alma mater" of Samuel Philips Jr., was founded in 1763, but was not given a state charter until after 1778.] Phillips Academy's endowment stood around $787 million in January, 2008, the fourth-highest of any American secondary school. [The two secondary schools with higher endowments are: Phillips Exeter ($1.0 billion; see [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/26/business/26prep.html] ), the Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania, and Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii ($6.8 billion; see [http://www.ksbe.edu/allpdfs/annualreport04/6_strengthening_endowment.pdf] ).]

The academy traditionally educated its students for Yale (and to a lesser extent, Harvard and Amherst), [The pattern of strongly favoring Yale began in the 1840s and continued through the 1940s. For example, in the following years, when the senior class numbered around forty, Andover graduates matriculated as follows: 1858 - 20 to Yale, 10 to Williams; 1863 - 21 to Yale, 8 to Brown, 5 to Harvard; 1868 - 25 to Yale, 12 to Amherst, 12 to Harvard. The height of matriculation to Yale was 1937, when one freshman in ten at Yale was an Andover alumnus. In that year, 74% of the class matriculated at Yale, Harvard or Princeton. By 1957, only 47% matriculated at those institutions. Amherst consistently ranked third after Yale and Harvard for many years in this period, but declined after the 1940s when the school sought to admit more public school graduates. In 1950, for the first time in over a century, more graduates were admitted to Harvard than Yale (64 and 46, respectively)(See "Youth From Every Quarter: A Bicentennial History of Phillips Academy, Andover", by Frederick S. Allis, Jr. (University Press of New England, 1978)).] but students now matriculate to a wide range of colleges and universities. In recent years, Andover has sent the largest number of its students to Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton University and other top-tier colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. [http://www.andover.edu/cco/matrics/default.asp] Among other notable alumni, Andover has educated two American Presidents, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, NFL Head Coach Bill Belichick, Law and Order creator Dick Wolf, four Medal of Honor recipients, inventor Samuel Morse, and author Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.." [http://phillipian.net The Phillipian] ", the school's student-run newspaper, is one of the oldest secondary school newspaper in the US . Likewise, the Philomathean Society is also one of the earliest high school debate society in the nation, established in 1825.

The school's grading system, on a scale of zero to six, is rather unusual. The office of the dean of studies claims that there is no formal equivalent between the zero to six system and a conventional letter grade system. However, a six is considered outstanding and is (ideally) rarely awarded, a five is the lowest honors grade, and a two is the lowest passing grade. The School is a member of the G20 Schools group.

History

Phillips Academy was founded during the American Revolution as an all-boys school in 1778 by Samuel Phillips, Jr., a member of the important revolutionary war family, the Phillips. The great seal of the school was designed by Paul Revere. George Washington spoke at the school in its first year and was so impressed that he recommended that his nephews go there, and they did. John Hancock, the famous signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, signed the school's articles of incorporation.

Phillips Academy's traditional rival is Phillips Exeter Academy, established three years later in Exeter, New Hampshire by Samuel Phillips' uncle, Dr. John Phillips. The football teams have met nearly every year since 1878, making it one of the oldest high school rivalries in the country.

Portions of Andover's campus were laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of Central Park and himself a graduate of the school. It is dominated by neo-Georgian architecture and centered around the several-acre Great Lawn. Campus structures include the Memorial Bell Tower, which recently underwent a $5 million renovation [ [http://www.andover.edu/news/bell_3_07.htm Phillips Academy, Memorial Bell Tower Renovated] ] , Samuel Phillips Hall, Bulfinch Hall, and Pearson Hall.

Paul Revere incorporated bees, a beehive, and the sun into his design of the school's seal. The school's primary motto, "Non Sibi", located in the sun, means "not for oneself". The school's second motto, "Finis Origine Pendet", meaning "the end depends upon the beginning," is scrolled across the bottom of the seal. Phillips Academy was chartered to educate "qualified youth from every quarter."

Phillips Academy offers a broad curriculum and extracurricular activities that include music ensembles, 30 competitive sports, a campus newspaper, a radio station, and a debate club. The academy raised $208 million through "Campaign Andover," which brought its endowment to around $550 million in 2004. [http://www.andover.edu/news/campaign.htm Phillips Academy raises $208.9 Million] ]

In 1973, Phillips Academy merged with neighboring Abbot Academy, which was founded in 1829 as the first school for girls in New England and named for Sarah Abbot.

Phillips Academy attained need-blind admissions in 2007.

In 2007, Phillips Academy matriculated 81% of its admitted students, a higher rate than any other ESA school, including ExeterFact|date=June 2008.

Facilities

Academic facilities

Bulfinch Hall was designed by a student of architect Charles Bulfinch and built in 1819. It is now the English Department building.

The Gelb Science Center, named after wealthy alumnus Richard Gelb, opened for classes in January 2004. The center contains twenty laboratories, classrooms, seminar rooms, instrument rooms, preparatory areas, study-session spaces, and a rooftop astronomical observatory; it is the newest building on campus, having replaced the older Evans Hall which was built in 1963 and demolished following the completion of Gelb. [http://www.rdkengineers.com/index.cfm/portfolio/Academic/Phillips_Academy_Andover,_New_Gelb_Science_Center Phillips Academy Andover, New Gelb Science Center] ]

Graham House is used by both the school's Psychology Department and the school's psychological counselors.

Morse Hall is home to the Math Department, student publications, CAMD (Community and Multicultural Development), and WPAA — a student run radio station. Morse Hall is named after Samuel Morse, who graduated from Phillips Academy in 1805 and later invented the telegraph and Morse code.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Library (OWHL) takes its namesake from the poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., an 1825 graduate of Phillips Academy. The library houses 140,000 books, the Phillips Academy Computer Center (PACC), a video library, and subscriptions to roughly 250 periodicals in print, and access to many thousands of titles electronically.

Samuel Phillips Hall was built in 1924 and named after the founder of the school. This building houses the World Languages Department and the History and Social Sciences Department, as well as the "Language Learning Center," a computer lab with video, audio, and programs designed to supplement classroom work in language classes.

Pearson Hall, one of the oldest structures on campus, is the classics building. The only subjects with classes that meet in Pearson are Latin, Greek, Greek literature, mythology, and etymology. It was named after the school's first headmaster, Eliphalet Pearson. The Board of Trustees recently announced that Pearson might turn into a Community Center, but the plan has since been put on hold due to a strong response from students, faculty, and alumni.

tudent Life Facilities

Cochran Chapel is a neo-Georgian church located on the north side of campus, and is the center of religious life on campus for students and faculty. It is also home to the Department of Religion and Philosophy, and to the Community Service Program. The Chapel hosts many concerts, lectures and gatherings throughout the year, and a weekly All School Meeting is held here on Wednesdays.

Commons is the school's dining hall. It has four large dining rooms along with three smaller rooms, which may be utilized by classes or speakers for eating in a more personal environment. Students are often intensely loyal to specific dining rooms--lower left, lower right, upper left, and upper right. Commons also houses the Ryley Room, a grill-style student hangout, in the basement of Commons. Both Commons and the Ryley Room are currently under renovation, scheduled for completion in early 2009. The temporary dining facility, Uncommons, is located inside the Sumner Smith Hockey Rink. One concern during the decision to renovate Commons was the issue of the original staircases throughout the building. Worn down from generations of students over the years, these "indented" stairs carried significant sentimental value for both current students and alumni. As a result, the original stairs will remain a permanent fixture in the new Commons.

George Washington Hall was built in 1926. The building serves numerous functions, including an administration building (Head of School's office, among others), a post-office (the student's mail room), and the school's arts complex (with the Elson Art Center, the Polk-Lillard Electronic Imaging and Audio-Visual Center, and both the Tang and Steinbach theaters).

Graves Hall is the music building, with classrooms, a concert hall, a record library, and practice studios.

The Log Cabin is located in the convert|125|acre|km2|sing=on forest on the northeastern edge of campus and serves as a place for student groups to hold meetings as well as sleep-overs.

Residential facilities

In addition to the above mentioned facilities, the school also includes a number of dormitories to serve the roughly 800 students that board. These buildings range in size from housing as few as four to as many as 40 students. Two notable dorms are America House, where the patriotic hymn "America" was penned [http://icma.org/pm/info/bulletinboard.cfm Information about "America" and Stowe House] ] , and Stowe House, where American writer Harriet Beecher Stowe (author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin") lived while her husband taught at the Andover Theological Seminary. Stowe is also buried on campus in a cemetery behind Samuel Phillips Hall [ [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=992 Find-A-Grave Entry on Harriet Beecher Stowe, buried on Phillips Academy Campus] ] . Several dorms are named after prominent alumni, such as Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of War during WWII, and men instrumental in the founding of the Academy, such as Nathan Hale and Paul Revere. Shortly before his death in 1799, United States President George Washington gave a speech from a second floor window in Carriage House, now a dorm, to the citizens of Andover.

Museums at Phillips Academy

[http://www.addisongallery.org/ The Addison Gallery of American Art] is an art museum given to the school by alumnus Thomas Cochran. It is widely considered one of the finest small museums in America and its last two directors have gone on to direct the Yale University Art Gallery and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Its permanent collection includes Winslow Homer's "Eight Bells," along with work by John Singleton Copley, Benjamin West, Thomas Eakins, James McNeill Whistler, Frederic Remington, George Bellows, Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, Frank Stella and Andrew Wyeth. It was one of the first museums in America to seriously collect photography, and took an early and prescient interest in artists such as Carleton Watkins and Margaret Bourke-White, with the result that its photography collection is equal to some of the largest museums in America. Another strength is in decorative arts, with silver and furniture dating back to pre-colonial America, and a fine collection of colonial model ships. A rotating schedule of exhibitions, including current ones of William Wegman and Southworth and Hawes, is open to students and the public alike. In the spring of 2006, the Phillips Academy Board of Trustees approved a $30 million campaign to renovate and expand the Addison Gallery. [ [http://www.andover.edu/addison/BldgProject/BldgProject_Home.htm Addison Campaign Home] ] Construction on the Addison began in the middle of 2008 and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2010. [ [http://www.andover.edu/addison/BldgProject/BldgProject_Posts.htm Addison Campaign News] ] During this period, the Addison Gallery will be closed to the public. [ [http://www.addisongallery.org/ Addison Gallery Hompage] ]

[http://www.andover.edu/rspeabody/index.html The Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archeology] was founded in 1901 and is now "one of the nation's major repositories of Native American archaeological collections." The collection includes materials from the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, Mexico and the Arctic, and range from Paleo Indian (10,000+ years ago) to the present day. Since the early 1990s, the museum has been at the forefront of compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. It currently serves as an educational museum for the students of Phillips Academy, but is also accessible to researchers, public schools and visitors by appointment.

Athletics

History of Athletics at Andover

Athletic competition has long been a part of Phillips Academy tradition. As early as 1805, football was being played on school grounds, according to a letter that Henry Pearson wrote his father, Eliphalet Pearson in 1805, saying, “I cannot write a long letter as I am very tired after having played at football all this afternoon.” [ Henry Pearson to Eliphalet Pearson, Andover, 26 October 1805, in the Pearson Papers, Phillips Academy Archives.] The first ever interscholastic football game between high schools was in 1875, when Phillips Academy played against Adams Academy. [ Quinby, "Phillips Academy, Andover on Diamond, Track, and Field" (Andover, Mass.: The Andover Press, 1920), 10.] One of the oldest schoolboy rivalries in American football is the Andover/Exeter competition, started in 1878. That year, the first Andover/Exeter baseball game took place, and the first edition of " [http://phillipian.net The Phillipian] " was published. [Harrison, Fred H., "Athletics for All: Physical Education and Athletics at Phillips Academy, Andover, 1778-1978" (Andover, Ma.: 1983) [http://catalog.noblenet.org/search/Xandover+athletics&searchscope=36&b=&m=&l=&Da=&Db=&SORT=D/Xandover+athletics&searchscope=36&b=&m=&l=&Da=&Db=&SORT=D&SUBKEY=andover%20athletics/1%2C4%2C4%2CB/frameset&FF=Xandover+athletics&searchscope=36&b=&m=&l=&Da=&Db=&SORT=D&3%2C3%2C] ]

Current Athletics

Today, Phillips Academy is an athletic powerhouse among New England schools. Since the "Constitution of the Phillips Academy Athletic Association" was drawn up in 1903 with the objective of “Athletics for All” [Harrison, Fred H., "Athletics for All: Physical Education and Athletics at Phillips Academy, Andover, 1778-1978" (Andover, Ma.: 1983)] , Andover has established twenty-nine different interscholastic programs, and forty-four intramural or instructional programs, including fencing, tai-chi, figure skating, and yoga. [http://www.andover.edu/athletics/GoBigBlue/OtherOfferings.asp] . Andover Athletes have been successful in winning over 110 New England Championships in these different sports over the last three decades alone [http://www.andover.edu/athletics/GoBigBlue/default.asp] , and have even had the chance to compete abroad, in such competitions as the Henley Royal Regatta in Henley, England for crew [http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/articles/2006/07/20/pulling_together/] .As a way to encourage all students to try new things and stay healthy, all students are required to have an athletic commitment every term. A range of instructional sports are available for those who wish to try new things, and for those already established in a sport, each team has at least a varsity and junior varsity squad.

Andover Athletic Offerings

[http://www.andover.edu/athletics/GoBigBlue/OtherOfferings.asp] [http://www.andover.edu/athletics/GoBigBlue/default.asp]

Fall Athletic Offerings *Cross Country *Field Hockey *Football *Girls’ Volleyball *Soccer *Boys' Water Polo *Crew (Instructional) *Dance *FIT (Fundamentals in Training) *Pilates *Search & Rescue *Squash (Instructional) *Fencing (Instructional) *Skating (Instructional) *SLAM *Social Dance *Swimming (Instructional) *Tennis (Instructional) *Volleyball (Instructional) *Soccer (Intramural) *Yoga

Winter Athletic Offerings * Basketball * Hockey * Squash * Swimming and Diving * Indoor Track * Wrestling *Nordic Skiing *Dance *FIT (Fundamentals in Training) *Search & Rescue *Squash (Intramural) *Hockey (Intramural) *Recreational Cross-Country Skiing *Basketball (Intramural) *Yoga

Spring Athletic Offerings *Track *Baseball *Softball *Crew *Cycling *Ultimate Frisbee *Golf *Lacrosse *Tennis *Girls’ Water Polo *Boys’ Volleyball *Dance *Fencing (Instructional) *FIT (Fundamentals in Training) *Pilates *Search & Rescue *Squash (Instructional) *Swimming (Instructional) *Tennis (Intramural) *Yoga *Ultimate (Intramural)

Table of Recent New England Championship Titles, By Sport

[Dates of Championship Titles were gathered from the Gym Office and Trophy Case of the Borden Memorial Gym, Phillips Academy, Andover]

Phillips Academy in Literature

* In chapter 17 of the Catcher in the Rye, Sally Hayes introduces Holden to a boy who "reeked of Andover and Yale."
* In the John Guare play Six Degrees of Separation, one of the characters laments that his parents could not afford to send him to Andover or Exeter.
* In Eloise, the six year old's tutor is said to have attended Andover.
* F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic This Side of Paradise has several characters who attended Andover.

ummer Session

Andover Summer Session is a five week summer program run by the academy for students entering grades 8-12. Each year, over six hundred students attend from many states and countries. It offers many courses in subjects such as English, foreign language, science, history, and more. Tuition for this summer program is $6,200, however financial aid is available on a limited basis.Younger students, or those entering grades 8, have the option of three classes while older students have a wide selection.50% of the teachers who teach at Summer Session are Andover faculty, exposing students to the academic rigor of the school.

Students must also choose from the many afternoon activities such as gospel choir,badminton, soccer, swimming, tennis, and more.

Notable Alumni

Phillips Academy has had a great history of notable alumni. Everyone from Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, to Executive Director and Creator of Law & Order Dick Wolf, NFL Patriot's Head Coach Bill Belichick, late actors Humphrey Bogart and Jack Lemmon, Archaeologist, discoverer of Machu Picchu, and inspiration for Indiana JonesHiram Bingham III, Peace Activist and Yale Chaplain William Sloane Coffin, American photographer Walker Evans, MLB Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti, President of Jim Henson Productions Brian Henson, Publisher John F. Kennedy Jr., Architect and Designer of Central Park Frederick Law Olmsted, Founder of Jane Magazine Jane Pratt, pediatrician Benjamin Spock, manufacturer of Wrigley's Gum Philip Wrigley, Morse Code inventor Samuel Morse, and dozens of Congressmen, Senators, and Governors, just to name a few. To see the full list of notable alumni, click below.
* List of famous Phillips Academy alumni

References

External links

* [http://www.andover.edu/ Phillips Academy home page]
* [http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/5 Boarding School Profile: Phillips Academy Andover]
* [http://andoverma.gov/about/history.php A History of Andover - From andoverma.gov]
* [http://www.phillipian.net The Phillipian]
* [http://www.wpaa.com WPAA]
* [http://www.andovercrew.com/ Andover Crew]
* [http://www.andover.edu/summersession/ Andover Summer Session]
* [http://www.prepreview.com/ Secondary Private Boarding School Information]
* [http://www.andover.edu/rspeabody Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology]
* [http://www.thedramalab.org/ The Drama Lab- Phillips Academy Student Theatre]