- Massanutten Military Academy
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Massanutten Military Academy 
Non Nobis Solum (“Not for Ourselves Alone”)Location 614 S. Main Street
Woodstock, Virginia 22664-120538.88 N, 78.51 W
Information Type Coeducational, Independent college preparatory boarding military school Established 1899 Head of School Craig Jones Commandant LTC Lester A. Layman, USA (Ret) Grades 7–12, PG Color(s) Purple, Gold
Newspaper Massanutten Matters Yearbook Adjutant Website www.militaryschool.com Massanutten Military Academy (MMA) is a coeducational college preparatory school for grades 7 through 12 and one postgraduate year, located in Woodstock, Virginia, United States.
Contents
Mission
The Academy's self professed mission statement is "to provide a structured learning environment that produces confident, capable, productive citizens who are prepared for leadership and service."[1] Its motto is Non Nobis Solum, which means "not for ourselves alone."[1] The Academy's founders established the school based on the principles of Courage, Purity, and Industry.[1] The Academy's goal is to maintain an environment that is free of distractions which develops the academic and social abilities of all students to their fullest potential. Students are taught that learning is a lifelong process to be appreciated and enjoyed.
History
The Massanutten Academy, named for the nearby mountain, was established by the Virginia Classis of the Reformed Church in 1899.[2] The school opened on 12 September 1899 with 56 students, half of which were boarders. From the beginning the school was coed With the first graduating class in 1902 consisting of 3 boys and 3 girls.[3] In 1905 the first of two significant events in the history of the school occurred: Howard J. Benchoff was appointed the school president. He stayed in that position for nearly 5 decades, to be succeeded for the next decade and a half by his son.[4]
During the early years of his stewardship Benchoff established several polices. The first was expanding the school size to include number of students, staff, buildings, and acreage.[5] The second, as a result of an otherwise undocumented "incident", was limiting the boarding department to boys beginning in 1910.[6] The last policy, and the second significant event in the school's early history, was adopting a military program.[7] While the program was not implemented until 1917, early in his tenure Benchoff described the goal of a military program as "to train the boys with a discipline that is valuable and give them that easy and graceful carriage which is an accomplishment in any gentleman's claim to culture"[8] In 1930 after receiving an application and inspecting the existing program, the U.S. War Department formally made the school a JrROTC unit "placing it on a par with the highest rated military schools in the country"[9]
Academy Presidents / Headmasters / Superintendents / Head of Schools[10]
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- 1899-1903 J. Silor Garrison
- 1903-1905 Robert Raymond Jones
- 1905-1952 Howard J. Benchoff
- 1952-1955 Robert J. Benchoff ‡
- 1955-1968 Robert J. Benchoff
- 1968-1969 Gordon Bowman Sr. ‡
- 1969-1974 Lloyd D. Graham
- 1974-1975 Gordon Bowman II ‡
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- 1975-1991 W. Crawford Moon
- 1991-1993 Robert L. Oesterling
- 1993-1994 Robert Rossi
- 1994-2001 Jack Albert
- 2001-2008 Col. Roy F. Zinser
- 2008-2009 Thomas N. Connors ‡
- 2009-present Craig Jones
‡ Acting or Interim
Administration
Craig Jones is the current Head of School. The current commandant is Lieutenant Colonel Lester A. Layman, USA (Ret.). Average enrollment is around 175 students. MMA is fully accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Honor Code
As part of its mission to produce citizens who are prepared for leadership and service, the academy has a Cadet Honor Code patterned after the one at West Point. "A cadet will act honorably at all times. A cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate dishonesty by fellow cadets." The Cadet Honor Council consists of juniors and seniors selected by the senior class and the faculty, as approved by the Head of School. When a suspected honor code violation is reported, the Honor Council faculty advisers convene the Council for a hearing at which the cadets involved are required to explain thei conduct. The Honor Council recommends punishment and/or other measures appropriate to educate the Cadet Corps about the expectations of honorable behavior. Final approval lies with the Head of School. Continued, repeated violations of the Honor Code may warrant dismissal from the Academy.[11]
JROTC Program
Today, the military structure plays a crucial role in the education of every cadet by creating a stable environment that is conducive to learning. MMA’s Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) is consistently recognized as an Honor Unit with Distinction.
Notable alumni
- Jack Ham, professional football player; College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Admiral Alfred C. Richmond, Commandant United States Coast Guard (1954–62)
- Michael Warehime, Chairman Snyder's of Hanover
- Sgt. James R McIlvaine '01, Killed in Action, Iraq, April 30, 2009[12]
References
- ^ a b c "MMA's Mission and Motto". militaryschool.com. http://www.militaryschool.com/page.cfm?p=9. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ Klein, Robert (2001). An American Century - The History of Massanutten Military Academy. Woodstock, VA: Massanutten Military Academy. pp. 7–10. ISBN 0-9711865-0-2.
- ^ Garrison, J. Silor (1948). The history of the Reformed Church in Virginia, 1714-1940. Winston-Salem, NC: Clay Printing Co.. pp. 289–295.
- ^ Klein. pp. 21–182.
- ^ Klein. pp. 30–34.
- ^ Klein. pp. 49–51.
- ^ Garrison. pp. 175.
- ^ "Massanutten Academy". Shenandoah Herald: pp. 3. September 8, 1905.
- ^ "The ROTC Unit". Oyez: pp. 3. October 20, 1930.
- ^ Klein. pp. 260.
- ^ "Military schools " United States " Virginia " Woodstock Massanutten Military Academy". www.aboutmilitaryschools.org. http://www.aboutmilitaryschools.org/military/unitedstates/virginia/woodstock/12.asp. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ^ "Arlington National Cemetery .net". http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jrmcilvaine.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
- Virginia Association of Independent Schools
- Boarding School Review
- Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States (AMCSUS)
- Massanutten Military Academy JROTC Insignia
External links
Coordinates: 38°52′33″N 78°30′39″W / 38.87583°N 78.51083°W
Fredericksburg Academy (Falcons) • Highland School (Hawks) • Massanutten Military Academy (Colonels) • Middleburg Academy (Dragons) • Quantico High School (Warriors) •Randolph-Macon Academy (Yellow Jackets) • Shenandoah Valley Academy (Stars) • Tandem Friends School (Badgers) • Wakefield Country Day School (Owls) • Wakefield School (Owls)Categories:- Military high schools in the United States
- Boarding schools in Virginia
- Preparatory schools in Virginia
- High schools in Virginia
- Middle schools in Virginia
- Educational institutions established in 1899
- Schools in Shenandoah County, Virginia
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