Admiral Farragut Academy
Encyclopedia
Admiral Farragut Academy is a college
preparatory school
with Naval training founded in 1933 in Pine Beach, New Jersey
by, among others, Admiral Samuel Robison
, one-time President of RCA
, and former Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland
. It is named after Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, the senior officer of the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War
.
, occupying the Jungle Country Club Hotel, a historic landmark in the Tampa Bay
area, constructed in 1925. In 1946, Admiral Farragut Academy was designated a "Naval Honor School" by Act of Congress
, making it the first such secondary school
in the United States
.
The original campus in Pine Beach, NJ closed in 1994 and most buildings were demolished in 2003. As of 2008, the infirmary is the only building on the original Pine Beach campus that is still standing.
In the early 1990s, the previously all-boys Academy began accepting female students for the first time.
. Every student in the Upper Division takes three years of Naval Science, an in-depth study of the history, operation and core concepts of the United States Navy
. The entire Upper Division student body makes up a student-run NJROTC Battalion.
.
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
preparatory school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
with Naval training founded in 1933 in Pine Beach, New Jersey
Pine Beach, New Jersey
Pine Beach is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population increased to a record high of 2,127....
by, among others, Admiral Samuel Robison
Samuel Robison
Admiral Samuel Shelburne Robison CB, USN was a United States Navy officer whose service extended from the 1890s through the early 1930s. He held several major commands during World War I, and from 1928-1931 served as Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy...
, one-time President of RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
, and former Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. It is named after Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, the senior officer of the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
History
In 1945, the current campus opened in St. Petersburg, FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, occupying the Jungle Country Club Hotel, a historic landmark in the Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
area, constructed in 1925. In 1946, Admiral Farragut Academy was designated a "Naval Honor School" by Act of Congress
Act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States Congress or the Congress of the Philippines....
, making it the first such secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The original campus in Pine Beach, NJ closed in 1994 and most buildings were demolished in 2003. As of 2008, the infirmary is the only building on the original Pine Beach campus that is still standing.
In the early 1990s, the previously all-boys Academy began accepting female students for the first time.
Famous alumni
The Academy is perhaps most notable for graduating two of the twelve men who walked on the Moon:- Rear AdmiralRear AdmiralRear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Alan ShepardAlan ShepardAlan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. was an American naval aviator, test pilot, flag officer, and NASA astronaut who in 1961 became the second person, and the first American, in space. This Mercury flight was designed to enter space, but not to achieve orbit...
USNUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
was the first American in space and in 1971 became the fifth person to walk on the Moon as part of the Apollo 14Apollo 14Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the American Apollo program, and the third to land on the Moon. It was the last of the "H missions", targeted landings with two-day stays on the Moon with two lunar EVAs, or moonwalks....
mission. Shepard graduated in 1941 from the New Jersey campus. - Brigadier generalBrigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Charles Duke, USAFUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, was a 1953 graduate of the St. Petersburg campus, and in 1972 became the tenth person to walk on the Moon as part of the Apollo 16Apollo 16Young and Duke served as the backup crew for Apollo 13; Mattingly was slated to be the Apollo 13 command module pilot until being pulled from the mission due to his exposure to rubella through Duke.-Backup crew:...
mission. In the spring of 2006, NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
presented a moon rock to General Duke, who then donated it to the school. It is displayed in a showcase in front of the Quarter-Deck at the entrance to the main building, Farragut Hall.
- William ColepaughWilliam ColepaughWilliam Curtis Colepaugh was an American who, following his 1943 discharge from the US Naval Reserve , defected to Nazi Germany in 1944. While a crewman on a United States Merchant Marine ship that stopped off in Lisbon, Colepaugh defected at the German consulate...
, who defected to the Nazis in World War II, and who, later, was one of the last Nazi spies reaching the US.
- Richard MarcinkoRichard MarcinkoRichard "Dick" Marcinko , is a retired Commander in the United States Navy and a former Navy SEAL. He was the first Commanding Officer of SEAL Team Six and Red Cell...
, author and former commanding officer of US Navy SEALUnited States Navy SEALsThe United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
Team 2, is a graduate of Admiral Farragut Academy. Marcinko went on to become the first commanding officer of US Navy SEAL Team Six, a special maritime counter-terror unit.
- Martial artist and reality television star Lorenzo LamasLorenzo LamasLorenzo Lamas y de Santos is an American actor. Lamas is known for playing Lance Cumson on the popular 1980s soap opera Falcon Crest, Reno Raines on the 1990s crime drama Renegade, and Hector Ramirez on the daytime soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful...
graduated in 1975 from the New Jersey campus.
- Actor Casper Robert Van Dien graduated as third in command at Admiral Farragut Academy.
The NJROTC Program
An integral part of an education at Admiral Farragut Academy is the required involvement in NJROTCJunior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a Federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools across the United States...
. Every student in the Upper Division takes three years of Naval Science, an in-depth study of the history, operation and core concepts of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. The entire Upper Division student body makes up a student-run NJROTC Battalion.
Accreditation
Admiral Farragut Academy is accredited by:- The Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
- The Florida Council of Independent Schools
Student body
There are approximately 200 students in the upper division, with a 5:1 ratio of boys to girls. Approximately 25% of the students are boardersBoarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
.