Chamberlain-Hunt Academy
Encyclopedia
Chamberlain-Hunt Academy, founded in 1879, is a private Christian (Presbyterian) military boarding school in rural Port Gibson, Mississippi
, USA, for boys in grades 7 through 12 (ages approx. 13 to 18 inclusive). It claims to "provide an environment for boys that interrupts their usual way of acting: haircuts and uniform
s change their appearance, schedules change their routines, and accountability changes their behavior. The cadre and the curriculum
change what the cadets would otherwise put into their brains."
Its current slogan is "Knowledge and Wisdom in Submission to God". It has advertised in the past under the slogan "We Love Boys; We Build Men".
In 1970 the school opened its doors to day students, including a small number of girls, but the boarding program is open to boys only. (Girls were admitted as boarders for a short period, but this experiment was abandoned in 2002.) All the boarding students have always been called "cadets".
Currently, Chamberlain-Hunt has about 150 cadets and 25 classroom teachers. The Principal since 2008 is LTC Quentin Johnson and the Commandant is LTC Todd Patterson.
Cadets come to Chamberlain-Hunt from all over the United States, from across the spectrum of social and economic backgrounds, for its challenging academic program and its, by modern US standards, exceptionally rigorous military discipline. The school believes that regular physical activity develops good physical wellbeing, strength and confidence, and that military structure teaches and encourages self-discipline and responsibility.
Cadets also benefit from a variety of off-campus activities, as well as movies, games and activities on-campus.
The campus includes a 70 acres (283,280.2 m²) wilderness camp with rifle range, two confidence courses, paintball and 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) lake. The immediate area, with its buildings in brick Georgian Revival
style, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
.
Chamberlain-Hunt is a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS), the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS), the Association of Christian Schools International
(ACSI), the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States
(AMCSUS), and the Association of Classical Christian Schools.
, which had been forced to close during the Civil War
. The Academy's name honors Dr. Jeremiah Chamberlain, the founder (in 1830) and first president of Oakland College, and Mr. David Hunt, a local benefactor. It has been in its current premises, after moving from its first location next door to the First Presbyterian Church in Port Gibson, since 1900. It became a full military school in 1911. It went into a decline in the 1990s, when enrollment fell to just 22 cadets but in 1998 it was saved from closure by being taken over by French Camp Academy, another Christ-centered (but not military) boarding school in northern Mississippi, and since then has experienced rapid growth. However, CHA continues to operate autonomously with its own unusually strict traditions.
The school is mentioned in the 1964 Warren Commission
report on the assassination of President Kennedy, because the elder brother and stepbrother of Lee Harvey Oswald
, the alleged assassin, were cadets at CHA in the late 1940s. After the assassination, the school stressed that Lee Oswald himself was never a student at CHA.
In the 1960s CHA had the reputation of being a "white flight
" institution, but it now welcomes all races and currently has about 40% ethnic minority enrolment.
On its 125th birthday in 2004, CHA held a Founders' Day Convocation at nearby Alcorn State University
(whose premises are on the Academy's original pre-1900 site) with special guest, US Senator Trent Lott
.
Chamberlain-Hunt Academy offers a college preparatory
curriculum. Cadets earn Carnegie credits
for satisfactorily completing course work on a semester basis. All cadets must take a full course load (a minimum of 5 academic classes).
In addition to the ACT and SAT
, many cadets take the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
) made up of verbal, math and technical tests to help them access future job or professional pathways. About one-third of CHA graduates go into the military.
Students also study ethics
and Christian character in 7th grade, Old and New Testament in 8th-10th, and the Westminster Confession in 11th, and take a Biblical worldview class in 12th grade.
The school believes that "in nearly every case that a cadet is performing poorly in multiple courses, there is a problem with the cadet's spirit that requires discipline." Therefore, cadets who accumulate two or more academic deficiencies by the end of a 9-week grading period will be placed on Academic Profile. A cadet earns removal from Academic Profile by passing all of his courses during a grading term and receiving no deficiency reports.
As a result of these distinctive policies, the school states that many students have seen dramatic improvements in their grades. In the second quarter of the 2008-2009 academic year, 55 cadets earned a 3.0 GPA or higher. 69 cadets improved their GPA from first quarter to second quarter.
are held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Cadets are taught the Christianity of the Apostle Paul
, St. Augustine
, Martin Luther
, John Calvin
, John Knox
, and their theological descendants. The school regards the Bible
as the Holy and inerrant Word of God.
. Students compete in soccer, basketball
, track, cross-country
, golf
, and tennis
. The academy's policy states that "the win/lose record is much less important than the achievement of individual and team discipline and the development of the character qualities of honesty, integrity and sportsmanship."
The school's sports colors are maroon, white and black. The teams are known as the Wildcats.
in the Corps of Cadets".
The system of rules and consequences is set out in the Cadet Handbook.
Port Gibson, Mississippi
Port Gibson is a city in Claiborne County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,840 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Claiborne County.- History :...
, USA, for boys in grades 7 through 12 (ages approx. 13 to 18 inclusive). It claims to "provide an environment for boys that interrupts their usual way of acting: haircuts and uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
s change their appearance, schedules change their routines, and accountability changes their behavior. The cadre and the curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
change what the cadets would otherwise put into their brains."
Its current slogan is "Knowledge and Wisdom in Submission to God". It has advertised in the past under the slogan "We Love Boys; We Build Men".
In 1970 the school opened its doors to day students, including a small number of girls, but the boarding program is open to boys only. (Girls were admitted as boarders for a short period, but this experiment was abandoned in 2002.) All the boarding students have always been called "cadets".
Currently, Chamberlain-Hunt has about 150 cadets and 25 classroom teachers. The Principal since 2008 is LTC Quentin Johnson and the Commandant is LTC Todd Patterson.
Cadets come to Chamberlain-Hunt from all over the United States, from across the spectrum of social and economic backgrounds, for its challenging academic program and its, by modern US standards, exceptionally rigorous military discipline. The school believes that regular physical activity develops good physical wellbeing, strength and confidence, and that military structure teaches and encourages self-discipline and responsibility.
Cadets also benefit from a variety of off-campus activities, as well as movies, games and activities on-campus.
The campus includes a 70 acres (283,280.2 m²) wilderness camp with rifle range, two confidence courses, paintball and 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) lake. The immediate area, with its buildings in brick Georgian Revival
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Chamberlain-Hunt is a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The 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...
(SACS), the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS), the Association of Christian Schools International
Association of Christian Schools International
The Association of Christian Schools International is an association of evangelical Protestant Christian schools.-Purposes:ACSI, a protestant association for Christian schools, impacts nearly 23,000 schools and transforms the lives of more than 3.9 million students worldwide...
(ACSI), the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States
Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States
The Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States is a nonprofit service organization of schools with military programs approved by the Department of Defense and which maintain good standing in their regional accrediting organizations...
(AMCSUS), and the Association of Classical Christian Schools.
History
The academy was founded in 1879 as a successor to another Presbyterian institution, Oakland College in nearby LormanLorman, Mississippi
Lorman is an unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Mississippi, United States. It is home to Alcorn State University, which was attended by Medgar Evers and Steve McNair ....
, which had been forced to close during the 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...
. The Academy's name honors Dr. Jeremiah Chamberlain, the founder (in 1830) and first president of Oakland College, and Mr. David Hunt, a local benefactor. It has been in its current premises, after moving from its first location next door to the First Presbyterian Church in Port Gibson, since 1900. It became a full military school in 1911. It went into a decline in the 1990s, when enrollment fell to just 22 cadets but in 1998 it was saved from closure by being taken over by French Camp Academy, another Christ-centered (but not military) boarding school in northern Mississippi, and since then has experienced rapid growth. However, CHA continues to operate autonomously with its own unusually strict traditions.
The school is mentioned in the 1964 Warren Commission
Warren Commission
The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, known unofficially as the Warren Commission, was established on November 27, 1963, by Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963...
report on the assassination of President Kennedy, because the elder brother and stepbrother of Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
, the alleged assassin, were cadets at CHA in the late 1940s. After the assassination, the school stressed that Lee Oswald himself was never a student at CHA.
In the 1960s CHA had the reputation of being a "white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
" institution, but it now welcomes all races and currently has about 40% ethnic minority enrolment.
On its 125th birthday in 2004, CHA held a Founders' Day Convocation at nearby Alcorn State University
Alcorn State University
Alcorn State University is an historically black university comprehensive land-grant institution in Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871-History:...
(whose premises are on the Academy's original pre-1900 site) with special guest, US Senator Trent Lott
Trent Lott
Chester Trent Lott, Sr. , is a former United States Senator from Mississippi and has served in numerous leadership positions in the House of Representatives and the Senate....
.
Academics
Many cadets enroll at Chamberlain-Hunt Academy because, although bright, they are under-performing academically. The school aims to provide a special environment in which boys can learn, and develop the skills necessary to learn.Chamberlain-Hunt Academy offers a college preparatory
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...
curriculum. Cadets earn Carnegie credits
Carnegie Unit and Student Hour
The Carnegie Unit and the Student Hour are strictly time-based references for measuring educational attainment used by American universities and colleges; the Carnegie Unit assesses secondary school attainment, and the Student Hour, derived from the Carnegie Unit, assesses collegiate...
for satisfactorily completing course work on a semester basis. All cadets must take a full course load (a minimum of 5 academic classes).
In addition to the ACT and SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
, many cadets take the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is a multiple choice test, administered by the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, used to determine qualification for enlistment in the United States armed forces...
) made up of verbal, math and technical tests to help them access future job or professional pathways. About one-third of CHA graduates go into the military.
Students also study ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
and Christian character in 7th grade, Old and New Testament in 8th-10th, and the Westminster Confession in 11th, and take a Biblical worldview class in 12th grade.
The school believes that "in nearly every case that a cadet is performing poorly in multiple courses, there is a problem with the cadet's spirit that requires discipline." Therefore, cadets who accumulate two or more academic deficiencies by the end of a 9-week grading period will be placed on Academic Profile. A cadet earns removal from Academic Profile by passing all of his courses during a grading term and receiving no deficiency reports.
As a result of these distinctive policies, the school states that many students have seen dramatic improvements in their grades. In the second quarter of the 2008-2009 academic year, 55 cadets earned a 3.0 GPA or higher. 69 cadets improved their GPA from first quarter to second quarter.
Spiritual life
Cadets are expected to memorize the Westminster Catechism. Chapel worship is held on Wednesday. DevotionsAnglican devotions
Anglican devotions are private prayers and practices used by Anglican Christians to promote spiritual growth and communion with God. Among members of the Anglican Communion, private devotional habits vary widely, depending on personal preference and on their affiliation with low-church or...
are held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Cadets are taught the Christianity of the Apostle Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
, St. Augustine
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
, Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
, John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
, John Knox
John Knox
John Knox was a Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation who brought reformation to the church in Scotland. He was educated at the University of St Andrews or possibly the University of Glasgow and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1536...
, and their theological descendants. The school regards the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
as the Holy and inerrant Word of God.
Athletics
The athletic program includes both interscholastic sports and intramuralsIntramural sports
Intramural sports or intramurals are recreational sports organized within a set geographic area. The term derives from the Latin words intra muros meaning "within walls", and was used to indicate sports matches and contests that took place among teams from "within the walls" of an ancient city...
. Students compete in soccer, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, track, cross-country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. The academy's policy states that "the win/lose record is much less important than the achievement of individual and team discipline and the development of the character qualities of honesty, integrity and sportsmanship."
The school's sports colors are maroon, white and black. The teams are known as the Wildcats.
Wilderness program
Every cadet is required to complete the Wilderness Program. This makes use of the school's 70 acres (283,280.2 m²) site and includes a confidence course, an obstacle course and a ropes course. The objective of the program is stated to be "to provide a challenging and rewarding means of developing, and an objective means of assessing the development of leadership, community, camaraderie, collective responsibility, and esprit de corpsMorale
Morale, also known as esprit de corps when discussing the morale of a group, is an intangible term used to describe the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others...
in the Corps of Cadets".
Discipline and uniform
Chamberlain-Hunt states that it is "one of the few military schools left in the U.S. that self-consciously maintains its distinctive Christian character and strict military discipline". It believes that discipline is essential to successful learning and living in God's world. "Rules are clearly stated, and any breach of them is accompanied by sure and swift consequences. This is often physical in nature, through activities such as marching or calisthenics[.]"The system of rules and consequences is set out in the Cadet Handbook.
External links
- Chamberlain-Hunt Academy official website
- Raising Boys to be Men, interview with Col. Shane Blanton, President of CHA, Albert Mohler Radio Program, January 2008.
- History of the CHA buildings in Mary Carol Miller et al., Must See Mississippi, Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2007. ISBN 1578068452
- Biography of Jeremiah Chamberlain (1794-1851) at Dickinson College, PA.
- Picture of Chamberlain-Hunt Academy Historical Marker board at waymarking.com