Hill Military Academy
Encyclopedia
Hill Military Academy was a private, College preparatory
military academy
in Portland
in the U.S. state of Oregon
. Opened in 1901, it was a leading military boarding school in the Pacific Northwest
. Originally located in Northwest Portland, it later moved to Rocky Butte
where it remained until it closed in 1959. The school was a party to the Pierce v. Society of Sisters
U.S. Supreme Court case.
, on May 28, 1856, and was raised in Connecticut. He attended the Selleck school in Norwalk
before enrolling at Yale University
where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1878. Hill then moved west to Oregon where he was hired as the headmaster of the Bishop Scott grammar school
in Portland in 1879. In 1881, while still serving as headmaster, Hill graduated from the Willamette University College of Medicine
with a Doctor of Medicine
. The grammar school became Bishop Scott Academy in 1887, with Hill becoming principal that year of the expanded school, serving until 1901.
In 1922, Oregon voters passed the Compulsory Education Act, an initiative supported by the Ku Klux Klan
as an anti-Catholic measure that required attendance in public schools. Hill Academy and a society that ran several Catholic schools both sued the state to prevent the enactment of the law on First Amendment grounds
, and won in federal district court
. On appeal to the United States Supreme Court, that court upheld the injunction against the law in Pierce v. Society of Sisters
.
In 1931, the school moved to a new campus on Rocky Butte
in eastern Portland. The school’s enrollment then declined, and the school closed in 1959.
s on the exterior wall, and in general designed in the Scots Baronial Style. This building housed the boarding students of the academy.
Students at Hill wore uniforms and attended college preparatory classes as well as classes in the military department. The school had both boarding students and day class enrollees. Summer courses were held at camps held on the Oregon Coast
or in the mountains. The school was considered a pioneer in military education in the Pacific Northwest
.
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...
military academy
Military academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps of the army, the navy, air force or coast guard, which normally provides education in a service environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned.Three...
in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in the U.S. state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Opened in 1901, it was a leading military boarding school in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. Originally located in Northwest Portland, it later moved to Rocky Butte
Rocky Butte
Rocky Butte is an extinct volcanic cinder cone butte in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is one of four, along with Kelly Butte, Powell Butte, and Mount Tabor, inside the city that are each home to a city park, Rocky Butte playing host to Joseph Wood Hill Park. It is also part of the Boring...
where it remained until it closed in 1959. The school was a party to the Pierce v. Society of Sisters
Pierce v. Society of Sisters
Pierce v. Society of Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, , was an early 20th century United States Supreme Court decision that significantly expanded coverage of the Due Process Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The case has been cited as a precedent in...
U.S. Supreme Court case.
Founder
The academy's founder Joseph Wood Hill was born in Westport, ConnecticutWestport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
, on May 28, 1856, and was raised in Connecticut. He attended the Selleck school in Norwalk
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
before enrolling at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1878. Hill then moved west to Oregon where he was hired as the headmaster of the Bishop Scott grammar school
Bishop Scott Academy
Bishop Scott Academy was a school located in Portland, Oregon, United States. Affiliated with the Episcopal Church, the school was named for the Reverend Thomas Fielding Scott. The school opened in 1870 to educate young men in good citizenship and prepare them to enter the ministry...
in Portland in 1879. In 1881, while still serving as headmaster, Hill graduated from the Willamette University College of Medicine
Willamette University College of Medicine
Willamette University College of Medicine is a former school of medicine that was part of Willamette University. Founded in 1867 as the first medical school in Oregon, the school relocated between Portland and the main university campus in Salem several times. Eventually the school was merged with...
with a Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
. The grammar school became Bishop Scott Academy in 1887, with Hill becoming principal that year of the expanded school, serving until 1901.
History
In 1901, Hill left Bishop Scott Academy and founded the Hill Military Academy on Marshall Street in Portland. John W. Gavin served as the vice principal and headmaster at this time. The school was incorporated in 1908, and Hill’s oldest son Joseph A. became the vice president of the school that year. The son took over as manager in 1910, with Major G. C. Von Egloffstein taking over as headmaster. Joseph Wood Hill remained as principal until at least 1911.In 1922, Oregon voters passed the Compulsory Education Act, an initiative supported by the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
as an anti-Catholic measure that required attendance in public schools. Hill Academy and a society that ran several Catholic schools both sued the state to prevent the enactment of the law on First Amendment grounds
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
, and won in federal district court
United States District Court for the District of Oregon
The United States District Court for the District of Oregon is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Oregon. It was created in 1859 when the state was admitted to the Union...
. On appeal to the United States Supreme Court, that court upheld the injunction against the law in Pierce v. Society of Sisters
Pierce v. Society of Sisters
Pierce v. Society of Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, , was an early 20th century United States Supreme Court decision that significantly expanded coverage of the Due Process Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The case has been cited as a precedent in...
.
In 1931, the school moved to a new campus on Rocky Butte
Rocky Butte
Rocky Butte is an extinct volcanic cinder cone butte in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is one of four, along with Kelly Butte, Powell Butte, and Mount Tabor, inside the city that are each home to a city park, Rocky Butte playing host to Joseph Wood Hill Park. It is also part of the Boring...
in eastern Portland. The school’s enrollment then declined, and the school closed in 1959.
Campus and academics
Hill Military Academy’s original campus was located in a residential area in northwest Portland. The campus consisted of two buildings, the main building and an armory. The two-story armory measured 50 by 100 feet and included a drill hall and workshops. Hill’s main building was a four-story structure with battlementBattlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
s on the exterior wall, and in general designed in the Scots Baronial Style. This building housed the boarding students of the academy.
Students at Hill wore uniforms and attended college preparatory classes as well as classes in the military department. The school had both boarding students and day class enrollees. Summer courses were held at camps held on the Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately from the Columbia River in the north to...
or in the mountains. The school was considered a pioneer in military education in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
.
External links
- Hill Military Academy
- The Hill Military Academy - Pacific Monthly