Mercersburg Academy
Encyclopedia
Mercersburg Academy is an independent, coeducation
al boarding school
for grades 9-12 located in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania
, United States. The school's mission is:
"[to] prepare young men and women from diverse backgrounds for college and for life in a global community.""
granted a charter to Marshall College to be located in Mercersburg. Dr. Frederick Augustus Rauch
came from Switzerland to be the first president of the college under the sponsorship of the Reformed Church in America. Dr. Rauch served as president from 1836 until 1841. His successor in the position was John Williamson Nevin who served until 1853, when Marshall College joined with Franklin College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
to become Franklin & Marshall College
. At this time, the preparatory department of Marshall College became known as Marshall Academy which later changed to Marshall Collegiate Institute. In 1865, the name was again changed to Mercersburg College, under whose charter the school continues to operate. The historic tie to the church continues through Mercersburg's membership in the Council for Higher Education of the United Church of Christ
.
On April 27, 1893, the Board of Regents elected Dr. William Mann Irvine, who had joined Franklin and Marshall College as an instructor after receiving his Ph.D. in Political Science from Princeton University in 1892, to become the Headmaster at the age of twenty-eight. In July, Dr. Irvine changed the name of the institution to Mercersburg Academy and began his work as the founder of the present-day preparatory school. In the fall of 1893, he opened the school with an enrollment of 40 boys, four instructors and 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of ground. During Dr. Irvine's tenure, three dormitories, a dining hall, gymnasium, infirmary, administration building and the Chapel were built. A new Main Hall and Annex were built after a fire gutted Old Main in 1927.
After Dr. Irvine's death on June 11, 1928, Dr. Boyd Edwards was elected headmaster, where he remained until he retired in 1941. After his retirement, Dr. Charles S. Tippetts '12 resigned from a deanship at the University of Pittsburgh
to become Headmaster, where he remained for twenty years. During this time, Irvine Hall was completed and the James Buchanan cabin was moved onto the campus. His successor was William C. Fowle who came from the Hotchkiss School
in Connecticut. Headmaster Fowle's tenure saw Tippetts Hall competed, Boone Hall constructed and Ford Dining Hall constructed. In 1969, Mercersburg again became a co-educational school and racial integration became a reality.
In 1972, Walter H. Burgin Jr. '53 was appointed the Academy's fifth headmaster. Mr. Burgin had been a member and the Chairman of the mathematics department from 1959–1964 and was teaching at Phillips Exeter Academy
at the time of his appointment. Mr. Burgin oversaw a comprehensive reshaping of the Academy's academic facilities, the building of Lenfest Hall library and the integration of technology into community and classroom life.
Douglas Hale was appointed head of school in 1997, coming from Baylor School
where he had been a teacher, assistant headmaster and headmaster since 1973. Under Mr. Hale, all dormitories have been renovated with new faculty apartments added, the entire campus has been connected electronically, and the Smoyer Tennis Center and the Davenport Squash Center were constructed. In 2005, Boone Hall was razed to begin the construction of the new Burgin Center for the Arts, which opened in the fall of 2006. The ceremony was an all-day event and a few of the important guests that attended were Benicio del Toro
and Timothy P. Hartung, FAIA, Partner of Polshek Partnership Architects. The opening concert that night featured performances from world-class violinist Itzhak Perlman
and the New York City Ballet
.
"As a member of the Mercersburg Academy community, I hereby agree to honor its standards of integrity, truth, and courage. On my honor, I pledge that I will not lie, cheat, or steal. In all my endeavors, I will work toward building trust by upholding, in spirit and in letter, these community standards."
Also, any paper or test submitted or handed in by a student is required to have the honor code written on it: "Upon my honor, I have neither given nor received aid with this work."
Any form of violation of the honor code may result in dismissal from the institution. Indeed, it is unusual for a full academic year to pass before at least 5 students have been required to withdraw. Many consider this an expected result of sending children to live away from their parents and making life choices independent of supervision.
for the 2011–2012 school year is $46,950 for boarding students and $35,150 for day students. Forty-nine percent of Academy students receive financial aid (need-based/merit). Merit scholarships are offered, including the Regents Merit Scholarship, a selective “full-ride” scholarship decided by a student’s academic promise, the Legacy Scholarship, established by H. F. Lenfest
, awarded to a student whose parents or grandparents are alumni of the school and The Mercersburg Scholarship, awarded to a day student entering the ninth or tenth grade. The school’s current financial endowment is $185 million.
Girls Dormitories -
(South Cottage and Culbertson House are the only dorms without elevators.)
All dormitories are air-conditioned and have voice and data ports in each room.
(MAPL), which includes Blair Academy
, The Hill School
, Hun School of Princeton
, Lawrenceville School
and Peddie School
. Mercersburg has produced 41 Olympians, 18 of whom were swimmers. The boys' swimming team won the 2010 Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming Championships (its fifth Easterns championship since 1989), and the baseball team has captured several PAISAA state championships (most recently in 2008). Some of the Division I colleges where Mercersburg graduates compete in varsity athletics include Air Force, Army, Bucknell, College of Charleston, Cornell, Duke, Florida State, Harvard, Lehigh, Navy, Oklahoma, Penn, Southern Cal, Syracuse, Texas A&M, West Virginia, and Yale.
The sports offered are as follows:
Fall
Men
Women
Winter
Men
Women
Spring
Men
Women
Adventure Camp
Adventure Camp is a co-ed and residential camp for kids ages 8–16. Adventure camp embraces variety and encourages participants to try new activities. Two weeks of camp include Enrichments, excursions in the great outdoors and adventures afar! Camp adventures include trips to Hersheypark, white water rafting and a professional sports game.
College Prep
The college search is an educational process: a journey of self-discovery full of challenges, rewards, and responsibilities. At Mercersburg, counseling works hand in hand with students and families to decide which college or university is the best match. Mercersburg College Prep is no different. It is a program designed for rising 10th and 11th graders as a way to offer that same support, same focus and the same benefits over the course of an intense week of college admission preparation.
Each student in the Mercersburg College Prep Program obtains tools to help them navigate the college admission process. From interviewing and essay writing skills to college visits and resume building, every program participant gains experience walking through and evaluating critical steps in college admission.
Enrichment and the Arts
Work with inspiring writing instructors at Young Writers Camp, stride to the stage at the school that produced Academy Award winners Jimmy Stewart ‘28 and Benicio Del Toro ‘85 in our Mercersburg Summer Theatre Workshop, and explore fundamental robotics in our robotics program.
Sports Camps
Mercersburg’s long and storied athletic tradition includes 54 Olympians, as well as many team and individual championships, and other successes. Mercersburg summer sports camps feature coaches and collegiate athletes who have achieved at the highest levels.
Athletes are grouped according to age and ability levels. Featured clinicians, coaches, and counselors rotate between groups so that every athlete has access to superior training instruction. Time after regular sessions is devoted to individual instruction for those athletes who seek the extra edge.
Summer Sport Camps offered at Mercersburg include Blue Storm Wrestling and Boys and Girls Basketball School. United Swim Clinics and Champion's Edge Field Hockey also use Mercersburg Academy as the site of their perennial summer camps.
English as a Second Language
English development and cultural immersion experiences entice students who are committed to rigorous academic effort.
This intensive and creative program is open to international students who possess a working knowledge of the English language and are able to communicate on at least basic verbal and written levels. It features comprehensive and stimulating curriculum that improve communication skills in English speaking, listening, writing and reading.
Essentials for Excellence
Essentials for Excellence(E4E) camp focuses on getting students prepared for life at Mercersburg Academy and allows for a smooth transition once class starts. E4E familiarizes students with new people and surroundings as well as hallowed school traditions and policies.
Medal of Honor
recipients
Nobel Prize recipient
Olympic gold medalists
Academy Award winners
Rhodes Scholars
Others
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al boarding school
Boarding 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...
for grades 9-12 located in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania
Mercersburg, Pennsylvania
Mercersburg is a borough in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Harrisburg. Originally called Black Town, it was incorporated in 1831. In 1900, 956 people lived here, and in 1910, 1,410 people lived here...
, United States. The school's mission is:
"[to] prepare young men and women from diverse backgrounds for college and for life in a global community.""
History
On March 31, 1836, the Pennsylvania General AssemblyPennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
granted a charter to Marshall College to be located in Mercersburg. Dr. Frederick Augustus Rauch
Frederick Augustus Rauch
Frederick Augustus Rauch [in Germany Friedrich August Rauch] was an educator. He was the founding president of Marshall College.-Biography:...
came from Switzerland to be the first president of the college under the sponsorship of the Reformed Church in America. Dr. Rauch served as president from 1836 until 1841. His successor in the position was John Williamson Nevin who served until 1853, when Marshall College joined with Franklin College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
to become Franklin & Marshall College
Franklin & Marshall College
Franklin & Marshall College is a four-year private co-educational residential national liberal arts college in the Northwest Corridor neighborhood of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States....
. At this time, the preparatory department of Marshall College became known as Marshall Academy which later changed to Marshall Collegiate Institute. In 1865, the name was again changed to Mercersburg College, under whose charter the school continues to operate. The historic tie to the church continues through Mercersburg's membership in the Council for Higher Education of the United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
.
On April 27, 1893, the Board of Regents elected Dr. William Mann Irvine, who had joined Franklin and Marshall College as an instructor after receiving his Ph.D. in Political Science from Princeton University in 1892, to become the Headmaster at the age of twenty-eight. In July, Dr. Irvine changed the name of the institution to Mercersburg Academy and began his work as the founder of the present-day preparatory school. In the fall of 1893, he opened the school with an enrollment of 40 boys, four instructors and 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of ground. During Dr. Irvine's tenure, three dormitories, a dining hall, gymnasium, infirmary, administration building and the Chapel were built. A new Main Hall and Annex were built after a fire gutted Old Main in 1927.
After Dr. Irvine's death on June 11, 1928, Dr. Boyd Edwards was elected headmaster, where he remained until he retired in 1941. After his retirement, Dr. Charles S. Tippetts '12 resigned from a deanship at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
to become Headmaster, where he remained for twenty years. During this time, Irvine Hall was completed and the James Buchanan cabin was moved onto the campus. His successor was William C. Fowle who came from the Hotchkiss School
Hotchkiss School
The Hotchkiss School is an independent, coeducational American college preparatory boarding school located in Lakeville, Connecticut. Founded in 1891, the school enrolls students in grades 9 through 12 and a small number of postgraduates...
in Connecticut. Headmaster Fowle's tenure saw Tippetts Hall competed, Boone Hall constructed and Ford Dining Hall constructed. In 1969, Mercersburg again became a co-educational school and racial integration became a reality.
In 1972, Walter H. Burgin Jr. '53 was appointed the Academy's fifth headmaster. Mr. Burgin had been a member and the Chairman of the mathematics department from 1959–1964 and was teaching at Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
at the time of his appointment. Mr. Burgin oversaw a comprehensive reshaping of the Academy's academic facilities, the building of Lenfest Hall library and the integration of technology into community and classroom life.
Douglas Hale was appointed head of school in 1997, coming from Baylor School
Baylor School
Baylor School is a private, coeducational prep school on the outskirts of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The school was founded in 1893 and since 1915 has been located on the same hillside site by the Tennessee River. The school went through several incarnations: moving from an all-male military academy...
where he had been a teacher, assistant headmaster and headmaster since 1973. Under Mr. Hale, all dormitories have been renovated with new faculty apartments added, the entire campus has been connected electronically, and the Smoyer Tennis Center and the Davenport Squash Center were constructed. In 2005, Boone Hall was razed to begin the construction of the new Burgin Center for the Arts, which opened in the fall of 2006. The ceremony was an all-day event and a few of the important guests that attended were Benicio del Toro
Benicio del Toro
Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez is a Puerto Rican and Spanish actor and film producer. He won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a BAFTA Award for his role as Javier Rodríguez in Traffic . He is also known for his roles as Fred Fenster in The Usual...
and Timothy P. Hartung, FAIA, Partner of Polshek Partnership Architects. The opening concert that night featured performances from world-class violinist Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman is an Israeli-born violinist, conductor, and instructor of master classes. He is regarded as one of the pre-eminent violinists of the 20th and early-21st centuries.-Early life:...
and the New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Leon Barzin was the company's first music director. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company...
.
Mercersburg Academy today
Now set on 300 acres (1.2 km²), Mercersburg is home to 432 students: 215 boys (50%), 217 girls (50%). The school has 65 9th graders; 118 10th graders; 121 11th graders; 128 12th graders. Students come from around the world, representing 34 countries and 30 states, including the District of Columbia. Mercersburg's endowment now holds more than $194 million, making it one of the highest endowment-per-student independent schools in the country. Mercersburg's endowment-per-student of $446,759 ranked it tenth among the 50 Schools Reporting the Most Voluntary Support and Endowments Per Student, 2004. The school annually receives about 600 applicants for no more than 150 spots.Honor Code
Mercersburg Academy holds its students to a strict Honor Code."As a member of the Mercersburg Academy community, I hereby agree to honor its standards of integrity, truth, and courage. On my honor, I pledge that I will not lie, cheat, or steal. In all my endeavors, I will work toward building trust by upholding, in spirit and in letter, these community standards."
Also, any paper or test submitted or handed in by a student is required to have the honor code written on it: "Upon my honor, I have neither given nor received aid with this work."
Any form of violation of the honor code may result in dismissal from the institution. Indeed, it is unusual for a full academic year to pass before at least 5 students have been required to withdraw. Many consider this an expected result of sending children to live away from their parents and making life choices independent of supervision.
Tuition, Scholarships, Endowment, and Financial Aid
Base tuitionTuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
for the 2011–2012 school year is $46,950 for boarding students and $35,150 for day students. Forty-nine percent of Academy students receive financial aid (need-based/merit). Merit scholarships are offered, including the Regents Merit Scholarship, a selective “full-ride” scholarship decided by a student’s academic promise, the Legacy Scholarship, established by H. F. Lenfest
H. F. Lenfest
-Early Life and Career:He was born in Jacksonville, Florida, then later grew up in Scarsdale, New York and Hunterdon County, New Jersey. After attending Flemington High School, and graduating from Mercersburg Academy, Lenfest went on to receive his BA from Washington and Lee University in 1953 and...
, awarded to a student whose parents or grandparents are alumni of the school and The Mercersburg Scholarship, awarded to a day student entering the ninth or tenth grade. The school’s current financial endowment is $185 million.
Facilities
Mercersburg Academy's facilities include nine student residences and three main academic buildings. In the mid-to-late 1990s, all dormitories were remodeled and outfitted with air conditioning as well as phone lines and Internet access. There are 47 classrooms and labs on campus, as well as the Class of 1938 Observatory, Irvine Memorial Chapel, McFadden Model Railroad Museum, and James Buchanan's cabin. The Nolde Gymnasium, built in 1912, has seen numerous expansions over the years and completed a renovation in 2010. The Davenport Squash Center opened in 2005. The Burgin Center for the Arts opened in 2006. Designed by the Polshek Partnership, the facility includes a 600-seat main theater as well as a 120-seat studio theatre. The entire building is 65500 square feet (6,085.1 m²) and consists of three floors. Theatre Projects served as the theatre consultant.Dormitories
Boys Dormitories-- Keil Hall, boys' dormitory located above the historic Edwards Room and Rutledge Hall (home of the English Department).
- Main Hall, boys' dormitory. The original dorm; first building as part of the school.
- Tippetts Hall, boys' dormitory with three floors on one wing reserved for ninth graders.
Girls Dormitories -
- Culbertson House, girls' dormitory housing 10 students.
- Fowle Hall, girls' dormitory; home to all entering ninth-grade boarding girls and some 10th, 11th and 12th graders.
- South Cottage, girls' dormitory and historic former Civil War-era hospital.
- Swank Hall, girls' dormitory. Formerly a boys dorm known as the Main Annex.
(South Cottage and Culbertson House are the only dorms without elevators.)
All dormitories are air-conditioned and have voice and data ports in each room.
Other campus facilities
- The Burgin Center for the Arts, named for former headmaster Walter Burgin, is the new fine arts building. Standing on the former site of Boone Hall, the Burgin Center provides areas for Stony Batter(the school's theatre club), Musical performance groups (concert and jazz bands, orchestra, and student bands), Visual Arts, and other activities. The yearbook (Karux) and newspaper staff also call the Burgin Center for the Arts their home.
- The Nolde Gymnasium, which contains a large gymnasium, brand-new squash courts, and fully equipped fitness center, and a soon to be Olympic-size swimming pool, among other equpiment.
- The Chapel, built under the supervision and planning of Dr. William Mann Irvine by the renowned architect Ralph Adams CramRalph Adams CramRalph Adams Cram FAIA, , was a prolific and influential American architect of collegiate and ecclesiastical buildings, often in the Gothic style. Cram & Ferguson and Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson are partnerships in which he worked.-Early life:Cram was born on December 16, 1863 at Hampton Falls, New...
of the firm Cram and Ferguson, a gothic-style church which houses a pipe organ and a traditional carillon. - The Lenfest Library, named for H. F. LenfestH. F. Lenfest-Early Life and Career:He was born in Jacksonville, Florida, then later grew up in Scarsdale, New York and Hunterdon County, New Jersey. After attending Flemington High School, and graduating from Mercersburg Academy, Lenfest went on to receive his BA from Washington and Lee University in 1953 and...
, who also provided funding for the Burgin Center, is designed to almost mirror the Chapel. It may be noted that the front doors to both the library and the chapel line up perfectly. - Traylor Hall, a strictly administrative building housing admissions personnel, the Dean of Students, and the Headmaster's office.
- Ford Hall is the dining hall for the school. Students sit down daily to enjoy a family-style meal. Downstairs in Ford is the student lounge and cafe, game room, newly renovated School Store, and the Summer Programs offices. The school will break ground for a new student center, the Simon Student Center at Ford Hall, in 2012.
Athletics
Since 2000, Mercersburg has been a member of the Mid-Atlantic Prep LeagueMid-Atlantic Prep League
The Mid-Atlantic Prep League, also known as the MAPL, is a sports league with participating institutions from prep schools in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area in the United States. The league comprises schools known for their academic rigor, but the quality of play in all sports is fairly high...
(MAPL), which includes Blair Academy
Blair Academy
Blair Academy is a private, coeducational, secondary boarding high school with an enrollment of about 448 students for grades nine through twelve. The school has 78 faculty members...
, The Hill School
The Hill School
The Hill School is a preparatory boarding school for boys and girls located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia....
, Hun School of Princeton
Hun School of Princeton
The Hun School of Princeton is a private, coeducational, secondary boarding school located in Princeton Township, New Jersey, United States. The school has a Princeton, New Jersey mailing address. The school serves students from grades 6 through high school. Currently, the headmaster is Jonathan...
, Lawrenceville School
Lawrenceville School
The Lawrenceville School is a coeducational, independent preparatory boarding school for grades 9–12 located on in the historic community of Lawrenceville, in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, U.S., five miles southwest of Princeton....
and Peddie School
Peddie School
The Peddie School is a college preparatory school in Hightstown, New Jersey, United States. It is a nondenominational, coeducational boarding school located on a 280‑acre campus, and serves students in the ninth through twelfth grades, plus a small post-graduate class...
. Mercersburg has produced 41 Olympians, 18 of whom were swimmers. The boys' swimming team won the 2010 Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming Championships (its fifth Easterns championship since 1989), and the baseball team has captured several PAISAA state championships (most recently in 2008). Some of the Division I colleges where Mercersburg graduates compete in varsity athletics include Air Force, Army, Bucknell, College of Charleston, Cornell, Duke, Florida State, Harvard, Lehigh, Navy, Oklahoma, Penn, Southern Cal, Syracuse, Texas A&M, West Virginia, and Yale.
The sports offered are as follows:
Fall
Men
- Football
- Soccer
- Cross Country
- Swimming
- Golf
Women
- Field Hockey
- Volleyball
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Cross Country
- Swimming
Winter
Men
- Wrestling
- Swimming
- Squash
- Winter Track & Field
- Skiing
- Basketball
Women
- Swimming
- Squash
- Winter Track & Field
- Skiing
- Basketball
Spring
Men
- Baseball
- Lacrosse
- Track & Field
- Golf
- Tennis
- Swimming
Women
- Softball
- Lacrosse
- Track & Field
- Golf
- Swimming
Summer Programs
Mercersburg Summer is all about enrichment, encouraging personal growth, and fun. Each summer, participants ages 7–17 take part in an array of programs, ranging from the Adventure Camp series to various Enrichment, Arts, and Sports Camps. Additionally, Mercersburg Summer Programs offers a College Prep program designed specifically for walking rising 10th and 11th graders through the college process.Adventure Camp
Adventure Camp is a co-ed and residential camp for kids ages 8–16. Adventure camp embraces variety and encourages participants to try new activities. Two weeks of camp include Enrichments, excursions in the great outdoors and adventures afar! Camp adventures include trips to Hersheypark, white water rafting and a professional sports game.
College Prep
The college search is an educational process: a journey of self-discovery full of challenges, rewards, and responsibilities. At Mercersburg, counseling works hand in hand with students and families to decide which college or university is the best match. Mercersburg College Prep is no different. It is a program designed for rising 10th and 11th graders as a way to offer that same support, same focus and the same benefits over the course of an intense week of college admission preparation.
Each student in the Mercersburg College Prep Program obtains tools to help them navigate the college admission process. From interviewing and essay writing skills to college visits and resume building, every program participant gains experience walking through and evaluating critical steps in college admission.
Enrichment and the Arts
Work with inspiring writing instructors at Young Writers Camp, stride to the stage at the school that produced Academy Award winners Jimmy Stewart ‘28 and Benicio Del Toro ‘85 in our Mercersburg Summer Theatre Workshop, and explore fundamental robotics in our robotics program.
Sports Camps
Mercersburg’s long and storied athletic tradition includes 54 Olympians, as well as many team and individual championships, and other successes. Mercersburg summer sports camps feature coaches and collegiate athletes who have achieved at the highest levels.
Athletes are grouped according to age and ability levels. Featured clinicians, coaches, and counselors rotate between groups so that every athlete has access to superior training instruction. Time after regular sessions is devoted to individual instruction for those athletes who seek the extra edge.
Summer Sport Camps offered at Mercersburg include Blue Storm Wrestling and Boys and Girls Basketball School. United Swim Clinics and Champion's Edge Field Hockey also use Mercersburg Academy as the site of their perennial summer camps.
English as a Second Language
English development and cultural immersion experiences entice students who are committed to rigorous academic effort.
This intensive and creative program is open to international students who possess a working knowledge of the English language and are able to communicate on at least basic verbal and written levels. It features comprehensive and stimulating curriculum that improve communication skills in English speaking, listening, writing and reading.
Essentials for Excellence
Essentials for Excellence(E4E) camp focuses on getting students prepared for life at Mercersburg Academy and allows for a smooth transition once class starts. E4E familiarizes students with new people and surroundings as well as hallowed school traditions and policies.
Notable alumni
Mercersburg has produced many outstanding individuals, including 48 Olympians (and nine gold medalists), seven Rhodes Scholars, several Fulbright Scholars, a Nobel Prize winner, two Academy Award winners, two Emmy Award winners, and a Golden Globe winner.Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipients
- Joel T. Boone 1909
- Eugene B. FluckeyEugene B. FluckeyRear Admiral Eugene Bennett Fluckey , nicknamed "Lucky Fluckey", was a United States Navy submarine commander who received the Medal of Honor during World War II.-Early life and career:...
1930 - Ralph TalbotRalph TalbotRalph Talbot was the first United States Marine Corps aviator to receive the Medal of Honor — for "exceptionally meritorious service and extraordinary heroism" while attached to Squadron C, U.S...
1916
Nobel Prize recipient
- Burton RichterBurton RichterBurton Richter is a Nobel Prize-winning American physicist. He led the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center team which co-discovered the J/ψ meson in 1974, alongside the Brookhaven National Laboratory team led by Samuel Ting. This discovery was part of the so-called November Revolution of particle...
1948 (for physics, 1976)
Olympic gold medalists
- Robert LeavittRobert LeavittRobert Grandison "Bob" Leavitt was an American athlete, winner of 110 m hurdles at the 1906 Summer Olympics....
1903 - Ted MeredithTed MeredithJames Edwin "Ted" Meredith was an American athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania and died in Camden, New Jersey, aged 65...
1912 - Allen WoodringAllen WoodringAllen Woodring was an American athlete, the 1920 Olympic champion in the 200 m.Little is known of Woodring, who originally did not qualify for the 1920 Summer Olympics, placing 5th in the American trials. However, he was given a chance to compete in favour of the 4th-placed runner...
1918 - Harry Glancy 1924
- Bill CarrBill CarrWilliam Arthur Carr was an American athlete, a double Olympic champion in 1932.Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Carr studied at Mercersburg Academy and the University of Pennsylvania, where he was coached by 1904 Olympian Lawson Robertson...
1929 - Charles Moore Jr.Charles Moore (athlete)Charles Hewes Moore, Jr is a former American athlete, and has served as executive director of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy since the organization's founding in 1999. Charles won a gold medal in the 400 metre hurdles in the 1952 Summer Olympics with a time of 50.8 seconds,...
1947 - Richard SaegerRichard SaegerRichard Erwin Saeger is an American swimmer, who won a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. He swam in the preliminary heats for the US 4×200 m freestyle team, which eventually triumphed in the final.-References:*...
1982 - Betsy MitchellBetsy MitchellFaith Elizabeth "Betsy" Mitchell is former backstroke swimmer from the United States. She also was a member of the USA's 1994 Rowing World Championship team. In she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1998.She began competitive swimming at age 5 and became notable at 13...
1983 - Melvin StewartMelvin StewartMelvin Monroe Stewart is a retired American swimmer who won two gold medals and one bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Stewart graduated from Mercersburg Academy and the University of Tennessee.-Biography:Stewart was a prominent 200m butterfly swimmer of his era...
1988
Academy Award winners
- James StewartJames Stewart (actor)James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
1928 - Benicio del ToroBenicio del ToroBenicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez is a Puerto Rican and Spanish actor and film producer. He won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a BAFTA Award for his role as Javier Rodríguez in Traffic . He is also known for his roles as Fred Fenster in The Usual...
1985
Rhodes Scholars
- Robert N. Cunningham Jr. 1921
- Edward F. D'Arms 1921
- Laurence A.L. Scott 1924
- Dudley L. Harley 1927
- James M. Tunnell 1928
- Robert H. Michelet 1930
- Cresson H. Kearny 1933
Others
- Joe BirminghamJoe BirminghamJoseph Leo Birmingham was a baseball player. Birmingham was an outfielder who occasionally played the infield for the Cleveland Naps. He was a mediocre hitter, but he had one of the strongest throwing arms and he was a fine defensive center fielder...
1904 - former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player; first manager of the Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona... - Wilbert W. White Jr. 1907 - decorated World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
flying ace - Stewart H. ApplebyStewart H. ApplebyStewart Hoffman Appleby was an American Republican Party politician who represented from 1925–1927, filling the vacancy of his father T. Frank Appleby, who had been elected to office but died before taking the seat....
1909 - former U.S. congressman from New JerseyNew Jersey's 3rd congressional districtNew Jersey's Third Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Jon Runyan. It is a swing district, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+1. Former NFL player Republican Jon Runyan defeated John Adler in the 2010 House elections... - John CoolidgeJohn CoolidgeJohn Coolidge was an executive with the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, the founder of the Plymouth Cheese Corporation and the first son of President Calvin Coolidge and Grace Anna Goodhue.-Biography:...
1924 and Calvin Coolidge II '25 - sons of President Calvin CoolidgeCalvin CoolidgeJohn Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state... - Bump HadleyBump HadleyIrving Darius Hadley was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, he played the major leagues for the Washington Senators , Chicago White Sox , St...
1924 - former major-league pitcher and Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
television broadcaster - John PayneJohn Payne (actor)John Payne was an American film actor who is mainly remembered as a singer in 20th Century Fox musical films, and for his leading roles in Miracle on 34th Street and the NBC western television series The Restless Gun.-Background:Payne was born in Roanoke, Virginia...
1932 - actor, Miracle on 34th StreetMiracle on 34th StreetMiracle on 34th Street is a 1947 Christmas film written by George Seaton from a story by Valentine Davies, directed by George Seaton and starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn... - Walter FarleyWalter FarleyWalter Farley was an American author, primarily of horse stories for children. Educated at Columbia, where he received a B.A. in 1941, his first and most famous work was The Black Stallion...
1935 - author, The Black StallionThe Black StallionThe Black Stallion, known as "the Black" or "Shêtân", is the title character from author Walter Farley's bestselling series about the stallion and his young owner, Alec Ramsay...
series - Harry HughesHarry HughesHarry Roe Hughes , a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 57th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1979 to 1987.-Early life and family:...
1944 - former governor of MarylandGovernor of MarylandThe Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,... - H.F. "Gerry" LenfestH. F. Lenfest-Early Life and Career:He was born in Jacksonville, Florida, then later grew up in Scarsdale, New York and Hunterdon County, New Jersey. After attending Flemington High School, and graduating from Mercersburg Academy, Lenfest went on to receive his BA from Washington and Lee University in 1953 and...
1949 - founder of Suburban Cable (sold to ComcastComcastComcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
in 2000) and member of the Forbes 400Forbes 400The Forbes 400 or 400 Richest Americans is a list published by Forbes Magazine magazine of the wealthiest 400 Americans, ranked by net worth. The list is published annually in September, and 2010 marks the 29th issue. The 400 was started by Malcom Forbes in 1982 and treats those in the list like... - Dick ThornburghDick ThornburghRichard Lewis "Dick" Thornburgh is an American lawyer and Republican politician who served as the 41st Governor of Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1987, and then as the U.S...
1950 - former governor of Pennsylvania and United States Attorney GeneralUnited States Attorney GeneralThe United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government... - Bill BaldwinBill BaldwinBill Baldwin is an American science fiction writer. He writes militaristic space opera. His main series is about a male protagonist named Wilf Ansor Brim....
1953 - science-fiction author, The Helmsman series - Nicholas Taubman 1953 - U.S. Ambassador to RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
; former CEO of Advance Auto PartsAdvance Auto PartsAdvance Auto Parts , headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, is the second-largest retailer of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States. AAP was founded in 1932 and had 2008 sales of approx. $5.1B... - Dick CassDick CassRichard W. "Dick" Cass is the President of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens.-Biography:Prior to joining the Ravens, Cass worked as counsel for the Dallas Cowboys, where he represented Jerry Jones in his acquisition of the club and Washington Redskins, where he represented the Jack Kent Cooke estate in...
1964 - president, Baltimore RavensBaltimore RavensThe Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
(National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
) - Dean TaylorDean Taylor (baseball)Dean Taylor is a front office executive in Major League Baseball who currently serves as the Vice President of Baseball Operations/Assistant General Manager for the Kansas City Royals....
1969 - vice president-baseball operations/assistant general manager, Kansas City RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium... - Peggy Northrop 1972 - editor-in-chief, Reader's DigestReader's DigestReader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
- John E. Jones IIIJohn E. Jones IIIJohn Edward Jones III is an American lawyer and jurist from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A Republican, Jones was appointed by President George W. Bush as federal judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in February 2002 and was unanimously confirmed by...
, 1973, U.S. District Judge who decided the Dover Intelligent Design Case - Jim IrsayJim IrsayJames Irsay is the owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League.-Biography:...
1978 - owner, Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League .... - William DaviesWilliam Davies (screenwriter)William Davies is an English screenwriter and film producer. He has written and co-written a number of Hollywood blockbusters including the 1988 Twins, Johnny English, Alien Autopsy, Flushed Away, and most recently, How to Train Your Dragon and Johnny English Reborn.The British-born Davies is a...
1979 - screenwriter, Flushed AwayFlushed AwayFlushed Away is a 2006 computer animated British film directed by David Bowers and Sam Fell. It is a partnership between Aardman Animations of Wallace and Gromit fame, and DreamWorks Animation, and is Aardman's first completely computer-animated feature as opposed to the usual stop-motion.The film...
, Twins, Grumpy Old MenGrumpy Old Men (film)Grumpy Old Men is a 1993 American romantic comedy film starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Ann-Margret, with Burgess Meredith, Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, Katie Sagona, Ossie Davis, and Buck Henry. Directed by Donald Petrie, the screenplay was written by Mark Steven Johnson, who also wrote... - Michael DaviesMichael Davies (television producer)Michael Davies is a British producer of television game shows in the United States. As president and CEO of Embassy Row, a New York-based television production company that is a unit of Sony Pictures Television, he was the executive producer of the U.S. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire...
1985 - executive producer, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (US game show)Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is an American television quiz show which offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 for correctly answering 14 consecutive multiple-choice questions of random difficulty. Until 2010, the format required contestants to correctly answer 15 consecutive questions of increasing...
, Wife SwapWife SwapWife Swap is a reality television program, originally produced by UK independent television production company RDF Media and created by Stephen Lambert. It was first broadcast in 2003 on the UK's Channel 4. Since 2004, a US version has also been broadcast on the ABC network...
, Power of 10Power of 10Power of 10 is an international Sony Pictures Television game show format featuring contestants predicting how a cross-section of local people from the host broadcaster's country responded to questions covering a wide variety of topics in polls conducted by the broadcaster and production... - Luke EbbinLuke EbbinLuke Ebbin is an American multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated record producer, composer and songwriter. Ebbin is credited for executing the comeback and extreme makeover of Bon Jovi with his production of the worldwide smash hit "It's My Life" and the 11 million selling album Crush .-Musical...
1985 - composer and Grammy-nominated record producer - Sean KananSean Kanan-Early life:He was born Sean Perelman in Cleveland, Ohio and was raised in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He attended Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, Boston University and UCLA where he earned a degree in political science....
1985 - actor, The Karate Kid, Part IIIThe Karate Kid, Part IIIThe Karate Kid, Part III is a 1989 martial arts film, and the second sequel to the hit motion picture The Karate Kid . The film stars Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, Thomas Ian Griffith, Robyn Lively, and Martin Kove. Like the first two films, it was directed by John G. Avildsen and written...
, General HospitalGeneral HospitalGeneral Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
, The Bold and the BeautifulThe Bold and the BeautifulThe Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987.... - Vanessa BranchVanessa BranchVanessa Lynn Branch is a British-American actress and model. She is best known in North America as the Orbit Gum television commercial woman .-Life and career:...
1990 - actress, Pirates of the CaribbeanPirates of the CaribbeanPirates of the Caribbean is a multi-billion dollar Walt Disney franchise encompassing a series of films, a theme park ride, and spinoff novels as well as numerous video games and other publications. The franchise originates with the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, which opened at Disneyland in...
, Orbit Gum commercials; was Miss VermontMiss VermontThe Miss Vermont competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Vermont in the Miss America pageant. Vermont is the only state to have never had a contestant advance to the semi-finals of the Miss America Pageant, though their representatives have won numerous...
1994 - Gabriel Hammond 1997 - founder of SteelPath Advisors, and Alerian
- Rebecca LoweRebecca LoweRebecca Lowe is a sports reporter and presenter for ESPN. She previously worked at the BBC, and Setanta Sports.-Biography:...
1999 - TV sportscaster, ESPN UK (formerly with the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and Setanta SportsSetanta SportsSetanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
) - Emily Maynard 2004 - winner of The Bachelor (Season 15)The Bachelor (season 15)The Bachelor: Season 15 is the 15th season of ABC reality television series The Bachelor. The season premiere aired on January 3, 2011. 38-year old Brad Womack, who previously appeared as the Bachelor in season 11, where he rejected both of his final two women, returned as the Bachelor for this...
- Vincent Rey 2006 - linebacker, Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...