The Governor's Academy is an independent school north of Boston located on in the village of Byfield, Massachusetts, United States (town of Newbury), north of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. The Academy enrolls approximately 412 students in grades nine through twelve, 70% of whom are boarders. The school was established in 1763 and is the oldest continuously operating independent boarding school in the United States.

History

The school was founded two years after the death of

William Dummer William Dummer (bapt. September 29, 1677 (O.S.) October 10, 1677 (N.S.)/small> – October 10, 1761) was a politician in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. He served as its lieutenant governor for fourteen years (1716–1730), including an e ...

, who funded it in his will. Dummer had been lieutenant governor and acting governor of Massachusetts for many years, and led the colony through a difficult period in the earlier 18th century: fighting off forays by French and Indians during what became known as

Dummer's War Dummer's War (1722–1725) is also known as Father Rale's War, Lovewell's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the Wabanaki-New England War, or the Fourth Anglo-Abenaki War. It was a series of battles between the New England Colonies and the ...

in the 1720s. He also served as an early overseer of

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

. He was from a prominent colonial family with his brother

Jeremiah Dummer Jeremiah Dummer (1681 – May 19, 1739) was an important colonial figure for New England in the early 18th century. His most significant contributions to American history were his ''A Defense of the New England Charters'' and his role in the for ...

having been a principal founding benefactor of the College of New Haven, which later became

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. As the

Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a public exam school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was established on April 23, 1635, making it both the oldest public school in the British America and the oldest existing school in the United States. Its curriculum f ...

only accepted students from the city of Boston, the need arose for schools in more outlying areas to prepare students for college—the only ones existing at that time in New England being Harvard and Yale;

Brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model used ...

and Dartmouth were founded a few years afterward. In that context, the Dummer Charity School or Dummer Grammar School commenced operation in 1763 pursuant to the will of Governor Dummer with Samuel Moody as its first headmaster. In 1782, the Dummer school was officially incorporated as the Dummer Academy, whose graduates in this era comprised approximately 25% of the undergraduate student body at Harvard. Most children in this era were home-schooled with pre-college education ending around the age of 14, with youths thereafter going on to college or entering the workforce. Thus most college freshmen tended to be the age of high school freshmen today. As was the custom, the curriculum in this era focused primarily on the study of Scripture, basic math and English and, most importantly, instruction in Latin, Greek, and the Classics. The curriculum broadened over time as the requirements of college admission expanded. Although the academy initially operated in a one-room schoolhouse which still stands to this day, it had access to the grand mansion of the late governor, which remains a central fixture on the campus as the headmaster's residence. Over time other structures were built and the faculty and curriculum expanded so that by the time of the school's centennial in 1863, the Dummer Academy had grown into a well known 19th-century prep school that catered mostly to children from affluent families who aspired to the

Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools ...

. By the turn of the 20th century, however, the school had fallen on hard times, with enrollment and income down, as the school struggled under the shadow of

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia * Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Ando ...

and

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

, and other schools that had grown to become very well known and prestigious. It was in this context that Dr. Charles Ingham became headmaster in 1908, launching great efforts to revive the Academy. As a result, Dummer Academy became stabilized and began to again thrive as a premier New England prep school that sent over a third of its graduates to Ivy League colleges during that period. Upon Dr. Ingham's retirement in 1930, Edward "Ted" Eames became headmaster, a post he held for 30 years. Early in Master Eames' tenure, the name of the school was changed to the Governor Dummer Academy, a title it retained until 2006. With some exceptions, the school primarily was open only to boys until coeducation was established in 1972.

Name change

In December 2005, the Board of Trustees voted to change the name of the Academy to "The Governor's Academy" amid concerns that the name "Dummer" was deterring prospective students from applying. Legally the name remains "Governor Dummer Academy" doing business as "The Governor's Academy." When founded, the Academy was named "Dummer Charity School." Subsequently, the name was changed to "Dummer Academy," which name it was known by for a century and a half. The decision to change met with resistance from some students and alumni, and attracted media attention from around the country. Those who promoted the change saw it as one of a number of ways to expand the geographic representation and the overall appeal of the school, especially to those who were not familiar with the school or its history. The name change took effect on July 1, 200

In 2010-2011, the Academy set records for admissions inquiries, interviews and applications, thus supporting the decision that the name change would enhance institutional marketing efforts.

Academics

Students study in small classes, with a student-to-teacher ratio of 5:1.

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

courses are offered in nearly 22 subjects, from mathematics and science to art, foreign languages, English and history. Foreign language classes are offered in Chinese, French, Spanish, German and Latin. Eighty-five percent of faculty live on campus and serve as dorm parents and coaches as well as classroom teachers. More than 70% have advanced degrees, with several having earned terminal degrees in science, law, education and medicine.

Athletics

The Academy is a member of the

Independent School League Independent School League or ISL may refer to: * Independent School League (Illinois), a group of nine Chicago-area preparatory schools * Independent School League (New England), a group of 16 New England preparatory schools * Independent School Le ...

. The school fields 23 varsity teams and 47 interscholastic teams. There are three levels of interscholastic competition offered at The Governor's Academy: varsity, junior varsity, and thirds. Governor's regularly competes with its rival Brooks School. *2002 – Boys' Lacrosse ISL Co-Champions *2004 – Football ISL Champions *2005 – Football ISL Champions *2006 – Boys' Lacrosse ISL Tri-Champions *2006 – Girls' Soccer ISL Champions *2006 – Softball ISL Champions *2007 – Boys' Lacrosse ISL Co-Champions *2008 – Girls' Ice Hockey New England Champions *2008 – Boys' Lacrosse ISL Champions (undefeated) *2008 – Girls' Softball ISL Champions *2008 – Golf ISL Champions *2008 – Girls' Cross Country ISL and New England Champions *2009 – Girls' Ice Hockey New England Champions *2009 – Boys' lacrosse Tri-ISL Champions *2009 – Field Hockey New England Champions *2009 – Girls' Cross Country New England Champions *2010 – Girls' Ice Hockey New England Champions *2011 – Girls' Ice Hockey New England Champions *2011 – Boys' Lacrosse ISL Champions (undefeated) *2011 – Girls' Softball ISL Champions *2011 – Football ISL/New England Champions (undefeated) *2011 – Girls' Soccer New England "Class B" Champions *2012 – Boys' Lacrosse Co-ISL Champions *2012 – Girls' Softball ISL Co-Champions *2012 – Football ISL/New England Champions (undefeated) *2012 – Girls' Soccer ISL/New England Champions (undefeated) *2013 – Boys' Baseball ISL Co-Champions *2013 – Girls' Softball ISL Champions (undefeated) *2013 – Football ISL Co-Champions/New England Champions *2014 – Football ISL Co-Champions *2015 – Girls' Field Hockey New England Champions *2015 – Girls' Softball ISL Champions (undefeated) *2015 – Boys' Lacrosse Co-ISL Champions *2016 – Girls' Field Hockey ISL Champions *2016 – Girls' Softball ISL Champions (undefeated) *2016 – Boys' Baseball ISL Co-Champions *2017 – Girls' Field Hockey ISL Champions *2017 – Girls' Field Hockey New England Champions *2018 – Boys' Lacrosse Co-ISL Champions *2022 – Boy's Football ISL Champions *2022 – Girl's Field Hockey New England Champions

Arts

Programs in visual and performing arts are offered in the Kaiser Art Center and the Wilkie Performing Arts Center. Kaiser has studios for photography and film, ceramics, drawing, painting and design. Wilkie has a 500-seat auditorium/theater, a black box, an art gallery, and a complete workshop for technical theater. The Academy has performed exceedingly well in recent ''Boston Globe'' Scholastic Art Awards competitions, ranking first in total awards in 2010 and second in 2011. In 2012, Academy students won 39 awards in the competition in 4 different art disciplines: ceramics, studio art, photography and film. Governor's artists won 15 Gold Keys, 10 Silver Keys, and 14 Honorable Mentions, making the Academy the most winning independent school in Massachusetts.

Traditions

Every member of the school signs a book, located in The Little Red School House, upon arrival. This tradition dates back to the school's early years under the first Headmaster, Samuel Moody. After commencement, every member of the graduating class jumps over the mansion house wall.

Notable alumni

Wentworth Cheswell Wentworth Cheswell (11 April 1746 – 8 March 1817) was an American assessor, auditor, Justice of the Peace, teacher and Revolutionary War veteran in Newmarket, New Hampshire. Elected as town constable in 1768, he was elected to other positions, ...

(1765), the first African American elected to public office in the United States *

Theophilus Parsons Theophilus Parsons (February 24, 1750October 30, 1813) was an American jurist. Life Born in Newbury, Massachusetts to a clergyman father, Parsons was one of the early students at the Dummer Academy (now The Governor's Academy) before matricu ...

(1765), Chief Justice of Massachusetts *

Eliphalet Pearson Eliphalet Pearson (June 11, 1752 – September 12, 1826) was an American educator, the first Preceptor of Phillips Academy (1778–86), and the acting president of Harvard University (1804–06). He also co-founded the American Education Soc ...

(1769), first headmaster of

Phillips Academy ("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness , address = 180 Main Street , city = Andover , state = Ma ...

Andover, interim President of Harvard University, 1804-1806 *

Samuel Phillips, Jr. Samuel Phillips Jr. (February 5, 1752 – February 10, 1802) was an American merchant, manufacturer, politician, and the founder of Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. Phillips is considered a pioneer in American education. Biograp ...

(1771), founder of Phillips Andover *

Samuel Tenney Samuel Tenney (November 27, 1748 – February 6, 1816) was a United States representative from New Hampshire. Born in Byfield in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, he attended Governor Dummer Academy and graduated from Harvard College in 1772. ...

, scholar, judge, physician/surgeon who treated wounded at the

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved in ...

, attached to the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, encamped at Valley Forge, PA, designated acting Surgeon General of the Army by General Washington, delegate to New Hampshire's Constitutional Convention, U.S. congressman *

Samuel Sewall (congressman) Samuel Sewall (December 11, 1757 – June 8, 1814) was an American lawyer and congressman. He was born in Boston in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Biography After attending Dummer Charity School (now The Governor's Academy), Sewall grad ...

(1772), U.S. congressman, Chief Justice of Massachusetts * Rufus King (1773) delegate to Constitutional Convention, United States Senator and 1816 Federalist candidate for President *

Samuel Osgood Samuel Osgood (February 3, 1747 – August 12, 1813) was an American merchant and statesman born in Andover, Massachusetts, currently a part of North Andover, Massachusetts. His family home still stands at 440 Osgood Street in North Andover ...

(1776), first U.S. Postmaster, Speaker New York State Assembly; first President,

City Bank of New York Citibank, N. A. (N. A. stands for " National Association") is the primary U.S. banking subsidiary of financial services multinational Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, and later became First National City Ba ...

Edward Preble Edward Preble (August 15, 1761 – August 25, 1807) was a United States naval officer who served with great distinction during the 1st Barbary War, leading American attacks on the city of Tripoli and forming the officer corps that would la ...

(1776), U.S. Naval officer during Revolutionary War and thereafter, commanded USS ''Constitution'' during war with Barbary Pirates *

Tobias Lear Tobias Lear (September 19, 1762 – October 11, 1816) was the personal secretary to President George Washington. Lear served Washington from 1784 until the former-President's death in 1799. Lear's journal details Washington's final moments and his ...

(1779), personal secretary to George Washington * Benjamin Pickman, Jr. (1780), Massachusetts state legislator, U.S. congressman *Sir

David Ochterlony Major-General Sir David Ochterlony, 1st Baronet GCB (12 February 1758 – 14 July 1825) was a Massachusetts born military officer of the East India Company in British India. He held the powerful post of British Resident to the Mughal court at D ...

, American "Tory" officer in the British Army who served in India from 1777 until his death in 1825, rising to the rank of general while helping to consolidate British colonial rule there *

Joseph Willard Joseph Willard (December 29, 1738 – September 25, 1804) was an American Congregational clergyman and academic. He was president of Harvard from 1781 until 1804. Biography Joseph Willard was born December 29, 1738, in Biddeford, York County ...

, President of Harvard University (1781–1804) *

Samuel Webber Samuel Webber (1759 – July 17, 1810) was an American Congregational clergyman, mathematician, academic, and president of Harvard University from 1806 until his death in 1810. Biography Samuel Webber was born in Byfield, Massachusetts in 1759. ...

, President of Harvard University (1806–1810) *

Parker Cleaveland Parker Cleaveland (January 1, 1780 – August 15, 1858) was an American geologist and mineralogist, born in Rowley, Massachusetts. He was identified with the early progress of the natural sciences. After having attending the Dummer Academy in B ...

(1795), professor of mineralogy at Bowdoin College, leading early American authority on this subject, known as the "Father of American Mineralogy" *

Frederick W. Lander Frederick William Lander (December 17, 1821 – March 2, 1862) was a transcontinental United States explorer, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and a prolific poet. Birth and early years Lander was born in Salem, Massachu ...

, Brig. Gen. USA, killed in action during the Civil War * Reuben D. Mussey, Jr. (1846), Brig. Gen. USA, later private secretary to President Andrew Johnson, professor at Howard University Law School; he married

Ellen Spencer Mussey Ellen Spencer Mussey (1850 - 1936) was a lawyer, educator, and pioneer in the field of women's rights to legal education. She was the daughter of Platt Rogers Spencer, a reformer and promoter of the Spencerian Method, the widely used form of ...

, who became one of the first female attorneys in the District of Columbia and who was leading suffragist. She also became a founder of the

Washington College of Law The American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL or WCL) is the law school of American University, a Private university, private research university in Washington, D.C. It is located on the western side of Tenley Circle in the Tenleyto ...

. * John W. Candler, member of Congress from Massachusetts during the 1880s *

Benjamin Perley Poore Benjamin Perley Poore (November 2, 1820 – May 30, 1887) was a prominent American newspaper correspondent, editor, and author in the mid-19th century. One of the most popular and prolific journalists of his era, he was an active partisan for the ...

, journalist, newspaper editor and founder of the

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Yu Kil-chun Yu Kil-chun (1856–1914) was an intellectual, writer, politician and independence activist of Korea's late Joseon Dynasty. He was also the first modern Hangeul researcher and the author of a book of travel impressions: ''Seoyu gyeonmun'' (서� ...

, Korean reformist and the first Korean to study in the West, entered the school in 1884 *

Frank Crowe Francis Trenholm Crowe ( – ) was a Canadian civil engineer and employee of Morrison-Knudsen, who later became in 1931, the General Construction Superintendent of the Hoover Dam construction contract. Born in Trenholmville, Quebec, Crowe atte ...

(1901), civil engineer and dam builder (

Hoover Dam Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on Se ...

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)"F.T. Crowe Dead, Built 19 U.S. Dams", New York Times, February 28, 1946 * William Summer Johnson (1932), professor of chemistry at Stanford who was awarded the

National Medal of Science The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social scienc ...

* Benjamin A. Smith II (1935), U.S. senator from Massachusetts, 1960–62 * Joe Hoague (1937), professional football player, Pittsburgh Steelers * Ted Bergmann, American TV and film producer and screenwriter * Niles Perkins (1938), athlete and physician *

Dodge Morgan Dodge David Morgan (January 15, 1932 – September 14, 2010) was an American sailor, businessman, publisher and "self-proclaimed contrarian." He flew fighter jets in the U.S. Air Force in the early 1950s, worked as a newspaper reporter in Alaska, ...

(1950), the first American to sail solo around the globe with no stops (1986) *

Michael Stonebraker Michael Ralph Stonebraker (born October 11, 1943) is a computer scientist specializing in database systems. Through a series of academic prototypes and commercial startups, Stonebraker's research and products are central to many relational databa ...

(1961) Receiver of the ACM Turing Award also referred to as the "Nobel Prize of Computing" *

Jeb Bradley Joseph E. "Jeb" Bradley (born October 20, 1952) is an American politician and member of the Republican Party who serves in the New Hampshire Senate. He represents his hometown of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire and 16 other towns in east-central New Ha ...

(1970), U.S. congressman, 2003–2007; New Hampshire state senator 2009- *

Steve Bucknall Steven Lee Bucknall (born 17 March 1966) is a retired English professional basketball player, and former head coach of British Basketball League expansion franchise London Capital. A 1.98 m (6'6") and 97.5 kg (215 lbs.) shooting gua ...

(1985), professional basketball player, LA Lakers * Carrie Walton Penner (1988),

Walton Family The Walton family is an American family whose collective fortune derived from Walmart makes them the richest family in the United States of America. Overview The three most prominent living members (Jim, Rob, and Alice Walton) have consist ...

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Dan Gadzuric Daniel Gadzuric (born February 2, 1978) is a Dutch-Serbian former professional basketball player. Gadzuric, a center, attended preparatory school at The Governor's Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts, before playing college basketball for the Bru ...

(1998), professional basketball player, Golden State Warriors *

Nat Baldwin Nat Baldwin (born February 21, 1980 in Rochester, New Hampshire) is an American bassist, improvisor, and songwriter. He's released several solo albums since 2003 and is also known for being a former member of Dirty Projectors. In 2020 he released ...

(1999), bassist and singer, member of Dirty Projectors *Song, Chang-il (2000), known by his stage name

Double K Son Chang-il (Hangul: 손창일, January 1, 1982), better known by his stage name Illson (stylized as ILLSON) and formerly as Double K (Hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea' ...

, a South Korean rapper *

Derek Falvey Derek Falvey (born March 19, 1983) is an American baseball executive who is currently the President of Baseball Operations for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). Prior to joining the Twins, Falvey was an executive for the Cleve ...

(2001), Executive Vice President and Chief Baseball Officer for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB) *

Didit Hediprasetyo Ragowo Hediprasetyo (born 22 March 1984), mostly known as Didit Hediprasetyo and Didit Prabowo, is an Indonesian fashion designer and socialite. He is the only child of Indonesian politicians Prabowo Subianto and Titiek Soeharto, and the matern ...

(2001), fashion designer *

Benn Ferriero Benn Trevor Ferriero (born April 29, 1987) is an American former professional ice hockey center. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks, New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks. Ferriero was born in Boston, Massa ...

(2004), professional ice hockey player, San Jose Sharks *

Robert Francois Robert Joseph Francois (born May 14, 1985) is a former American football linebacker. He last played for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League who he won Super Bowl XLV with against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed by the M ...

(2004), professional football player, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Super Bowl champion 2010-11 *

Alexandra Carpenter Alexandra "Alex" Carpenter (born April 13, 1994) is an American ice hockey player and member of the United States women's national team. She most recently played in the 2020–21 season of the Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL) with the KRS Vanke ...

(2011), Olympic women's hockey player * Duncan Robinson (2012), professional basketball player, Miami Heat *

Jake Picking Jake Picking (born March 2, 1991) is a German-born American actor. He is best known for portraying Rock Hudson in the Netflix series '' Hollywood'' (2020), created by Ryan Murphy. He is also known for playing the role of Sean Collier in '' Patr ...

(2010), American actor *

Matt Peart Matthew Peart (born June 11, 1997) is a Jamaican-born American football offensive tackle for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UConn. Early life and high school Peart was born in Kingst ...

(2015), professional football player for the New York Giants of the NFL

References

External links

* * *
The Governor's Academy on Instagram
Archived fro
the original
on ghostarchive.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Governor's Academy, The 1763 establishments in Massachusetts Boarding schools in Massachusetts Educational institutions established in 1763 Independent School League Newbury, Massachusetts Private boarding schools in the United States Private high schools in Massachusetts Private preparatory schools in Massachusetts Schools in Essex County, Massachusetts