Grand River Academy, formerly known as the Ashtabula County Institute of Science and Industry and then the Grand River Institute, is a private, nonsectarian,

boarding Boarding may refer to: *Boarding, used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals as in a: ** Boarding house **Boarding school *Boarding (horses) (also known as a livery yard, livery stable, or boarding stable), is a stable where ho ...

high school for young men located in

Austinburg, Ohio Austinburg is a census-designated place in northern Austinburg Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. It has a post office with the ZIP code 44010. It lies at the intersection of State Routes 45 and 307 __NOTOC__ Year 307 ( CC ...

. It serves students in grades eight through twelve, with a post-graduate option.

History

The Grand River Institute, originally named the Ashtabula County Institute of Science and Industry, was founded in 1831 by a group of prominent leaders from the Austinburg Congregational Church. The school was initially intended to prepare young men for ministerial vocations, but in 1840, it began to admit female students.

Betsy Mix Cowles Betsy Mix Cowles (February 9, 1810 – July 25, 1876) was an early leader in the United States abolitionist movement. She was an active and influential Ohio-based reformer, and was a noted feminist and an educator. She counted among her friends ...

was appointed as the school's first female principal in charge of the Women's Department, a post she held from 1843-1848. The institution's name and location changed in 1836 at the behest of Joab Austin, a wealthy citizen who pledged a sizeable endowment for the school.

Curriculum

The school admits boys who may not be reaching their full potential in a traditional high school environment for a variety of reasons. It teaches in small classes and boasts many unique programs, such as the Foundations Learning Program where students learn how they best learn and manage time to succeed in the classroom, and newly introduced The Productive Growth Center. In order to graduate, students must obtain 21 units of credit. In addition, all seniors must be accepted by an accredited college prior to graduation. Students have been accepted at 75 different colleges. Grand River is accredited by the Ohio Department of Education, ''North Central Association Commission on Accreditation'' and the ''Independent Schools Association of the Central States''.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

As a member of the Lake Effect Conference, GRA offers a full range of athletic programs, consisting of 9

varsity Varsity may refer to: *University, an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in various academic disciplines Places *Varsity, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Calgary, Alberta, Canada * Varsity Lakes ...

, 4 junior varsity, and 1 club team.

Fall Sports

Soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

(V, JV) * Golf (V) * Cross country (V)

Winter Sports

* Basketball (V, JV) * Bowling (V) *

Indoor soccer Indoor soccer or arena soccer (known internationally as indoor football, fast football, or showball) is five-a-side version of minifootball, derived from association football and adapted to be played in walled hardcourt indoor arena. Indoor socc ...

(club) * Wrestling (V)

Spring Sports

* Baseball (V, JV) * Tennis (V, JV) * Lacrosse (V)\

Campus

In addition to classroom and sports facilities, the school has a gymnasium, the Robert Morrison Lecture Center, and Bud Field Student Center. Students are accommodated in one of five dormitories: Shepard Hall, Mastin Hall, West Hall, North Hall, and Warren Hall.

Notable alumni

Politics, government and law

Clarence E. Allen Clarence Emir Allen (September 8, 1852 – July 9, 1932) was a U.S. Representative from Utah. Born in Girard Township, Pennsylvania, Allen attended the district school and Girard (Pennsylvania) Academy. He studied law. He graduated from Wes ...

, U.S. Representative from Utah * John Brown, Jr., eldest son of abolitionist

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

, member of the

Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Slave and ...

legislature. *

Julius C. Burrows Julius Caesar Burrows (January 9, 1837November 16, 1915) was a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan. Early life and education Burrows was born in North East, Pennsylvania and moved then with his parents to Ashtabu ...

, U.S. Representative and a

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from Michigan *

Theodore Elijah Burton Theodore Elijah Burton (December 20, 1851October 28, 1929) was an American attorney and Republican politician from Ohio. He served in the United States House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the Cleveland City Council. Early years Bur ...

, U.S. Representative and

* Edwin Cowles, publisher of ''

The Cleveland Leader ''The Cleveland Leader'' was a newspaper published in Cleveland from 1854 to 1917. History The ''Cleveland Leader'' was created in 1854 by Edwin Cowles, who merged a variety of abolitionist, pre-Republican Party titles under the ''Leader''. Fro ...

'', Vice-President of the 1884

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

, postmaster of Cleveland *

Albert Gallatin Egbert Albert Gallatin Egbert (April 13, 1828 – March 28, 1896) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Biography Albert G. Egbert was born near Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania. He attended the public schools and G ...

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania. *

Alphonso Hart Alphonso Hart (July 4, 1830 – December 23, 1910) was a Republican politician from the U.S. State of Ohio who was a U.S. Representative, in the Ohio State Senate, and the 11th lieutenant governor of Ohio. Biography Hart was born in Vienna Town ...

, U.S. Representative from Ohio *

Ralph Hill Ralph Anthony Hill (December 26, 1908 – October 17, 1994) was an American runner. He set an American record over the mile in 1930 and won a silver medal in the 5000 m event at the 1932 Olympics. Hill studied at the University of Oregon when ...

, U.S. Representative from Indiana and lawyer. * John Philo Hoyt, American politician and jurist * Elbert L. Lampson, Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and former

state Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

Business

* Alfred Cowles, American economist, businessman and founder of the Cowles Commission *

Benjamin Goodrich Benjamin Franklin Goodrich (November 4, 1841 – August 3, 1888) was an American industrialist in the rubber industry and founder of B.F. Goodrich Company. Early life Goodrich was born in the farming town of Ripley, New York on November 4, 1841. ...

, American industrialist, founded

BF Goodrich BFGoodrich is an American tire company. Originally part of the industrial conglomerate Goodrich Corporation, it was acquired in 1990 (along with Uniroyal, then The Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company) by the French tire maker Michelin. BFGoodrich w ...

Notable staff

, an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

abolitionist

References

External links

*
The Association of Boarding Schools profile
{{authority control Boys' schools in the United States Boys' schools in Ohio Educational institutions established in 1831 Boarding schools in Ohio High schools in Ashtabula County, Ohio Private high schools in Ohio 1831 establishments in Ohio