New York Military Academy (NYMA) is a
college preparatory
A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher education ...
, co-ed
boarding school
A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...
in the rural town of
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, north of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, and one of the oldest
military schools in the United States
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
. Originally a
boys' school, it started admitting girls in 1975. On March 3, 2015, NYMA filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, whet ...
, and was sold at auction to Chinese-owned foundation Research Center on Natural Conservation Inc. which reopened the school in November 2015. The Research Center then poured millions of dollars into the campus to support instruction and capital improvements. The campus also has been host to popular camps like Camp All America into the 1980s and currently the NYMA Leadership Program.
History
NYMA has a long history as a
university-preparatory school
A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where t ...
with a military structure that enrolls students from the
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...
as well as around the country and the world. It was founded in 1889 by
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
veteran and former schoolteacher from
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
Charles Jefferson Wright, a former Commandant of Cadets of the nearby
Peekskill Military Academy
Peekskill Military Academy was a military academy for young men and women, founded in 1833 as Peekskill Academy, located in Peekskill, New York, United States.
Background
The academy was built by a hanging tree where a British spy was executed in ...
. Wright's successor, Sebastian Jones, presided over the academy from 1894 to 1922, guiding it during its most critical period of growth from a young and small institution of 48
cadet
A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...
s, through a disastrous fire in 1910, and throughout an extensive reconstruction program. 103 students were enrolled in 2019.
During the years 1959-1963, the superintendent was Nathan Dingley III, a veteran of World War I and World War II. On Oct. 12, 1963, the school's drill team participated in the Columbus Day Parade, led by commanding officer
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
.
The academy previously admitted students as early as the fifth grade. Gradually throughout the mid-to-late 1990s, grades five and six were no longer accepted. By the 1999-2000 school-year, the academy only accepted students from the seventh grade on.
The seventh grade was removed in the mid-2000s; the school today only accepts grades eight through twelve. In some of its early years, the campus also hosted a non-military "NYMA Lower School" for grades one through six.)
Over time, the campus expanded from to a peak of , and enrollment peaked at 525 students during the 1960s. Girls have been admitted since 1975. NYMA is a member of the
as well as several other school associations.
Financial difficulties
Due to financial problems and enrollment that had dwindled to 145 students, the school was scheduled to close in June 2010. However, a group of alumni and local business people created a plan to save the school, raising almost $6 million of financing in a matter of weeks, and expecting to sell off some less-utilized portions of the campus.
The academy failed to open in September 2015 for the fall semester, and instead headed to bankruptcy auction. On September 30, NYMA was auctioned for $15.825 million to the Chinese-owned Research Center on Natural Conservation Inc., a non-profit corporation led by billionaire Vincent Tianquan Mo,
Chairman and CEO of SouFun Holdings, an
NYSE
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the List of stock exchanges, world's largest s ...
-listed company, also operating as Fang Holdings Ltd., one of China's largest real estate internet portals.
The foundation also purchased the nearby
E.H. Harriman Estate in 2011 and the former Pace University's 37-acre
campus in Briarcliff Manor in 2017.
The school reopened on November 2, 2015, with "a handful of returning students" and a recruitment drive. For 2016–17, the academic year began with a total of 29 students. By 2019 the school had grown to a size of 100 male and female Cadets both day and boarding with 12 nations represented and an additional 1,000 students attending special programs throughout the year.
Location
![1964 NYMA - 5 students in uniform](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/1964_NYMA_-_5_students_in_uniform.jpg)
The school is located in the town of
Cornwall, New York, and uses the mailing address of the village
Cornwall-on-Hudson
Cornwall-on-Hudson is a riverfront village in the town of Cornwall, Orange County, New York, United States. It lies on the west bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of New York City.
The population as of the 2010 census was 3,018. It ...
despite being just outside its official boundary.
Geographically, the academy is in the
Hudson Highlands
The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in New York state lying primarily in Putnam County on its east bank and Orange County on its west. They continue somewhat to the south in Westchester County and Rockland County ...
, at the foot of
Storm King Mountain, just west of the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
and north of
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
. NYMA is approximately north of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, or about one hour by car. This places NYMA in the Mid-Hudson region of the
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...
, which is accessible by airplane (
Stewart International Airport
Stewart International Airport, officially New York Stewart International Airport , is a public/military airport in Orange County, New York, United States. It is in the southern Hudson Valley, west of Newburgh, south of Kingston, and southwest ...
,
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union Count ...
,
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. Covering , the facility was established in 1929 and began operating as a public airport in 1939. It is named after former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia. ...
,
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport (colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK) is the main international airport serving New York City. The airport is the busiest of the seven airports in the Avia ...
, and
Albany International Airport), as well as train (
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
and
Metro-North
Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority of the U.S. state of New York and under contract with the Connecticut D ...
), bus (
Short Line), and automobile.
Student life
The days at NYMA typically begin at 6:00 am and end at 10:00 pm. Cadets attend classes that match their needs during that time and also participate in interscholastic or intramural sports, activities, and study hall. During closed weekends, cadets are expected to attend additional leadership training, drill & ceremony, and maintain the appearance of their respective barracks. Upon gaining the opportunity for an open weekend, cadets in good academic standing can apply for weekend furlough. Along with Academics, Athletics, and Leadership, the fourth "pillar" of cadet life is Character, reinforced continually by the
Cadet Honor Code
In the United States, a Cadet Honor Code is a system of ethics or code of conduct applying to cadets studying at military academies. These codes exist at the federal service academies, such as the United States Military Academy and the United S ...
that NYMA shares with West Point.
Organization
![NYMA Parade Marching](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/NYMA_Parade_Marching.2004-10-02.jpg)
The structure of the Corps of Cadets is adjusted depending on the number of students enrolled at the academy. As a military school, the
Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC -- commonly pronounced "JAY-rotsee") is a Federal government of the United States, federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools acr ...
(JROTC) is a key component, and participation is required to graduate.
The battalion has typically consisted of:
* Command Staff
*
Band
Band or BAND may refer to:
Places
*Bánd, a village in Hungary
*Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania
*Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
Company
* Line
Companies
A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...
: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Foxtrot and Golf
* Delta troop or "D-troop": a cavalry unit drawn from the equestrian program (not running currently)
Athletics
NYMA has competed in Football, Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Bowling, Lacrosse, Rugby, Swimming, Softball, Track & Field, Volleyball, Cross-Country, Wrestling, Tennis, Rifle Team, Golf,
Drill Team
A drill team can be one of four different entities:
# A military drill team is a marching unit that performs routines based on military foot or exhibition drills. Military drill teams perform either armed or unarmed.
# A dance drill team crea ...
, and Raiders. Every cadet is generally required to compete year-round.
[ The school's mascot is the Knight. Teams have competed in th]
Hudson Valley Athletic League
a member league of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference
The New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) is an organization that serves as the governing body for sports in preparatory schools and leagues in New England. The organization has 169 full member schools as well as 24 associate ...
(NEPSAC). NYMA is reigning champion of New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference Basketball "D" class 2018. In 2019, NYMA expanded its accomplishments to not only include the boys New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference Basketball "D" class championship but also won the girls NEPSAC championship class "E" as well.
Hazing
In earlier decades, NYMA's official regulations permitted a certain level of hazing
Hazing (American English), initiation, beasting (British English), bastardisation (Australian English), ragging (South Asian English) or deposition refers to any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, ...
and physical discipline by supervisors and older cadets, although the academy's senior administrators were forced to resign after a particularly severe incident in 1964.
While hazing later became forbidden by the school's rules and policies, a lawsuit was settled in which it had been claimed that physical and emotional abuse in the form of hazing had taken place in 2005. NYMA cited adverse publicity from the 2005 incident as one of the reasons the school nearly closed in 2010.
Notable alumni
* Robert (Tex) Allen, Class of 1924, actor
* Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith
Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith (July 19, 1904 – December 24, 1985) was an American gentleman farmer known as a great-grandson of Abraham Lincoln. In 1975, he became the last undisputed descendant of Lincoln when his sister, Mary Lincoln Bec ...
, Class of 1923 (did not graduate), last descendant of Abraham Lincoln
* Bob Benmosche
Robert Herman Benmosche ( , May 29, 1944 – February 27, 2015) was the president and chief executive officer of American International Group (NYSEAIG. He was appointed President & Chief Executive Officer by the US Department of Treasury and AI ...
, Class of 1962, president and CEO of insurance companies MetLife and AIG
* James E. Briggs, Class of 1924, general in U.S. Air Force
* Les Brown, Class of 1932, bandleader
* Daniel Cassidy
Daniel Cassidy (1943 – October 11, 2008) was an American writer, filmmaker, musician, and academic. He is known for his 2007 book ''How the Irish Invented Slang'' in which he suggests that many American slang words are of Irish origin. His theo ...
(1943–2008), author
* Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...
, Class of 1956 (did not graduate), Oscar-winning film director
* Richard J. Daronco
Richard Joseph Daronco (August 1, 1931 – May 21, 1988) was an American lawyer and judge. Born in New York City, he studied at Providence College and Albany Law School, before serving for several years in the United States Army. Daronco was fi ...
(1931–1988), federal judge
* Art Davie
Art Davie (born April 5, 1947) is a business executive and entrepreneur formerly active in Southern California advertising circles. In 1993, he created and co-produced the tournament which became the televised Ultimate Fighting Championship. In 19 ...
, Class of 1964, founder of Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
* Fairleigh Dickinson Jr., Class of 1937, businessman and politician
* Troy Donahue
Troy Donahue (born Merle Johnson Jr., January 27, 1936 – September 2, 2001) was an American film and television actor and singer. He was a popular sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s.
Biography Early years
Born in New York City, Donahue was ...
, Class of 1954, actor
* William C. Eddy (1902–1989), pioneer of electronic technologies
* Homer Gilbert (1909–1943), a.k.a. "Knuckles Boyle," professional football player
* John A. "Junior" Gotti, organized crime figure
* Johnny Green
John Waldo Green (October 10, 1908 – May 15, 1989) was an American songwriter, composer, musical arranger, conductor and pianist. He was given the nickname "Beulah" by colleague Conrad Salinger. His most famous song was one of his earli ...
(1908–1989), composer and Oscar-winning music arranger
* Lew Hayman
Lewis Edward Hayman (September 30, 1908 – June 28, 1984) was an American sports figure. He was one of the driving forces behind the Canadian Football League as coach, general manager, team president, and league president. As head coach, he was a ...
(1908–1984), Canadian football coach
* Robert Douglas Heaton (1873–1933), politician
* Matt Joyce, Class of 1989, professional football player
* Harold F. Linder, Class of 1917, banker and ambassador
* Tarky Lombardi Jr., Class of 1947, politician
* Jack Luden
Jacob Benson Luden (February 8, 1902 – February 15, 1951) was an American film actor.
Early life
The son of Jacob and Anna Luden, he grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania. His uncle was confectioner William H. Luden, who developed the menthol coug ...
(1902–1951), silent film actor
* Johnny Mandel
John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...
, Class of 1944, Grammy- and Oscar-winning composer and arranger
* Robert B. McClure, Class of 1915, general in U.S. Army
* Joel Rivera
Joel Rivera (born October 24, 1978) is an American politician who served as a member and the Majority Leader, majority leader of the New York City Council. First elected to the Council in a special election in 2001 at 22 years of age, Rivera beca ...
(born 1978), politician
* Andre JL Koo (born 1967), businessman, Direcor of Board of Directors, Chailease Holding
* Alfred Sieminski (1911–1990, did not graduate), politician
* Donald B. Smith, Class of 1965, general in U.S. Army
* Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...
, attended 1940–1942, Tony-, Grammy-, Oscar- and Pulitzer-winning composer and lyricist
* Bob Stiller
Robert P. Stiller is an American billionaire who co-founded E-Z Wider in 1972 and Keurig Green Mountain coffee company in 1981. He graduated from New York Military Academy and Parsons College
Parsons College was a private liberal arts college loc ...
, Class of 1961, founder of Green Mountain Coffee
* Albert Tate Jr.
Albert A. Tate Jr. (September 23, 1920 – March 27, 1986), was a long-serving Louisiana judge. A Democrat, Tate served as a justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court in New Orleans, and as a judge of the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ...
, Class of 1937, judge
* Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
, Class of 1964, 45th President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
, businessman, television personality
* Spencer Tunick
Spencer Tunick (born January 1, 1967) is an American photographer best known for organizing large-scale nude shoots. Since 1994, he has photographed over 75 human installations around the world.
Life and career
Spencer Tunick was born in Middl ...
, Class of 1985, photographer
Major buildings
* Academic Building
* Davis Chapel (contains the second-largest theater pipe organ in New York, custom-built by M.P. Moller in 1927)
* Jones Barracks
* Booth Library
* Scarborough Hall
* Pattillo Hall
* Riley (formerly Dingley) Hall
* Dickinson Hall
* Alumni Gym and Pool
References
External links
NYMA Home page
Satellite image of the campus on Google Maps
NYMA Foundation (archived)
{{Authority control
1889 establishments in New York (state)
Boarding schools in New York (state)
Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2015
Cornwall, New York
Educational institutions established in 1889
Military high schools in the United States
Preparatory schools in New York (state)
Private high schools in New York (state)
Private middle schools in New York (state)
Schools in Orange County, New York
Public venues with a theatre organ