St. John's Northwestern Military Academy (SJNMA) was founded in 1884 as St. John's Military Academy (SJMA) in

Delafield, Wisconsin Delafield is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, along the Bark River. The population was 7,085 at the 2010 census. The city of Delafield is a separate municipality from the Town of Delafield, both of which are situated in township 7 North ...

, by the Rev. Sidney T. Smythe as a private, college preparatory school. In 1995,

Northwestern Military and Naval Academy Northwestern Military Academy (founded 1888) was a high school in Linn, Wisconsin which was founded by Harlan Page Davidson. Originally located in Highland Park, Illinois, the school was relocated to the town of Linn, Wisconsin on the south shore o ...

(NMNA) in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, merged with St. John's Military Academy to become St. John's Northwestern Military Academy on the Delafield campus. And, in 2020, a Leadership Academy was added and we became St. John's Northwestern Academies. SJNA (St. John's Northwestern Academies) is a coed independent boarding and day school for boys and girls in grades 7–12. St. John's Northwestern Summer Academy offers Little Lancers Day Camp, Summer OPS, and ESL courses.

Historic buildings

St. John's Northwestern campus consists of a collection of historic buildings, many with towers and

battlements A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...

in a style that suggests a Medieval castle, with most of them arranged in a U around the drill field. * The school's oldest surviving building is the 1857

rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically ow ...

of St. John Chrysostom Church, a small

Picturesque Picturesque is an aesthetic ideal introduced into English cultural debate in 1782 by William Gilpin in ''Observations on the River Wye, and Several Parts of South Wales, etc. Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the Summer of the Year ...

-style house which was repurposed in 1884 as the academy's first dormitory, infirmary and dining hall. * Next is the odd Shingle style Memorial Hall, designed by John A. Moller with its two caps and built in 1893 as a recreational building/gymnasium. * Next among the surviving buildings is the Dr. Sidney Thomas Smythe house, designed by John A. Moller and built in 1901, an unusual agglomeration of Shingle style (the massing) and

Classical Revival Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

(the

Doric columns The Doric order was one of the three orders of ancient Greek and later Roman architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. The Doric is most easily recognized by the simple circular capitals at the top of col ...

) styles. Smythe, the founder of the school, lived here, calling the house "Rosslyn." * Knight Hall classroom building was added in 1902. * Next was DeKoven Hall, designed in Collegiate Gothic style by

Thomas Van Alyea Thomas Stevens Van Alyea (September 21, 1890 - 1970) was a prominent architect, who designed homes and buildings in Wisconsin. He designed many of the buildings at St. John's Northwestern Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin. Early life H ...

and built in 1906, a four-story barracks/administration building with octagonal towers at the corners and battlements topping the walls. * The dining hall and barracks Welles Hall was also added in 1906, designed by Van Alyea in a style similar to DeKoven Hall, but with a large square clock tower. * The Beacon is a fieldstone monument built in 1923. It holds an eternal light and displays quotes from St. John's founder. * Victory Memorial Chapel was built from 1921 to 1926, modeled by Van Alyea on the chapel at

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 ...

, and clad in lannonstone. * In 1927 the school added the two-story Hazelwood Hall designed by Van Alyea, housing barracks and classrooms, and it was expanded with Scott Johnston Hall in 1930, with a corner turret. * Smythe Hall was added in 1929, a classroom designed by Van Alyea in a "castle" style like the previous buildings. In 1977 these historic campus buildings were listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

for the complementary design of many of them and since the school is the oldest military academy in Wisconsin. With

Notable alumni

Ehab Amin Ehab Mohamed Mohamed Amin Saleh (born August 1, 1995) is an Egyptian professional basketball player for Al Ahly. He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. He spent his first three college seasons at Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, leading t ...

, Egyptian basketball player *

Harold Huntley Bassett Harold Huntley Bassett (April 1, 1907 – October 4, 2007) was a major general in the United States Air Force. Early life Harold Huntley Bassett was born in April 1907 in Albion, Illinois. He would attend St. John's Military Academy in Del ...

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

major general * Ralph Barnes, American journalist *

Ed Bearss Edwin Cole Bearss (26 June 192315 September 2020) was a historian of the American Civil War, tour guide, and United States Marine Corps veteran of World War II. Personal life On 26 June 1923, Edwin Cole Bearss was born in Billings, Montana. He ...

, Civil War historian, tour guide, and United States Marine Corps veteran *

Roman R. Blenski Roman R. Blenski (January 24, 1917August 30, 2002) was an American politician and perennial candidate from Wisconsin. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly, representing Milwaukee County during the 1940s and 1950s. Early li ...

, Wisconsin state politician *

Eliot Bostar Eliot Bostar (born May 5, 1987) is an American politician serving as a member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 29th district. Elected in November 2020, he assumed office on January 6, 2021. Early life and education Bostar was born and raise ...

, member of the

Nebraska Legislature The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators", the Nebraska Legislature is the sm ...

Martin Breunig Martin Phong Ni Watt Breunig (born 18 February 1992) is a German professional basketball player for Mitteldeutscher BC of the Basketball Bundesliga. Amateur career Breunig, son of a Thai mother and a German father, played football before he cam ...

, German basketball player *

Donald Clough Cameron Donald Clough Cameron (December 21, 1905 – November 17, 1954) was an American writer of detective novels and comic books. He is credited with creating several supporting characters and villains in DC Comics' line of Batman comic books. Caree ...

, American writer of detective novels and comic books *

Jack Carson John Elmer Carson (October 27, 1910 – January 2, 1963) was a Canadian-born American film actor. Carson often played the role of comedic friend in films of the 1940s and 1950s, including ''The Strawberry Blonde'' (1941) with James Cagney and ...

, American actor in the 1940s and 1950s *

Theodore Case Theodore Willard Case (December 12, 1888 – May 13, 1944) was an American chemist and inventor known for the invention of the Movietone sound-on-film system. Early life and education Theodore Willard Case was born in 1888 in Auburn, New Yo ...

, chemist, physicist, inventor of the

Movietone sound system The Movietone sound system is an optical sound-on-film method of recording sound for motion pictures that guarantees synchronization between sound and picture. It achieves this by recording the sound as a variable-density optical track on the s ...

* Ahmad Caver, American basketball player who played for the

Memphis Hustle The Memphis Hustle are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in the Greater Memphis suburb of Southaven, Mississippi, and are affiliated with the Memphis Grizzlies. The team plays their home games at the Landers Ce ...

* John M. Cavey, Wisconsin state politician * Tom T. Chamales (SJMA, 1942), writer and veteran of U.S. Army's

Merrill's Marauders Merrill’s Marauders (named after Frank Merrill) or Unit ''Galahad'', officially named the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), was a United States Army long range penetration special operations jungle warfare unit, which fought in the South ...

* Edward A. Craig (SJMA 1917), U.S. Marine Corps officer who commanded combat units during World War II and the Korean War. * Darroll DeLaPorte, American football player in the

Milwaukee Badgers The Milwaukee Badgers was a professional American football team, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that played in the National Football League from 1922 to 1926. The team played its home games at Athletic Park, later known as Borchert Field, on Mil ...

Donald Freed Donald Freed (born May 13, 1932) is an American playwright, novelist, screenwriter, historian, teacher and activist. According to Freed's friend and colleague, the late Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter, "(Freed) is a writer of blazing imagination, c ...

, American playwright, novelist, teacher and activist * Daniel Gerber (SJMA 1916), founder and president of Gerber Baby Foods. *

Nick Gravenites Nicholas George Gravenites (; born October 2, 1938) is an American blues, rock and folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for his work with Electric Flag (as their lead singer), Janis Joplin, Mike Bloomfield and several influentia ...

(did not graduate), blues, rock and folk singer for

Electric Flag The Electric Flag was an American soul rock band, led by guitarist Mike Bloomfield, keyboardist Barry Goldberg and drummer Buddy Miles, and featuring other musicians such as vocalist Nick Gravenites and bassist Harvey Brooks. Bloomfield f ...

John A. Hazelwood John Adam Hazelwood (October 28, 1867 – January 8, 1923) was an American lawyer and politician. He served in the Wisconsin State Senate. Early life John A. Hazelwood was born in 1867 on a farm near the town of Concord, Jefferson County, ...

, Wisconsin state politician *

Reggie Hayes Reginald C. Hayes (born July 15, 1969) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for his role as William Dent on the UPN/ CW show '' Girlfriends''. Early life Hayes was born on July 15, 1969 in Chicago, Illinoisyoungest ...

, American actor, screenwriter and director *

Trévon Hughes Trévon Hughes (born April 4, 1987) is a retired American-Puerto Rican professional basketball player who last played for Elitzur Yavne B.C. of the Israeli National League. Hughes went to high school in Delafield, Wisconsin at St. John's Northwest ...

(2006), basketball player in the Israeli National League *

George Kennan George Frost Kennan (February 16, 1904 – March 17, 2005) was an American diplomat and historian. He was best known as an advocate of a policy of containment of Soviet expansion during the Cold War. He lectured widely and wrote scholarly histo ...

(SJMA 1922), U.S. Ambassador to the USSR (1952) and

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

. He helped develop the

Marshall Plan The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was an American initiative enacted in 1948 to provide foreign aid to Western Europe. The United States transferred over $13 billion (equivalent of about $ in ) in economic re ...

for reconstruction of Europe after World War II. * Monte Merkel, American football player for the Chicago Bears *

Frank Merrill Frank Dow Merrill (December 4, 1903 – December 11, 1955) was a United States Army general and is best remembered for his command of Merrill's Marauders, officially the 5307th Composite Unit (provisional), in the Burma Campaign of World War II ...

(SJMA 1967), American equestrian * Sankar Montoute, American football player for the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...

. *

Alex Moyer Alex Moyer was a linebacker in the National Football League. Moyer was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 1985 NFL draft. He played during two seasons. Early life Moyer attended the St. John's Northwestern Military Academy, ...

, American football player for the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

Thomas Cebern Musgrave Jr. Thomas Cebern Musgrave Jr. (July 5, 1913 – November 14, 2005) was a major general in the United States Air Force. Biography Musgrave was born in Washington, D.C., in 1913. He was the son of Col Thomas Cebern Musgrave Sr (Feb 27 1880 – Mar ...

, United States Air Force major general *

Adam Rapp Adam Rapp (born June 15, 1968) is an American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, musician and film director. His play '' Red Light Winter'' was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2006. Early life Rapp was born in Chicago to Mary Lee (née Baird; di ...

, novelist, playwright, musician and film director * Frank C. Rathje (SJMA, did not graduate, honorary 1959), Chicago banker and lawyer * Jack Riley, American football player for the

Boston Redskins The Washington Commanders, an American football team belonging to the National Football League (NFL), have also played as the Boston Braves, Boston Redskins, Washington Redskins, and Washington Football Team. Founded in 1932, the team has won fi ...

Curtis Roosevelt Curtis Roosevelt (April 19, 1930 – September 26, 2016) was an American writer. Roosevelt was the son of Anna Roosevelt and her first husband, Curtis Bean Dall. He was the eldest grandson of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady Eleano ...

(NMNA 1948), the eldest grandson of President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

, was a statesman who served as a delegate representing the United States to the United Nations. * Daniel Rostenkowski (SJMA 1946),

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

Democratic leader in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

. *

Tony Schumacher Tony Schumacher may refer to: * Tony Schumacher (drag racer) (born 1969), American drag racer * Tony Schumacher (kayaker) (born 1976), Australian sprint canoeist * Tony Schumacher (German author) (1848–1931), German children books author * Ton ...

, award-winning drag racer *

Jayapataka Swami Jayapataka Swami (); born on April 9, 1949) is a Vaishnava swami and a religious leader for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

(Gordon John Erdman II, SJMA 1965),

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna may refer to: * International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a group commonly known as "Hare Krishnas" or the "Hare Krishna movement" * Hare Krishna (mantra) The Hare Krishna mantra, also referred to reverentially as the (" ...

guru. * Martín Torrijos (SJMA 1981), President of

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

. *

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

(NMNA 1919–1920, non-graduate), two-time

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

–winning actor. *

Ty Warner H. Ty Warner (born September 3, 1944) is an American billionaire toy manufacturer, businessman, and former actor. He is the CEO, sole owner and founder of Ty Inc. which manufactures and distributes stuffed toys, including Beanie Babies and other l ...

(SJMA 1962), CEO and founder of

Ty Inc. Ty (stylized as ty) is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. It was founded by Ty Warner in 1986. It designs, develops and sells products, most notably Beanie Babies, exclusively to spec ...

, manufacturer of Beanie Babies. * Minor Watson, character actor known for films in the 1940s *

Harold J. Week Harold J. Week (February 24, 1884 – April 28, 1936) was an American politician and businessman. He served in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Week went to Chicago Manual Training School in 1899 and 19 ...

, Wisconsin state politician * Ronnie Williams, American basketball player * George Wilson (SJMA 1933), NFL

end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...

with the Chicago Bears (1937–46). He later coached the Detroit Lions to the NFL Championship Game, 1957 NFL Championship before becoming the first coach of the

. *

Harry Wismer Harry Wismer (June 30, 1913 – December 4, 1967) was an American sports broadcaster and the charter owner of the New York Titans franchise in the American Football League (AFL). Early years Harry Wismer was born on June 30, 1911 in Port Huron ...

, sports broadcaster and the charter owner of the New York Titans (now the New York Jets). * Cornelius T. Young, Wisconsin state politician * Tony Zielinski (SJMA 1979), politician in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint John's Northwestern Military Academy Private high schools in Wisconsin Educational institutions established in 1884 Educational institutions disestablished in 1995 Military high schools in the United States Schools in Waukesha County, Wisconsin Private middle schools in Wisconsin Preparatory schools in Wisconsin 1884 establishments in Wisconsin