The Gulf Coast Military Academy (GCMA) was a

military school A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. It was founded in 1912 by Colonel James Chappel Hardy in Gulfport,

. It ceased operation in 1976. After severe damage in

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

, a small part of the facility was restored and became a site for the Armed Forces Museum.

History

This preparatory school for boys was founded in 1912. The senior division campus closed in 1951, and became the site of the Armed Forces Retirement Home-Gulfport, formerly known as the United States Naval Home. The Senior Branch of the Academy was closed in 1952, and the grounds were purchased by the federal government.Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program - Project 95-10092, Training To Fight: Training and Education During the Cold War, By David F. Winkler July 1997, page 153. The Senior Branch grounds and buildings became the property of the

USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air 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 of the United States Army Sign ...

, and was designated as Keesler Annex #3. The former Senior Academy facilities were initially used as Technical Training Headquarters for

Keesler AFB Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, Mississippi, Biloxi, a city along the Gulf Coast in Harrison County, Mississippi, Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2nd ...

and the old Academy Chow Hall became the Base Chapel. Officer training was conducted in electronics for communications, ground electronics (radar), and weapons controller assignments. Many of the former academy buildings were used for classrooms, administration, and storage. In 1973, the former Senior Academy grounds and facilities were transferred to the US Navy. At that time, the Navy Retirement Home was moved to the former Academy grounds. Later, the Navy Home was re-designated as part of the

Armed Forces Retirement Home The Armed Forces Retirement Home refers to one of two facilities, one in Gulfport, Mississippi, the other in Washington, D.C., that house veterans and active duty members of the United States Armed Forces. Current status In 1991 Congress incorp ...

(AFRH). The Junior Branch (Grades 1-9) remained open through the Summer Session of 1976 when the President and Owner of the Academy, COL Charles M. Holt, closed the school and sold the remaining property and buildings to

William Carey College William Carey University (also known as Carey, William Carey, or WCU) is a private Christian university in Mississippi, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and the Mississippi Baptist Convention. The main campus is in Hattiesbur ...

Hattiesburg, MS Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County, Mississippi, Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County, Mississippi, Lamar County. The city popu ...

. It opened as "William Carey on the Coast" in 1976 with roughly 300 students. In 2005, the facilities were severely damaged by

and all the residents of the Retirement Home and College were moved to other locations. The damaged AFRH was scheduled to be demolished in 2020. The cornerstone to the old office complex, the former C & D Companies and the administration offices were salvaged. The facility was transferred to the Armed Forces Museum, at Camp Shelby, MS. The grounds of both the Senior and Junior Academies are now empty.

Notable alumni

* Virgil Lawrence "Spud" Davis *

Frank Burton Ellis Frank Burton Ellis (February 10, 1907 – November 3, 1969) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Education and career Born in Covington, Louisiana, Ellis attended the Gul ...

Forrest S. McCartney Forrest Striplin McCartney (March 23, 1931 – July 17, 2012) was a United States Air Force lieutenant general and former director of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center. McCartney was born in Fort Payne, Alabama. He graduated from Gulf C ...

* Hewitt T. Wheless *

E. O. Wilson Edward Osborne Wilson (June 10, 1929 – December 26, 2021) was an American biologist, naturalist, entomologist and writer. According to David Attenborough, Wilson was the world's leading expert in his specialty of myrmecology, the study of an ...

* Don L. Puzzio *

William Russell Kelly William Russell Kelly (November 21, 1905 – January 3, 1998) was the founder of the American temporary staffing agency, Russell Kelly Office Service, later known as Kelly Girl Service, Inc., then Kelly Services, Inc. Early life Born in Koksila ...

* Charles W. Rush * Derek J. Wenn

References

{{Coord, 30, 23, 17, N, 89, 01, 00, W, display=title Schools in Harrison County, Mississippi Military high schools in the United States Educational institutions established in 1912 Defunct schools in Mississippi 1912 establishments in Mississippi