, motto_translation = Light and Truth , address = 115 College Street , city =

Hudson Hudson may refer to: People * Hudson (given name) * Hudson (surname) * Henry Hudson, English explorer * Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back * Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...

, state =

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, zipcode = 44236-2999 , country =

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, country1 = , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , other_name = , former_name = Western Reserve College and Preparatory School , schooltype = , fundingtype = , type =

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

college-preparatory A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to state school, public, Independent school, private independent or parochial school, parochial schools primaril ...

boarding & day

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

, patron = , established = , founder = David Hudson , status = Currently operational , sister_school = , local_authority = , educational_authority = , category = , oversight = , trust = Board of Trustees , ceeb = 362655 , us_nces_school_id = , president = Andrew R. Midler
Timothy R. Warner , head_of_school = Suzanne Walker Buck , chaplain = , staff = , faculty = 51.4 , teaching_staff = , employees = , grades = 9– 12 , gender =

Coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

, enrollment = 390 , enrollment_as_of = 2019-2020 , capacity = , grade9 = 84 , grade10 = 103 , grade11 = 84 , grade12 = 119 , international_students = , classes = , average_class_size = 11 , ratio = 7.6:1 , system = , classes_offered = , language = , schedule_type = , schedule = , hours_in_day = 7.2 , classrooms = , campuses = , campus = , campus_size = , area = , campus_type =

Suburban A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

, houses = , student_union = , colors = Hunter Green & White
, slogan = , song = , fight_song = , athletics = 23 interscholastic , athletics_conference = , sports = , mascot = , nickname = Pioneers , teams = , rivals =

University School University School, commonly referred to as US, is an all-boys, private, Junior Kindergarten–12 school with two campus locations in the Greater Cleveland area of Ohio. The campus located in Shaker Heights serves junior kindergarten through eigh ...

The Kiski School

Linsly School The Linsly School, formerly known as the Linsly Military Institute, is a boarding and day school located in Wheeling, West Virginia. It was founded in 1814 by Noah Linsly and chartered by the State of Virginia in the same year. The school is the ...

, accreditation = HLC , USNWR_ranking = , national_ranking = , test_name = SAT , test_average = 1340 , publication = , newspaper = , yearbook = , products = , endowment = $64.42 million , budget = , fees = , tuition = , annual_tuition = $65,800 (boarding)
$42,600 (day) , revenue = $38.11 million , communities = , feeder_schools = , feeder_to = , graduates = , graduates_year = , affiliation = GCSDAC, NAIS,
TABS
ref name="nces_psch" /> , alumni = , alumni_name = , nobel_laureates = , information = , website = Western Reserve Academy (WRA), or simply Reserve, is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

, midsized,

coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

boarding and day college preparatory school located in

Hudson, Ohio Hudson is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,110 at the 2020 census. It is a suburban community in the Akron metropolitan statistical area and the larger Cleveland–Akron–Canton Combined Statistical Area, t ...

. A boarding school, Western Reserve Academy is largely a residential campus, with 280 of 400 students living on campus and the remainder attending as day students. Students attend from over 20 states and 15 countries. Reserve participates in an annual exchange program with the Caterham School in

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, England.

History

Western Reserve Academy was established on February 7, 1826, as the ''Western Reserve College and Preparatory School'' in

, on a plot of land set aside by charter by the Ohio legislature. Reserve is the 27th oldest preparatory boarding school in the United States, and the oldest outside of the Northeast. The institution's name comes from the area in which it was built, the

Connecticut Western Reserve The Connecticut Western Reserve was a portion of land claimed by the Colony of Connecticut and later by the state of Connecticut in what is now mostly the northeastern region of Ohio. The Reserve had been granted to the Colony under the terms of ...

, as it was the first of its kind in Northern Ohio. The settlers from

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

wanted to build a school of the same caliber as

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

and selected the same architectural design, with brick buildings and the same motto, ''Lux Et Veritas''. People called it "the Yale of the West." The first cohort included eleven students at the college level and eight at the preparatory level. In 1882, the college section moved north to

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

and became Western Reserve University, later merging with the Case Institute of Technology to become Case Western Reserve University. Western Reserve Academy remained open for another twenty-one years until 1903 when it closed due to financial problems. In 1916, however, the school reopened with the support of James Ellsworth, a former student and Hudson resident who had returned after becoming wealthy in the coal industry. The "Ellsworth Era" was marked by significant construction: Seymour Hall (the newly appointed academic building), the Bicknell Gymnasium, and Ellsworth Hall, a dormitory and dining hall. In 1922, Western Reserve Academy became an all-boys institution, staying this way for fifty years, until 1972, when girls were introduced into the junior class, once again becoming a co-ed institution. WRA brick row

In 2001, Western Reserve Academy was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top boarding schools in the country.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

The school offers various sports, including soccer, golf, cross country, field hockey, volleyball, swimming and diving, basketball, wrestling, riflery, ice hockey, baseball, softball, track and field, tennis, and lacrosse. Western Reserve Academy has become one of the top high school

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...

teams in the United States. In 2006 and 2009, WRA won the Midwest Scholastic Lacrosse Championship and respectively finished ranked 27th and 28th nationally according to LaxPower.com. Only three different teams have won the Midwest Championships since 1992: Brother Rice High School, Western Reserve Academy, and

Upper Arlington High School Upper Arlington High School is the sole high school in the Upper Arlington City School District in Upper Arlington, Ohio, a northwest suburb of Columbus, Ohio. It receives students from Jones Middle School and Hastings Middle School. The curre ...

. ''

Inside Lacrosse Inside Lacrosse is a lacrosse media entity and ESPN affiliate. It includes many parts including a news website, an 11 times annual magazine, online video streaming, internet forums and an ESPN television show. The company is currently headquarter ...

'' ranked the 2009 WRA lacrosse team number one in the Midwest. The track and cross-country teams achieved success from the 1940s through the 1980s, winning many Interstate League championships, with the cross-country team at one time boasting a streak of 179–1. The WRA track is named after track and cross country coach Frank Longstreth and hosts the annual Frank Longstreth Relays. In 2012, both the girls' and boys' soccer teams achieved a state ranking, with the boys experiencing an undefeated season and the girls' teams, both JV and varsity, breaking the record for most wins in a season. The boys tied top Ohio Division I team St. Ignatius High School and finishing the year atop the Ohio Division III rankings. Traditionally, a rivalry with

has existed, having first played each other in 1895. Other notable rivalries include The Kiski School,

, and

Hawken School Hawken School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school in Northeast Ohio. Hawken currently has two main campuses, the Lower and Middle Schools in Lyndhurst and the Upper School in Chester Township, plus a third, an urb ...

Arts

Reserve offers over 20 different classes catering to students interested in the arts. Courses are available through the school's music, dance, theater, and visual arts programs. Both 2D and 3D art rooms are available at all times to students, and a Graphic Design computer lab and a workshop for Woodworking. Most fine arts occur in the Knight Fine Arts Center (KFAC), with the music program headquartered in Hayden Hall. KFAC contains several classrooms, a theater, a dance studio, and a dark room for film development. The Moos Gallery, also in KFAC, features students' work and exhibits from established and nationally recognized artists.

Traditions

Western Reserve Academy has several traditions. One of the most popular is Vespers, a Christmas Concert and sit-down meal right before students leave for winter break. Another is TGIF—a study break each Friday where much of the student body descends into "The Green Key", a lounge beneath the dining hall, to snack, dance, and socialize before the weekend. Like TGIF, some traditions are weekly. For instance, the entire faculty and student body have a sit-down lunch each Wednesday. The meal is served family-style, and students sit with their academic advisors in an intimate setting. Another frequent tradition is the victory bell. Almost lost after the construction of the Murdough Athletic Center, this tradition was rekindled when the bell was reinstalled in 2012. After each Reserve athletic victory, the players on the winning team take turns ringing the bell loud enough for the entire campus to hear. Reserve students also participate in several artistic and musical traditions, including the annual "Messiah Sing" concert. The Academy String Orchestra and Academy Choir perform Handel's Messiah and invite the audience to join in for many songs. Finally, the last tradition Reserve students experience, Commencement, is set just outside the historic chapel. The graduating men wear Reserve green and white pants while the women wear white dresses. They are led through campus by bagpipers and followed by the faculty. As each student is called up, they receive their diploma and the alum tie (for men) or pin (for women).

Dress code

Western Reserve Academy enforces a strict dress code daily. Boys must wear a coat and tie all week, with special "Reserve Green" (consisting of a green jacket with the Academy crest and a green striped tie) mandatory on Monday and Friday. Likewise, girls on "Reserve Green" days must wear a green blazer and a green kilt. At Saturday Academy, the dress is relaxed.

Campus

Chapel and Loomis Observatory

Western Reserve's campus houses many old buildings. However, two, in particular, stand out: the

Loomis Observatory Loomis Observatory (also known as the Elias Loomis Observatory) is the second oldest observatory in the United States, located in Hudson, Ohio. Construction was completed in 1838. It is on the campus of Western Reserve Academy, a college prepar ...

and the chapel, both listed in 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 ...

. Initially built in 1836 and most recently updated in 2021, the chapel is still used today for Morning meetings twice weekly. In addition, marriages, concerts, and gatherings take place inside the chapel. The Commencement ceremony at the end of the year takes place outside the chapel. Even though the school itself is nondenominational, the chapel has a cross hanging front and center, which used to hang in the Spanish monastery Santa Maria de La Rabida ( La Rábida Friary). It is said that before Christopher Columbus voyaged to the New World, he prayed before that very cross. The

, initially named The Observatory, was built in 1838. It was the third observatory built in the country, and is currently the second oldest observatory in the United States, only behind the

Hopkins Observatory Hopkins Observatory is an astronomy, astronomical observatory owned and operated by Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, Williamstown, Massachusetts (USA). Constructed in 1838 by Albert Hopkins, the college claims that it is the olde ...

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...

. The Hudson building was named for astronomer

Elias Loomis Elias Loomis (August 7, 1811 – August 15, 1889) was an American mathematician. He served as a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at Western Reserve College (now Case Western Reserve University), the University of the City of New Yo ...

. This three-room observatory still stands, sitting close to the edge of the campus near the music building, Hayden Hall. The building itself is closed from public view, as well as the telescope housed in the observatory, which is no longer used (in favor of a newer and more secluded observatory on Cross Country Hill).

Ong Library

Named after Ambassador

John D. Ong John Doyle Ong (born September 29, 1933, Ohio) is an American business executive. He served as United States Ambassador to Norway from 2002 to 2005. He graduated from Ohio State University with a bachelor's and master's degree before studying law ...

, the Ong Library is a 21,000 sq ft. building located on the south end of campus. It contains nearly 23,000 books, 3,000 DVDs and CDs, and 110 periodicals. Open to students all day through study hours, the library features two computer labs and a dozen group study rooms. The basement also contains the Western Reserve Academy Archives Collection, which follows the 200-year-old school and town history.

Dormitories

There are ten

dormitories A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...

in which the over 200 boarding students reside during the school year. The oldest is North Hall, erected in 1838, and the newest is Bicknell House. Each dorm houses students in a single, double, triple, or quad, with shared bathrooms. Each dorm has both a House Master as well as other Faculty-Masters living in connected apartments. Approximately 90% of the faculty members reside on campus in either faculty homes or dormitory apartments.

Notable alumni

Individuals with a † next to their name were enrolled in either or both institutions before Western Reserve College moved from the Hudson campus to Cleveland in 1882 and became Western Reserve University. The degree to which they were affiliated with both institutions may vary. Individuals with a * next to their name did not complete their studies.

Politics, government and law

Literature and journalism

Arts and entertainment

* D.M. Marshman, Jr. '41 —

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 screenplay writer for ''Sunset Boulevard''. *

Frederick Coffin Frederick D. Coffin (January 16, 1943 – July 31, 2003) was an American film actor, singer, songwriter, and musician. Early life Coffin was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1943 to actress Winifred Deforest Coffin and writer Dean Coffin, and was ...

'61 — Film and television actor *

Jeff Schaffer Jeff Schaffer (born ) is an American film and television director, writer, and producer. Early life and education Schaffer and his brother Greg (also a film and TV writer and producer) were raised in the Warren–Howland, Ohio area, about ea ...

'87 — Film director, TV show writer (''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld ( ...

'', '' Curb Your Enthusiasm'', ''

The League ''The League'' is an American sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, Illinois, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football league ...

'') *

Richard Brake Richard Colin Brake (born 30 November 1964) is a Welsh-American character actor, known for his supporting roles as Joe Chill in '' Batman Begins'' (2005), Doom-Head in '' 31'' (2016), and the chemist in '' Mandy'' (2018), as well as his lead ro ...

'83 — Film actor (''

Batman Begins ''Batman Begins'' is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, with Michael Caine, ...

'') *

Macy Gray Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known by her stage name Macy Gray, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday. Gray ha ...

* '84 —

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

-winning musician/singer *

Ted Humphrey Ted Humphrey is an American television and film writer, producer and director. He is best known for his work on the CBS series ''The Good Wife,'' which was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series in 2010, as well as the ...

'87 —

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

-nominated television and film writer and producer

Business

* James Ellsworth† 1868 — Coal mine owner, banker *

James L. Knight James Landon Knight (July 21, 1909 – February 5, 1991) was an American newspaper publisher and co-founder of the Knight Ridder group of newspapers. He was also co-founder of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation with his brother John S. ...

'29 — Newspaperman and philanthropist, founder of Knight Ridder newspaper group * William D. Perez '65 — CEO of

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, known as the Wrigley Company, is an American multinational chewing gum (Wrigley's gum) company, based in the Global Innovation Center (GIC) in Goose Island, Chicago, Illinois. Wrigley's is wholly owned by Mars, In ...

, former CEO of

Nike, Inc. Nike, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company is headquartered ne ...

Sports

* Keith Carter '48 — Olympic swimmer; silver medalist at

1948 Summer Olympic Games The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...

Joel Dalgarno Joel Dalgarno (born July 5, 1987) is a Canadian lacrosse player. He was an All-American at the Ohio State University from 2006 to 2009, leading the Buckeyes to an NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament appearance in 2008. Dalgarno attended ...

'05 — Professional lacrosse player for the

Colorado Mammoth The Colorado Mammoth are a box lacrosse team playing in the National Lacrosse League. The Mammoth have played at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, since the 2003 season. They are owned by Stan Kroenke, who is also the owner of the Colorado Avala ...

; all-time scoring leader for Ohio State Buckeyes

Miscellaneous

Notable faculty

Beriah Green Beriah Green Jr. (March 24, 1795May 4, 1874) was an American reformer, abolitionist, temperance advocate, college professor, minister, and head of the Oneida Institute. He was "consumed totally by his abolitionist views". He has been described as ...

, taught at Western Reserve College and Prefatory Academy *

Edward Morley Edward Williams Morley (January 29, 1838 – February 24, 1923) was an American scientist known for his precise and accurate measurement of the atomic weight of oxygen, and for the Michelson–Morley experiment. Biography Morley was born in New ...

, taught at Western Reserve College and Prefatory Academy * Joseph Frederick Waring, taught at Western Reserve Academy for 32 years; had an award named in his honor

References

External links

*
The Association of Boarding Schools profile
{{authority control Boarding schools in Ohio High schools in Summit County, Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Summit County, Ohio Preparatory schools in Ohio Educational institutions established in 1826 School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio Private high schools in Ohio 1826 establishments in Ohio Case Western Reserve University Hudson, Ohio Western Reserve, Ohio