Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Virginia)
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Episcopal High School (also known as the High School, Episcopal and EHS), founded in 1839, is a boarding school located in Alexandria, Virginia. The Holy Hill 130-acre (53-hectare) campus houses 440 students from 31 states, the District of Columbia and 16 countries.[3] The school is 100-percent boarding and is the only all-boarding school of its caliber located in a major metropolitan area.[4]
Episcopal High School | |
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Address | |
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1200 North Quaker Lane , 22302 United States | |
Coordinates | 38°49′28.5″N 77°5′39.9″W / 38.824583°N 77.094417°W |
Information | |
Type | Private college-preparatory boarding school |
Motto | Fortiter, fideliter, feliciter (Strongly, faithfully, joyfully) |
Religious affiliation(s) | Episcopal Church |
Established | 1839 |
Head of school | Charley Stillwell |
Faculty | 92 (FTE) [1] |
Grades | 9–12 |
Gender | Co-educational |
Enrollment | 440 [1] |
Student to teacher ratio | 8.6 [1] |
Campus | City, 130 acres (53 ha), 26 buildings |
Color(s) | Maroon and Black |
Athletics | 16 interscholastic sports |
Athletics conference | |
Team name | Maroon[2] |
Tuition | $63,200 |
Website | episcopalhighschool |
History
editEpiscopal High School was founded in 1839 as the first high school in Virginia.[5] The Rev. William N. Pendleton and three assistant heads initially taught 35 boys at the boarding facility which occupied 80 acres (32 hectares) of land. It was originally known as the Howard School, from its location at the site of an earlier school.[6] It became known affectionately as "The High School".[5] The central administration building, Hoxton House, dates to around 1805, built by Martha Washington's eldest granddaughter, Elizabeth Parke Custis Law.[7]
In 1840, Episcopal's student body tripled in size to accommodate more than 100 boys. It continued to grow until the Civil War, when it closed immediately after Union Army forces occupied Alexandria in 1861. Some 500 students served as soldiers in the war, many like Rev. Pendleton (who became a brigadier general) for the Confederacy. For the next five years, school buildings served as part of a large hospital for Union troops. Poet Walt Whitman served as a nurse in the hospital.[7]
The school reopened in 1866. Under the direction of Launcelot Minor Blackford (principal, 1870–1913), the school initiated a modern academic curriculum as well as pioneered interscholastic team sports in the South, including football, baseball, and track. EHS competes against Woodberry Forest School in the longest-running consecutive high-school football rivalry in the South and one of the oldest in the United States.
Beginning in 1900, every fall the Maroon and the Woodberry Forest Tigers have competed on the football field. The location of the game alternates each year; it is either in Orange or Alexandria.[8] Recognizing the need to improve its facilities, the school also undertook an aggressive building program that formed the foundation for the present-day campus.
During this era, Episcopal also instituted its Honor Code, one of the oldest among secondary schools. A committee of students and faculty members promotes understanding of the code and handles violations. The Honor Code has served as a foundation of the EHS community since its inception.[citation needed]
In 1968 the school's first two African-American students enrolled thanks to the generosity of the Stouffer Foundation which assumed an active role in the recruitment and placement of African-American students in prep schools across the South. The enrollment of Regi Burns '72 and Sam Paschall '72 fulfilled the board's 1965 resolution "Any and all applicants for admission shall be considered on an equal basis after giving due regard to their scholastic preparedness and their ability and desire to meet the standards of the school." Since then, Episcopal has continually become more diverse and is consistently ahead of the national boarding school average for student diversity.[9]
In 1991, Episcopal began a transition to coeducation by enrolling its first 48 girls, a group commonly referred to as "The First 48". The first coeducational class graduated in 1993. As of 2017, the school had an enrollment of 440 students, half of whom were girls.[10]
Student activities
editArts programs
editEpiscopal offers arts courses in instrumental music, vocal music, acting, dance, ceramics, photography, videography, drawing, painting, music theory, and music recording. Every year 61% of students take arts courses.[11] All students entering as freshmen are required complete two courses in the arts during their four years, and older students must complete one course in order to graduate.[12]
Arts courses take place in the 42,000 square-foot Ainslie Arts Center, named for former headmaster Lee S. Ainslie '56. The building opened in 2003 and includes a 540-seat William N. Pendleton auditorium, 100-seat black box theater, and a 24-channel digital recording studio.[13]
The school regularly offers student and professional art shows, concerts and workshops. The National Chamber Players perform at the school several times each year, and student musicians often perform with the Youth Symphony Orchestra.[14]
Chapel and spiritual life
editStudents are required to attend a 15–20-minute chapel service three times a week and a monthly evening Vespers service. There is a voluntary church service each Sunday. Though the school is an Episcopal school, students of all religions are welcomed, and Episcopal strives to include traditions of all faith backgrounds in its services. The Chaplain's Office will also work with students to take them off-campus to attend various houses of worship in the area if they are interested, including other churches, synagogues, and mosques. Through its programs, Episcopal has brought to campus a number of notable leaders in spiritual life including Archbishop Desmond Tutu,[15] the Most Rev. Michael Curry,[16] Katherine Hayhoe,[17] and David Zahl.[18]
Tuition
editThe comprehensive tuition fee for the 2020-2021 school year is $63,200 and includes tuition, room and board, and other expenses. Episcopal offers several financial options. In 2020-21, approximately 34 percent of the student body will receive financial assistance. Approximately $7.5 million in aid is awarded annually, with the average grant equaling about $49,000.[19]
Athletics
editEpiscopal fields 43 boys' and girls' interscholastic teams in 16 sports: football, field hockey, soccer, tennis, cross county, volleyball, swimming, basketball, climbing, squash, track and field, wrestling, baseball, crew, golf, lacrosse, and softball. Non-interscholastic sports, such as dance, cross training, and strength training, are also available.[20]
The boys' teams compete in the Interstate Athletic Conference (IAC). The school has won 32 IAC Championships since 1979 and seven Virginia Independent School State Championships since 1996. Episcopal's girls' teams compete in the Independent School League (ISL). They have won 21 ISL Championships since 1993.[21]
The football team won back-to-back IAC Championships in 2015 and 2016 led by head coach Panos Voulgaris. The 2016 team was consistently ranked in the Washington Post Top 10 for the first time in over 25 years. During Voulgaris' tenure the program produced numerous college football players including multiple nationally ranked recruits.
In the fall of 2008 the boys' varsity soccer team completed a perfect IAC season with a 23-0-0 record.[22] It went on to become the number one team in the state of Virginia by defeating NSCAA-nationally-ranked #3 Norfolk Academy 4-0 in the VISAA Championship final.[citation needed] The team finished the season ranked as the #13 team in the country.[22] In the 2009 fall season the boys' varsity soccer team finished the year with a double overtime win over Collegiate School (Richmond, VA) which brought two consecutive state championship trophies back to Alexandria.[22] Episcopal was also the 2009 IAC champion and was ranked as the number 3 team in the country.[23]
There are varsity, junior varsity, and, for some sports, junior-level teams. Students are expected to complete three seasons of sports as freshmen, at least two as sophomores and juniors, and at least one as seniors. However, these requirements may be met by participation in non-interscholastic sports or by serving as managers for the scholastic sports teams.
Notable alumni
edit- Stephen Ailes, Secretary of the Army (1964–1965)
- Lee Ainslie, financier
- Bill Backer, advertising executive known for Coca-Cola campaigns
- Louis Bacon, hedge fund manager, member of the Forbes 400
- Dominique Badji, forward, Colorado Rapids
- Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War (1916–1921), Founder of Baker Hostetler
- Cass Ballenger, Republican congressman from North Carolina
- Erek Barron, US Attorney for the District of Maryland
- Alfred Berkeley '62, Former President and Vice-Chair of Nasdaq Stock Market[24]
- Langhorne Bond '55, administrator of the FAA (1977-1981)[25]
- T. Berry Brazelton, pediatrician and creator of the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale
- Bo Callaway, Representative, United States House of Representatives and Secretary of the Army
- Gaston Caperton '59, former governor of West Virginia and president of the College Board[26]
- Johnson N. Camden Jr., former senator from Kentucky
- Danny Coale, NFL wide receiver, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts
- Virginius Dabney, editor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch (1936–1969) and winner of the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing
- Paul DePodesta, former GM, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Phillips Lee Goldsborough I, 47th Governor of Maryland (1912-1916), United States Senate (1929-1935)
- Todd Gray, Chef and Owner of DC's Equinox Restaurant
- John Campbell Greenway, American businessman and senior officer of the U.S. Army Reserve who served with Colonel Theodore Roosevelt in the Spanish–American War and commanded infantry in World War I.
- Edward Trail Helfenstein, eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland
- Tim Hightower, NFL Runningback, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins
- James Addison Ingle, first bishop of the Missionary District of Hankow, China
- Alex S. Jones, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Specialized Reporting
- Lester Kinsolving, political talk show host on WCBM and member of White House Press Corps
- Lucien Lee Kinsolving, first bishop of the missionary diocese that eventually became the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil
- Tom Long, president and CEO of the Miller Brewing Company and MillerCoors
- John McCain '54, Republican senator from Arizona and the 2008 Republican Party nominee for President of the United States[27]
- R. Walton Moore, United States House of Representatives (D-VA), (1919–1931)
- Sean Nelson, vocals for the alternative rock group Harvey Danger
- Arinze Onuaku, NBA forward, Orlando Magic
- Forrest Pritchard, New York Times bestselling author and sustainable farmer
- Patrice Rene, CFL Linebacker, BC Lions
- Robert Goodwyn Rhett, fiftieth mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, president of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States
- Julian Robertson, financier
- Quentin Roosevelt, youngest son of Theodore Roosevelt
- Kenneth Claiborne Royall, last Secretary of War and first Secretary of the Army[28]
- Horace Smithy, cardiac surgeon who performed early heart valve surgeries
- Bryson Spinner, NFL QB, San Francisco 49ers
- Ernie Stires, musician and composer
- Ernest M. Stires, Episcopal Bishop of Long Island
- Robert E. L. Strider, president of Colby College (1942-1960)
- Pembroke Lea Thom (died 1901), Maryland state delegate[29]
- Thomas J. H. Trapnell, WWII hero and Bataan Death March survivor
- Luiji Vilain, defensive end, Minnesota Vikings
- Mason Wiley, co-author of The Official Preppy Handbook[30]
- Theodore Wong, Chinese translator[31]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for EPISCOPAL HIGH SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ "Maroon Athletics". Episcopal High School. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
- ^ "EHS: At a Glance". Episcopal High School website. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
- ^ Price, Douglas C. "EHS: Admissions". Episcopal High School website. Archived from the original on December 8, 2006. Retrieved December 10, 2006.
- ^ a b "EHS: History". Episcopal High School website. Archived from the original on February 6, 2008. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
- ^ Kinsolving, Arthur Barksdale (1922). "The story of a southern school: the Episcopal High School of Virginia". Baltimore, Maryland: The Norman, Remington Co.: 18–21.
Episcopal High School, Alexandria 1839 howard.
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(help) - ^ a b Virginia Department of Historic Resources (1997). "'Episcopal High School' marker". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
- ^ Morones, Mike (December 1, 2007). "'The Game': High Noon For 111 years, two rival high-school football teams have squared off with one overriding goal: Sweet victory". The Free Lance-Star. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
- ^ "Episcopal High School | Since 1839: A Brief History of EHS". www.episcopalhighschool.org.
- ^ "EHS: At A Glance". Episcopal High School website. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
- ^ "EHS: Academic Offerings in the Arts". Episcopal High School website. Archived from the original on February 6, 2008. Retrieved March 29, 2008.
- ^ "EHS: Academics". Episcopal High School website. Archived from the original on March 2, 2008. Retrieved March 29, 2008.
- ^ "EHS: Episcopal At A Glance". Episcopal High School website. Retrieved March 29, 2008.
- ^ "EHS: The Arts at Episcopal High School". Episcopal High School website. Archived from the original on February 6, 2008. Retrieved March 29, 2008.
- ^ "EHS News: "Dream About a Better World"". Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
- ^ "Portrait In Faith: "Love is the Only Thing That Has Ever Worked"". Episcopal High School - VA. January 30, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- ^ "Portrait in Faith Honoree and Climate Scientist Reconciles Faith and Science". Episcopal High School - VA. March 29, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- ^ "Theologian-in-Residence Explores Faith in the Age of Anxiety". Episcopal High School - VA. January 17, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- ^ "Episcopal High School: Costs & Financial Aid". www.episcopalhighschool.org. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- ^ "EHS: Sports Offerings". Episcopal High School website. Archived from the original on March 2, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2008.
- ^ "EHS: Athletics Brochure". Episcopal High School website. Archived from the original on March 2, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2008.
- ^ a b c "News » News Detail". Episcopal High School. December 1, 2009. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
- ^ "High School Sports - ESPNHS". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
- ^ "Alfred Berkeley '62". July 2022.
- ^ "The Whispers 1955 "Langhorne McCook Bond" (Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Virginia)". Ancestry.com. Generations Network. 1955. p. 28. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
His school career has been marked by neither triumph nor disaster, and he has steered comfortably between the Scylla of "dumb athlete" and the Charybdis of "greasy grind."
- ^ "The 1959 Whispers". Classmates.com. Alexandria, Virginia: Episcopal High School. 1959. p. 16. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
- ^ McCain repeatedly noted in speeches that his high school days, and in particular the influence of William Bee Ravenel III was an important formative influence on his life. See McCain, John S. (April 1, 2008). Episcopal Offered Me a Home Archived July 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Text of speech at Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Virginia). Retrieved on 2008-05-04. Also see Ringle, Ken (May 12, 2008). A Hero's Life. The Weekly Standard Volume 013, Issue 33. Retrieved on 2008-05-04
- ^ "Royall, Kenneth Claiborne | NCpedia".
- ^ Kinsolving, Arthur Barksdale (1922). The Story of a Southern School. The Norman, Remington Co. pp. 114–116. Retrieved October 20, 2023 – via Archive.org.
- ^ Clendinen, Dudley (January 4, 1981). "Behind the Best Sellers; 'Preppy Handbook'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
- ^ Han, Jing (July 23, 2019). "Who gave Sherlock Holmes a 'lucky' Chinese name?". Shanghai Daily. Translated by Ye Jun. Shanghai. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
External links
edit- Official website
- The Association of Boarding Schools profile
- Profile from BoardingSchoolReview.com
- "High School's 100th". Time. September 12, 1938. (about Episcopal High School)