Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Virginia)

Episcopal High School (also The High School, or Episcopal), founded in 1839, is a private boarding school located in Alexandria, Virginia. The Holy Hill 130-acre (0.53 km2) campus houses 440 students from 31 states, the District of Columbia and 16 countries.[1] The school is 100-percent boarding and is the only all-boarding school of its caliber located in a major metropolitan area.[2]

Episcopal High School
Address
Episcopal High School
Episcopal High School
Episcopal High School
Episcopal High School
1200 North Quaker Lane

Alexandria
,
Virginia
22302

United States
Coordinates38°49′28.5″N 77°5′39.9″W
Information
TypePrivate Preparatory Boarding School
MottoFortiter, fideliter, feliciter
"Strongly, faithfully, joyfully"
Religious affiliation(s)Episcopal
Established1839 (1839)
HeadmasterCharley Stillwell
Faculty80
GenderCo-ed
Enrollment440
Average class size11
Student to teacher ratio6:1
CampusCity, 130 acres (.55 km²)
26 buildings
Color(s)Maroon and Black          
Athletics16 Interscholastic Sports
Athletics conferenceIAC (Boys)
ISL (Girls)
MascotMaroon
Tuition$60,900
Websitewww.episcopalhighschool.org

History

Episcopal High School was founded in 1839 as the first high school in Virginia.[3] The Rev. William N. Pendleton and three assistant heads initially taught 35 boys at the boarding facility which occupied 80 acres of land. It was originally known as The Howard School, from its location at the site of an earlier school.[4] It became known affectionately as "The High School".[3] The central administration building, Hoxton House, dates to around 1805, built by Martha Washington's eldest granddaughter, Elizabeth Parke Custis Law.[5]

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 Federal 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 Federal troops. Poet Walt Whitman served as a nurse in the hospital.[5]

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.[6] 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.

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.[7]

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.[8]

Athletics

Episcopal 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 kayaking, dance, cross training, and strength training, are also available.[9]

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.[10]

In the fall of 2008 the boys' varsity soccer team completed a perfect IAC season with a 23-0-0 record.[11] 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. The team finished the season ranked as the #13 team in the country.[11] 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.[11] Episcopal was also the 2009 IAC champion and was ranked as the number 3 team in the country.[12]

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.

Arts programs

Episcopal 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.[13] All students entering as freshmen are required complete one credit in the arts, and older students must complete one-half credit in order to graduate.[14]

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.[15]

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.[16]

Religion
Callaway Chapel in a snow storm.

Students are required to attend a 15–20-minute chapel service three times a week. There is a voluntary church service each Sunday, and once a month there is a mandatory vespers service on Sunday evenings. The Friday chapel service is usually student-led. Students of all religions are accepted to the school and allowed to lead Friday Services should they wish to do so. The school is informally affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, yet all are welcome. Often there will be a guest speaker in the chapel services. Among these speakers are former student Tim Hightower and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.[17]

Expenses

The comprehensive tuition fee for the 2016-17 school year was $54,250, in addition to the technology fee ($250), cost of books (about $700), and spending money. Student activities are included in the tuition, although there are some exceptions.[18]

Each student is also required to purchase a laptop of their choice before entering the school as part of the school’s laptop program. The computers are frequently used in the classroom.[19]

The school offers financial aid in the form of grants, based on financial need and the individual student’s merit. About 34 percent of the student body received aid for 2015-16, with a total of over $6.6 million awarded.[18]

Notable alumni
Langhorne McCook Bond at Episcopal High School, 1955
John Sidney McCain III at Episcopal High School, 1953
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References
  1. "EHS: At a Glance". Episcopal High School website. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
  2. Price, Douglas C. "EHS: Admissions". Episcopal High School website. Archived from the original on December 8, 2006. Retrieved December 10, 2006.
  3. "EHS: History". Episcopal High School website. Archived from the original on February 6, 2008. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
  4. 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. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. Virginia Department of Historic Resources (1997). ""Episcopal High School" marker". [The Historical Marker Database]. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
  6. 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.
  7. https://www.episcopalhighschool.org/about-us/since-1839-a-brief-history/brief-history-of-ehs
  8. "EHS: At A Glance". Episcopal High School website. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  9. "EHS: Sports Offerings". Episcopal High School website. Archived from the original on March 2, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2008.
  10. "EHS: Athletics Brochure". Episcopal High School website. Archived from the original on March 2, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2008.
  11. "News » News Detail". Episcopal High School. December 1, 2009. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  12. "High School Sports - ESPNHS". Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  13. "EHS: Academic Offerings in the Arts". Episcopal High School website. Archived from the original on February 6, 2008. Retrieved March 29, 2008.
  14. "EHS: Academics". Episcopal High School website. Archived from the original on March 2, 2008. Retrieved March 29, 2008.
  15. "EHS: Episcopal At A Glance". Episcopal High School website. Retrieved March 29, 2008.
  16. "EHS: The Arts at Episcopal High School". Episcopal High School website. Archived from the original on February 6, 2008. Retrieved March 29, 2008.
  17. "EHS News: "Dream About a Better World"". Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
  18. "EHS: Tuition and Financial Aid". Episcopal High School website. Retrieved March 29, 2008.
  19. "EHS: Tuition and Financial Aid". Episcopal High School website. Retrieved March 29, 2008.
  20. 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
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