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Elgin Academy
Non Sibi (Not for One's Self) Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning)
Location
Elgin, Illinois United States of America
Information
Type	Private, Independent
Established	1839
Head of school	Dr. John W. Cooper (2000-)
Grades	Preschool-12
Enrollment	~400 (main campus)
Color(s)	Orange & Black
Mascot	Foxman (team name Hilltoppers)
Website	www.elginacademy.org

Elgin Academy, founded in 1839, is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory school in Elgin, Illinois.

[edit] History

The Academy was established by charter of the Illinois General Assembly in 1839 to provide students with a classical education. The Academy's original building, "Old Main", was constructed in 1856, and is now on the United States' National Register of Historic Places. It serves as a museum of the Elgin Area Historical Society (see below).

Trustee and benefactor Nathaniel C. Sears expanded it from a local-area school to a boarding school with the construction of its Sears Hall. Edwards Hall was built in 1969.

[edit] Facilities

The school occupies a 15-acre (61,000 m²) campus 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Chicago in the Historic District of the city of Elgin. The school's classrooms are largely housed in four buildings:

• The Harold D. Rider Family Media, Science and Fine Arts Center (locus of the Kimball Street Theatre and part of the Liautaud-Lyons Upper School program)
• Edwards Hall (locus of part of the Liautaud-Lyons Upper School program)
• Sears Hall (primary locus of the Middle School program)
• North Hall (primary locus of the Early Childhood and Lower School programs)

Other buildings on campus include:

• Sears Gallery
• The Gymnasium
• Raymond House (business office)
• Penney House (admissions, marketing, development and alumni relations offices)

The Elgin Academy also owns a sports field complex, approximately one half-mile away from the main campus, including tennis courts, grass fields, and 1/5-mile all-weather track.

[edit] The Old Main

The Old Main is the original building in which the Academy was housed. When the school had enormous debt, the Academy attempted to donate the building to the city of Elgin, so it wouldn't have to pay for a dilapidated building. Due to legal technicalities, the building could not be given as a gift. The school consequently sold it to the city for $1.

Today, the building is primarily used as the museum for the Elgin Area Historical Society. However, there is one room set aside for use as a regular classroom by the school, commonly referred to as the "Museum Room" by students.

[edit] The Academy today

The Academy offers an academic, college-preparatory curriculum. The school has an 83% rate of graduates being accepted to Ivy League or equal level^{[clarification needed]} colleges and universities. The Academy is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and is accredited by both the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The school is a member of the Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools, the Illinois Coalition of Nonpublic Schools, the Cum Laude Society, the National Honor Society, and many other academic organizations. It is recognized by the Illinois Non-Public Schools Recognition Program. Its sports affiliations include the Illinois High School Association, the Illinois Council of Private Schools, and the Independent School League.

[edit] Athletics

Sports teams of Elgin Academy are nicknamed the Hilltoppers--Elgin Academy is built on a hill--and the mascot is Foxman, after the nearby Fox River. The sports offered are golf, men's and women's soccer, track, cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's volleyball, field hockey, and baseball.

[edit] External links

• Official website