|
Chamberlain-Hunt Academy was one of the oldest college preparatory schools in the South. It is the legacy of Oakland College founded in 1830 by the Reverend Jeremiah Chamberlain and the Presbyterian Church in Mississippi. Oakland closed during the Civil War but was reborn nearby as Chamberlain-Hunt Academy in 1879 in historic Port Gibson, Mississippi. Between 1913 and 1971, the Academy was a traditional boys military prep school. What might be termed a regional boarding school, the majority of students have traditionally come from Mississippi, Louisiana, West Tennessee, and Arkansas. In 1971, CHA began (like many Southern military schools such as Baylor School and McCallie in Tennessee) to transition into a less military and more civilian way of life. A Corps of Cadets was maintained but not strictly enforced; females were admitted; and more day students came to the school than had been the case previously. In some ways, the 1970s and 1980s were exciting years for Chamberlain-Hunt. Enrollments were strong; the academic and extracurricular programs were admired; and campus life was happy and productive. By 1990, however, the old school was finding the going tough financially. In the year 1996, CHA was reorganized under new, mission-driven, and creative ownership. Several millions of dollars were raised to renovate and enhance the historic buildings and campus. While the Academy was very different from what it had been before 1996, and especially before 1990, the dedicated trustees and administrative team did outstanding work for eighteen years. The mission was to give young men everything they needed to grow into Christian gentlemen and then succeed in college and life. The new routine appeared rather traditional to outside observers: Chamberlain-Hunt became an all-male, all military, mostly boarding, and staunchly Christian college preparatory school. In 2013, the group who had purchased the school from the banks in 1996 sold it to another owner, who decided not to begin a 2014-2015 session. The future of this historic college preparatory school is uncertain. The campus, with its buildings in brick Georgian Revival style, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Chamberlain-Hunt was a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS), the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States (AMCSUS), and the Association of Classical Christian Schools. ==More History== Chamberlain-Hunt Academy is the heir of Oakland College, which was founded at nearby Lorman in 1830. Oakland closed during the Civil War. In 1879, the school was reopened as Chamberlain-Hunt Academy in Port Gibson. Funds for the "new" school came in part from the sale of the old Oakland campus and plant to the State of Mississippi ($40,000), which founded Alcorn A&M College (now Alcorn State).〔Samuel J. Rogal, ''The American Pre-College Military School: A History and Comprehensive Catalog of Institutions'', Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2009, p. 63 ()〕 The new school was named after Reverend Jeremiah Chamberlain (1794-1851) and David Hunt (1779-1861), a prominent plantation owner in the Antebellum South.〔Mary Carol Miller, ''Must See Mississippi: 50 Favorite Places'', Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 2007, p. 135 ()〕 By 1995, the school was in dire straits financially. Less than eighty students were enrolled. In 1996, members of the First Presbyterian Church in Jackson MS (a PCA congregation) and the French Camp Academy organization purchased from a local bank the historic buildings, over two hundred acres of land, and the educational equipment. CHA has been on its current premises, after moving from its first location next door to the First Presbyterian Church in Port Gibson, since 1900.〔Rosanna Gage, ("Corps' curriculum: Port Gibson's Chamberlain-Hunt Academy celebrates 125 years of service to God and country" ), ''Mississippi Magazine'', March 2005.〕 It became a full military school in 1911. It went into a decline in the 1990s, when enrollment fell to just 22 cadets〔Susan Olasky, ("Back-to-basics training: By renewing its Christian vision, Mississippi's Chamberlain-Hunt Academy stemmed a decline common to military schools" ), WORLD magazine, March 13, 2004.〕 but in 1998 it was saved from closure by being taken over by French Camp Academy, another Christian (but not military) boarding school in northern Mississippi.〔("Small Schools That Work" ), Capital Research Center, March 2004.〕 However, CHA continues to operate autonomously. CHA has about 40% ethnic minority enrollment.〔(National Center for Educational Statistics. )〕 On its 125th birthday in 2004, CHA held a Founders' Day Convocation at nearby Alcorn State University (whose premises are on the Academy's original pre-1900 site) with special guest, US Senator Trent Lott.〔("Lott speaks to CHA students during anniversary celebration at Alcorn" ), ''The Natchez Democrat'', October 31, 2004.〕 On July 28, 2014, the decision was made to close Chamberlain-Hunt by the new owners/board of trustees. This information was given by the Facebook Group, Chamberlain-Hunt Academy Alumni. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Chamberlain-Hunt Academy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|