Phillips Academy

Phillips Academy (also known as Andover and Phillips Andover) is a coed high school for boarding and day students grades 9-12 located in Andover, Massachusetts, near Boston.

History

Phillips Academy was founded during the American Revolution as an all-boys school in 1778 by Samuel Phillips, Jr. The great seal of the school was designed by Paul Revere. George Washington sent his nephews to the academy, and spoke at an assembly while visiting. John Hancock, the famous signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, signed the articles of incorporation.

Related Topics:
American Revolution - 1778 - Samuel Phillips, Jr - Paul Revere - George Washington - John Hancock - United States - Declaration of Independence

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Phillips Academy faces competition from its sister school and traditional rival, Phillips Exeter Academy found in Exeter, New Hampshire. Exeter was established three years after Andover in 1781 by Samuel Phillips' uncle, John. The names Andover and Exeter are often used today to distinguish the two.

Related Topics:
Phillips Exeter Academy - Exeter, New Hampshire

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PA's campus was laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted and is dominated by neo-Georgian architecture. The campus is centered around the Great Lawn, which spans several acres. Some of the most architecturally notable campus structures include the Memorial Bell Tower, which is currently undergoing a $5 million renovation, Samuel Phillips Hall, Bullfinch Hall, and Pearson Hall.

Related Topics:
Frederick Law Olmsted - Georgian architecture - Acre

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Paul Revere incorporated the symbols of bees, a beehive, and the sun into the school's great seal. The school's primary Latin motto, Finis Origine Pendet, meaning "the end depends upon the beginning," is scrolled across the bottom of the seal. The school's second motto, Non Sibi, located in the sun, means "not for self." Phillips Academy was chartered to educate "qualified youth from every quarter."

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Phillips Academy, offers a broad curriculum as well as a variety of extracurricular activities, ranging from the 30 competitive sports to various music ensembles to the campus newspaper and debate club. The academy recently completed a successful $208 million fundraising campaign called "Campaign Andover," which brought its endowment to around $550 million in 2004. Currently, Phillips Academy's endowment is valued at approximately $620 million (03.21.2005).

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As a result of the movement to make secondary schools and colleges co-educational in the 1960s and 1970s, Phillips Academy merged with neighboring Abbot Academy in 1973. Abbot, founded in 1829 and named for Sarah Abbot, was the first school for girls in New England.

Related Topics:
Abbot Academy - 1829 - Sarah Abbot - New England

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