History - Newark Academy
Source: https://www.newarka.edu/who-we-are/history-mission
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:16
History - Newark Academy
Skip To Main Content
History
The Academy is Founded
Newark Academy was founded in Newark, New Jersey.
British troops attack Newark Academy in search of Continental soldiers stationed there during the ongoing Revolutionary War. The Academy building is burned to the ground.
NA reopens in rented quarters as an all-boys school.
“May this Academy rise and flourish … promote useful learning … and diffuse far and wide the beams of that sun of liberty, which has arisen in this western hemisphere.”
- Reverend Alexander Macwhorter
The cornerstone is laid for the second Newark Academy building at the corner of Broad and Academy Streets in Newark.
Second Location
Construction of the Academy’s second location is completed.
Newark Academy first adopted a seal in 1802, featuring a book inscribed with the words of the school’s founder Alexander Macwhorter.
“Will faithfully endeavor to promote useful learning and secure good morals in this institution and diffuse far and wide the beams of that sun of liberty.” The seal was updated in 1888 and then again to its current design in 1984, to bear the school’s motto, “Ad Lumen”—meaning “toward the light.”
- Reverend Alexander Macwhorter
Girls return to Newark Academy, and a dedicated wing is added.
Marquis de Lafayette, the famous Frenchman who fought for the United States Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, visited Newark Academy during the course of his travels.
Third Location
NA moves to its third location at the intersection of High, William and Shipman Streets in Newark. (Eventually, High Street would be renamed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.) Under the direction of the Reverend Frederick A. Adams, NA establishes a full four-year high school curriculum and continues to enroll boys and girls.
The first modern Newark Academy Catalog was published in 1857, providing a detailed four-year curriculum with courses in English, mathematics, science, history, geography, bookkeeping, “Mental and Moral Sciences,” rhetoric, ancient and modern languages, art, music, and gymnastics and calisthenics (strength training).
The Farrand Era Begins
Samuel Farrand serves as Headmaster, doing away with the girls’ division and establishing Newark Academy as a boys’ school. Under his leadership, enrollment increases and the Academy’s reputation flourishes.
The Class of 1882 is the earliest class picture in the archives.
Morning Meeting at Newark Academy is a community tradition that likely dates back to the Farrand era. These meetings initially began as chapel services and included a Bible reading, hymn and prayer. These chapel services continued during the move to Livingston despite a large Jewish student population — the auditorium even had a recessed pit for the organ. Within five years of the move to Livingston, Morning Meeting became completely secularized, transitioning into the gatherings we partake in today which celebrate student achievements and cultivate a close-knit school community.
Newark Academy introduced extra-curricular athletics in 1883. However, the first team for which we have solid evidence of its existence was the football team in 1885.
The Polymnian makes its first appearance as a magazine created by students in the Polymnian Literary and Debating Society.
Headmaster Samuel Farrand dies at the age of 78 and is succeeded by his son, Wilson Farrand.
Newark Academy’s Fifty “Dangerous” Words Frequently Misspelled in Upper Form Compositions was an aid issued to students to help fortify their studies.
The Polymnian
is first published as an independent yearbook.
Fourth Location
Newark Academy moves to its fourth and final Newark location along the historic Morris Canal on First Street.
Wilson Farrand retires as Headmaster, closing out a combined 66 years of leadership by the Farrands.
H. Paul Abbott, the first Headmaster born in the 20th century, adds naval science and aviation to the curriculum in the wake of World War II.
The Newark Academy "Minute Man" mascot is created by Dean H. Upgrove of the Class of 1916.
Students begin a newspaper,
The Newark Academy
News, later renamed
The Minute Man
.
Robert M. Butler is named Headmaster.
Fifth Location
Newark Academy sells the First Street property and moves to its 68-acre campus in Livingston, under the leadership of Headmaster Robert M. Butler.
Newark Academy dedicates the football and track field in memory of Medal of Honor recipient Samuel S. Coursen ’45, who was killed during the Korean War.
E. Standish Bradford, Jr. is named Headmaster.
Newark Academy returns to its coeducational roots following a unanimous vote by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees to admit girls.
Newark Academy enrolls its first cohort of young women since 1859.
Trustees, administrators and faculty hold a leadership conference to discuss the future of NA. The conference’s conclusion is that Newark Academy needs to be innovative to prepare students for their entire futures, not just college.
Bicentennial: President Richard Nixon congratulates Newark Academy for its bicentennial celebration.
The new Richard C. Hawkes Memorial Library (officially dedicated in 1982) is completed.
Allan E. Strand is named Headmaster.
Newark Academy becomes the first school in New Jersey to offer the International Baccalaureate diploma as part of the curriculum.
The 20,000-square-foot Elizabeth B. McGraw Arts Center opens with new instrumental and choral facilities, classrooms and studios for ceramics, drawing, printmaking, painting and photography. It is also home to the Lautenberg “Black Box” Theater for acting students and the David Teiger ’47 Gallery for Studio Arts at the center of the wing, to showcase student art and the works of artists-in-residence.
Elizabeth “Penney” Riegelman is named the first female Head of School.
225 Years!
Newark Academy celebrates its 225th anniversary.
The Simon Family Field House is completed, adding 57,000 square feet to the school, featuring a gymnasium, six–lane pool, fitness center, locker rooms, athletics offices and storage space.
Newark Academy changes its daily schedule from eight 41-minute periods to six 55-minute periods to prioritize depth of inquiry.
The Board of Trustees approves tuition forgiveness for Off-Campus Study, allowing students to attend semester schools around the globe each year.
The Carol Heaney Nature Trail opens with two outdoor classrooms, an astronomy lookout and a pond for aquatic biology and chemistry studies.
Donald M. Austin is named the Academy’s 49th Head of School.
Newark Academy launches the Global Speaker Series, bringing distinguished individuals from around the world to enrich students’ understanding and broaden their intellectual horizons. One of the first speakers in the series was Ethan Zohn, winner of Survivor: Africa.
NA institutes the Immersion Experience requirement and kicks off the program with an inaugural trip to Madrid, Spain.
June Term and Capstone Experiences are implemented during the final two weeks of school, replacing spring exams.
The Catherine and Frank Petrello Upper School Academic Center is completed, including the addition of Kaltenbacher Hall, an octagonal lecture hall.
Renovation and dedication of Kacur Field is completed.
Coursen Memorial Field Renovation of Coursen Memorial Field is completed.
The Wilf Middle School wing opens with two floors of classrooms, labs,
offices and common spaces.
The Coraci Performance Hall is completed.
250th Anniversary
Newark Academy celebrates its 250th Anniversary!
Tom Ashburn is named the Academy’s 50th Head of School.
Skip To Main Content
History
The Academy is Founded
Newark Academy was founded in Newark, New Jersey.
British troops attack Newark Academy in search of Continental soldiers stationed there during the ongoing Revolutionary War. The Academy building is burned to the ground.
NA reopens in rented quarters as an all-boys school.
“May this Academy rise and flourish … promote useful learning … and diffuse far and wide the beams of that sun of liberty, which has arisen in this western hemisphere.”
- Reverend Alexander Macwhorter
The cornerstone is laid for the second Newark Academy building at the corner of Broad and Academy Streets in Newark.
Second Location
Construction of the Academy’s second location is completed.
Newark Academy first adopted a seal in 1802, featuring a book inscribed with the words of the school’s founder Alexander Macwhorter.
“Will faithfully endeavor to promote useful learning and secure good morals in this institution and diffuse far and wide the beams of that sun of liberty.” The seal was updated in 1888 and then again to its current design in 1984, to bear the school’s motto, “Ad Lumen”—meaning “toward the light.”
- Reverend Alexander Macwhorter
Girls return to Newark Academy, and a dedicated wing is added.
Marquis de Lafayette, the famous Frenchman who fought for the United States Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, visited Newark Academy during the course of his travels.
Third Location
NA moves to its third location at the intersection of High, William and Shipman Streets in Newark. (Eventually, High Street would be renamed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.) Under the direction of the Reverend Frederick A. Adams, NA establishes a full four-year high school curriculum and continues to enroll boys and girls.
The first modern Newark Academy Catalog was published in 1857, providing a detailed four-year curriculum with courses in English, mathematics, science, history, geography, bookkeeping, “Mental and Moral Sciences,” rhetoric, ancient and modern languages, art, music, and gymnastics and calisthenics (strength training).
The Farrand Era Begins
Samuel Farrand serves as Headmaster, doing away with the girls’ division and establishing Newark Academy as a boys’ school. Under his leadership, enrollment increases and the Academy’s reputation flourishes.
The Class of 1882 is the earliest class picture in the archives.
Morning Meeting at Newark Academy is a community tradition that likely dates back to the Farrand era. These meetings initially began as chapel services and included a Bible reading, hymn and prayer. These chapel services continued during the move to Livingston despite a large Jewish student population — the auditorium even had a recessed pit for the organ. Within five years of the move to Livingston, Morning Meeting became completely secularized, transitioning into the gatherings we partake in today which celebrate student achievements and cultivate a close-knit school community.
Newark Academy introduced extra-curricular athletics in 1883. However, the first team for which we have solid evidence of its existence was the football team in 1885.
The Polymnian makes its first appearance as a magazine created by students in the Polymnian Literary and Debating Society.
Headmaster Samuel Farrand dies at the age of 78 and is succeeded by his son, Wilson Farrand.
Newark Academy’s Fifty “Dangerous” Words Frequently Misspelled in Upper Form Compositions was an aid issued to students to help fortify their studies.
The Polymnian
is first published as an independent yearbook.
Fourth Location
Newark Academy moves to its fourth and final Newark location along the historic Morris Canal on First Street.
Wilson Farrand retires as Headmaster, closing out a combined 66 years of leadership by the Farrands.
H. Paul Abbott, the first Headmaster born in the 20th century, adds naval science and aviation to the curriculum in the wake of World War II.
The Newark Academy "Minute Man" mascot is created by Dean H. Upgrove of the Class of 1916.
Students begin a newspaper,
The Newark Academy
News, later renamed
The Minute Man
.
Robert M. Butler is named Headmaster.
Fifth Location
Newark Academy sells the First Street property and moves to its 68-acre campus in Livingston, under the leadership of Headmaster Robert M. Butler.
Newark Academy dedicates the football and track field in memory of Medal of Honor recipient Samuel S. Coursen ’45, who was killed during the Korean War.
E. Standish Bradford, Jr. is named Headmaster.
Newark Academy returns to its coeducational roots following a unanimous vote by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees to admit girls.
Newark Academy enrolls its first cohort of young women since 1859.
Trustees, administrators and faculty hold a leadership conference to discuss the future of NA. The conference’s conclusion is that Newark Academy needs to be innovative to prepare students for their entire futures, not just college.
Bicentennial: President Richard Nixon congratulates Newark Academy for its bicentennial celebration.
The new Richard C. Hawkes Memorial Library (officially dedicated in 1982) is completed.
Allan E. Strand is named Headmaster.
Newark Academy becomes the first school in New Jersey to offer the International Baccalaureate diploma as part of the curriculum.
The 20,000-square-foot Elizabeth B. McGraw Arts Center opens with new instrumental and choral facilities, classrooms and studios for ceramics, drawing, printmaking, painting and photography. It is also home to the Lautenberg “Black Box” Theater for acting students and the David Teiger ’47 Gallery for Studio Arts at the center of the wing, to showcase student art and the works of artists-in-residence.
Elizabeth “Penney” Riegelman is named the first female Head of School.
225 Years!
Newark Academy celebrates its 225th anniversary.
The Simon Family Field House is completed, adding 57,000 square feet to the school, featuring a gymnasium, six–lane pool, fitness center, locker rooms, athletics offices and storage space.
Newark Academy changes its daily schedule from eight 41-minute periods to six 55-minute periods to prioritize depth of inquiry.
The Board of Trustees approves tuition forgiveness for Off-Campus Study, allowing students to attend semester schools around the globe each year.
The Carol Heaney Nature Trail opens with two outdoor classrooms, an astronomy lookout and a pond for aquatic biology and chemistry studies.
Donald M. Austin is named the Academy’s 49th Head of School.
Newark Academy launches the Global Speaker Series, bringing distinguished individuals from around the world to enrich students’ understanding and broaden their intellectual horizons. One of the first speakers in the series was Ethan Zohn, winner of Survivor: Africa.
NA institutes the Immersion Experience requirement and kicks off the program with an inaugural trip to Madrid, Spain.
June Term and Capstone Experiences are implemented during the final two weeks of school, replacing spring exams.
The Catherine and Frank Petrello Upper School Academic Center is completed, including the addition of Kaltenbacher Hall, an octagonal lecture hall.
Renovation and dedication of Kacur Field is completed.
Coursen Memorial Field Renovation of Coursen Memorial Field is completed.
The Wilf Middle School wing opens with two floors of classrooms, labs,
offices and common spaces.
The Coraci Performance Hall is completed.
250th Anniversary
Newark Academy celebrates its 250th Anniversary!
Tom Ashburn is named the Academy’s 50th Head of School.