Admiral Farragut Academy
Admiral Farragut Academy is a college preparatory school with Naval training founded in 1933 in Pine Beach, New Jersey by, among others, Admiral Samuel Robison, one-time President of RCA, and former Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It is named after Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, the senior officer of the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War.
In 1945, the current campus opened in St. Petersburg, Florida, occupying the famous Jungle Country Club Hotel, an historic landmark in the Tampa Bay area, constructed in 1925. In 1946, Admiral Farragut Academy was designated a "Naval Honor School" by Act of Congress, making it the first such secondary school in the United States.
Campuses
The original campus in Pine Beach closed in 1994 and most buildings were demolished in 2003. The campus in St. Petersburg, Florida remains open.[citation needed] In the early 1990s, the previously all-boys Academy began accepting female students for the first time.
Famous Alumni
The Academy is perhaps most notable for graduating two of the twelve men who walked on the Moon. RADM Alan Shepard USN was the first American in space and in 1971, during the Apollo 14 mission, the fifth man to walk on the Moon; Shepard graduated in 1941 from the New Jersey campus. BGEN Charles Duke, USAF, was a class of 1953 graduate of the St. Petersburg campus, and in 1972 became the 10th man to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 16 mission.
The NJROTC Program
An integral part of an education at Admiral Farragut Academy is the required involvement in NJROTC. Every student in the Upper Division takes three years of Naval Science, an in-depth study of the history, operation and core concepts of the United States Navy. The entire Upper Division student body makes up a student-run NJROTC Battalion.
Accreditation and Memberships
Admiral Farragut Academy is accredited by:
It is also a member of:
- The National Association of Independent Schools
- The Small Boarding Schools Association
- Tampa Bay Independent Secondary Schools
- The Association of Military College Schools and Universities in the United States
- The Florida High School Activities Association
Student Body
As of 2006, there are approximately 200 students in the upper division, with a 5:1 ratio of boys to girls. The Academy offers optional boarding with 5-day and 7-day plans available. Approximately 75% of the students are day students.
Admiral Farragut Academy serves students from all over the world. In 2007, these students represented 14 different countries.
College Acceptance
As a college preparatory school, Admiral Farragut Academy aims to see all students placed into a four-year college or university. A full-time college placement and guidance officer assists cadets with:
- college applications
- college visits
- scholarship applications
Some notable college placements have been:
- Amherst College
- Auburn University
- Cornell University
- Duke University
- St. Petersburg College
- Elon University
- George Washington University
- Harvard University
- McDaniel College
- Northeastern University
- Rhodes College
- SUNY Maritime College
- University of California at Berkeley
- The United States Air Force Academy
- The United States Naval Academy at Annapolis
- The United States Merchant Marine Academy
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Wofford College
Misconceptions
Due to its military aspect, some people believe that the Academy is a boot camp. Contrary to this, Admiral Farragut Academy is not a correctional institution, but a college preparatory institution and will only consider students who wish to attend.
Athletics
Cadets at Admiral Farragut Academy are encouraged to participate in one or more sports during each semester. Options include:
- varsity and junior varsity football
- varsity and junior varsity basketball
- baseball
- softball
- volleyball
- wrestling
- track and field
- cross-country
- golf
- tennis
- swimming
- diving
- sailing
- riflery
- cheerleading
- soccer
Notable Recent Events
- In the spring of 2006, NASA presented a moon rock to astronaut and alumni of Admiral Farragut Academy Charles "Charlie" Duke, who then donated it to the school. It is displayed in a showcase in front of the Quarter-Deck at the entrance to the main building, Farragut Hall.
- Graduating seniors in the class of 2008 acquired an estimated $6.69 million in scholarships and financial aid.
- In the last two years, more than 7 cadets have received service academy appointments.
- The Class of 2008 has just attained the record for ROTC scholarships and Academy appointments out of any graduating class with the following: two Army ROTC scholarships, two Air Force ROTC scholarships, ten Navy ROTC scholarships, two U.S. Coast Guard Academy appointments, one U.S. Military Academy appointment, three U.S. Naval Academy appointments, and one U.S. Air Force Academy appointment.
Calendar
AFA operates on a semester system, each consisting of two 9-week marking periods. The school year begins mid-August and ends in mid-May. The Academy observes three major breaks, Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, and Spring Break, among many smaller holidays.
External links
- Admiral Farragut Academy
- Tuition for 2007/2008
- Now Hear This, Admiral Farragut Academy News
- A Farragut North alumnus' page of photos
- Admiral Farragut North Tribute Website