Admiral Farragut Academy

Template:Infobox AFA

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.

Battalion Organization

Battalion Staff 2007-2008

Battalion Commander: Cadet Commander Alexander Banks (NROTC)
Battalion Executive Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Commander Blake Lusty (USNA, USMA, USCGA, NROTC)
Battalion Adjutant: Cadet Lieutenant Andrew Fuller (USAFA, NROTC, AFROTC)
Battalion Awards and Academics Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Stephen Moore (NROTC)
Battalion Logistics Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Thomas Ferrante (NROTC)
Battalion Operations Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Kathryn Thomas (USNA, NROTC)
Battalion Public Affairs Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Erica Bolline

Drill Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Amanda Andrion
Drill Company Executive Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Camilo Bravo
Band Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Jonathan Seays
Assistant Band Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Rebecca Harper
First Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Gregory Cogswell (NROTC)
First Company Executive Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Blake Spero
Second Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Brittany Cross
Second Company Executive Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Natalia Widulinski (NROTC)
Third Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Jenna James
Third Company Executive Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Hayden Buttner
Fourth Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Scott Jacobus
Fourth Company Executive Officer: Cadet Ensign Benjamin Landon
Fifth Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Erik Werlin
Fifth Company Executive Officer: Cadet Ensign Patricia Vincent
Middle Division Drill Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Veronica Yambrovich
Middle Division Drill Company Commander: Cadet Ensign Zachary Northcutt

Battalion Staff 2008-2009

Battalion Commander: Cadet Commander Spencer Fletcher
Battalion Executive Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Landon
Battalion Adjutant: Cadet Lieutenant Commander Justin Lenhart
Battalion Operations Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Commander Zachary Northcutt
Battalion Awards, Academics and Logistics Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Christopher MacKoul
Battalion Public Affairs Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Veronica Yambrovich
Battalion Weapons Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Curtis Diaz
Battalion Commander Master Chief: Cadet Command Master Chief Petty Officer Joseph Felton-Ankerberg

Drill Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Zachary VanAntwerpen
Drill Company Executive Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Drew Quinn
Band Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Maria Meana
Assistant Band Company Commander: Cadet Ensign Mary Fulton
First Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Rachel Cone
First Company Executive Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade David Valladares
Second Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Denzel Park
Second Company Executive Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Michael Lukas
Third Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Taylor Davis
Third Company Executive Officer: Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Brett Louderback
Fourth Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Todd Park
Fourth Company Executive Officer: Cadet Ensign Casey Corr
Fifth Company Commander: Unfilled Position
Fifth Company Executive Officer: Cadet Ensign Annagrace Shelton
Middle Division Drill Company Commander: Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Chester Claudon
Middle Division Drill Company Commander: Cadet Ensign Sebastian Kim

Accreditation and Memberships

Admiral Farragut Academy is accredited by:

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and
The Florida Council of Independent Schools.

It is also a member of:

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:

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 United States Coast Guard Academy appointments, one United States Military Academy appointment, three United States Naval Academy appointments, and one United States 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