New York Military Academy


New York Military Academy is a college preparatory, co-ed boarding school in the rural town of Cornwall, north of New York City, and one of the oldest military schools in the United States. Originally a boys' school, it started admitting girls in 1975. On March 3, 2015, NYMA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and was sold at auction to Chinese-owned foundation Research Center on Natural Conservation Inc. which reopened the school in November 2015. The Research Center then poured millions of dollars into the campus to support instruction and capital improvements. The campus also has been host to popular camps like Camp All America into the 1980s and currently the NYMA Leadership Program.

History

NYMA has a long history as a university-preparatory school with a military structure that enrolls students from the New York metropolitan area as well as around the country and the world. It was founded in 1889 by American Civil War veteran and former schoolteacher from New Hampshire Charles Jefferson Wright, a former Commandant of Cadets of the nearby Peekskill Military Academy. Wright's successor, Sebastian Jones, presided over the academy from 1894 to 1922, guiding it during its most critical period of growth from a young and small institution of 48 cadets, through a disastrous fire in 1910, and throughout an extensive reconstruction program. 103 students were enrolled in 2019.
The academy previously admitted students as early the fifth grade. Gradually throughout the mid-to-late 1990s, grades five and six were no longer accepted. By the 1999-2000 school-year, the academy only accepted students from the seventh grade on.. The seventh grade was removed in the mid-2000s; the school today only accepts grades eight through twelve. In some of its early years, the campus also hosted a non-military "NYMA Lower School" for grades one through six.)
Over time, the campus expanded from to a peak of, and enrollment peaked at 525 students during the 1960s. Girls have been admitted since 1975. NYMA is a member of the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States as well as several other school associations.

Financial difficulties

Due to financial problems and enrollment that had dwindled to 145 students, the school was scheduled to close in June 2010. However, a group of alumni and local business people created a plan to save the school, raising almost $6 million of financing in a matter of weeks, and expecting to sell off some less-utilized portions of the campus.
The academy failed to open in September 2015 for the fall semester, and instead headed to bankruptcy auction. On September 30, NYMA was auctioned for $15.825 million to the Chinese-owned Research Center on Natural Conservation Inc., a non-profit corporation led by billionaire Vincent Tianquan Mo, Chairman and CEO of SouFun Holdings, an NYSE-listed company, also operating as Fang Holdings Ltd., one of China's largest real estate internet portals. The foundation also purchased the nearby E.H. Harriman Estate in 2011 and the former Pace University’s 37-acre campus in Briarcliff Manor in 2017. The school reopened on November 2, 2015, with "a handful of returning students" and a recruitment drive. For 2016–17, the academic year began with a total of 29 students. By 2019 the school had grown to a size of 100 male and female Cadets both day and boarding with 12 nations represented and an additional 1,000 students attending special programs throughout the year.

Location

The school is located in the town of Cornwall, New York, and uses the mailing address of the village Cornwall-on-Hudson despite being just outside its official boundary.
Geographically, the academy is in the Hudson Highlands, at the foot of Storm King Mountain, just west of the Hudson River and north of West Point. NYMA is approximately north of New York City, or about one hour by car. This places NYMA in the Mid-Hudson region of the Hudson Valley, which is accessible by airplane as well as train, bus, and automobile.

Student life

The days at NYMA typically begin at 6:00 am and end at 10:00 pm. Cadets attend classes that match their needs during that time and also participate in interscholastic or intramural sports, activities, and study hall. During closed weekends, cadets are expected to attend additional leadership training, drill & ceremony, and maintain the appearance of their respective barracks. Upon gaining the opportunity for an open weekend, cadets in good academic standing can apply for weekend furlough. Along with Academics, Athletics, and Leadership, the fourth "pillar" of cadet life is Character, reinforced continually by the Cadet Honor Code that NYMA shares with West Point.

Organization

The structure of the Corps of Cadets is adjusted depending on the number of students enrolled at the academy. As a military school, the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a key component, and participation is required to graduate. The battalion has typically consisted of:
NYMA has competed in Football, Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Bowling, Lacrosse, Rugby, Swimming, Softball, Track & Field, Volleyball, Cross-Country, Wrestling, Tennis, Rifle Team, Golf, Drill Team, and Raiders. Every cadet is generally required to compete year-round. The school's mascot is the Knight. Teams have competed in the , a member league of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference. NYMA is reigning champion of New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference Basketball "D" class 2018. In 2019, NYMA expanded its accomplishments to not only include the boys New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference Basketball "D" class championship but also won the girls NEPSAC championship class "E" as well.

Hazing

In earlier decades, NYMA's official regulations permitted a certain level of hazing and physical discipline by supervisors and older cadets, although the academy's senior administrators were forced to resign after a particularly severe incident in 1964.
While hazing later became forbidden by the school's rules and policies, a lawsuit was settled in which it had been claimed that physical and emotional abuse in the form of hazing had taken place in 2005. NYMA cited adverse publicity from the 2005 incident as one of the reasons the school nearly closed in 2010.

Notable alumni