Amelia Academy
Encyclopedia
Amelia Academy is an independent co-educational college preparatory school in Amelia, Virginia
. The campus is located within the rural Piedmont region of central Virginia.
's policy of massive resistance
to involuntary integration of public schools. At this time most of the white students in Amelia County transferred to the new Amelia Academy.
Like many such schools, Amelia Academy had its tax-exempt status suspended by the Internal Revenue Service
in the early 1970s due to its racially discriminatory admission policies.
Amelia Academy regained its tax exempt status in 1985. However, in February 1986 the Internal Revenue Service
announced that it was opening an investigation to determine whether the Amelia Academy and two other Virginia private schools had in fact abandoned racial discrimination in admissions. In April 1986 the IRS announced that both the Amelia Academy and the Isle of Wight Academy
would have their tax exemptions revoked.
As of 1988, no Black student had ever attended the school. In May of that year, headmistress Dallas De K. Lewis told the Richmond Times-Dispatch
that "We have an open-door policy. We'd be delighted if we could get some other races."
Amelia Academy was briefly in the news during the 1992 Virginia gubernatorial campaign. Republican candidates George Allen
and Michael Farris attended a picnic at the school. Both men later denied knowing that the event was a fundraiser for the school, that the school had been founded as a segregation academy, and that the student body at the time was all white. At the time, headmistress Lewis told the Washington Post that the Academy "has always had an open-door policy," and that anyone who met admissions standards was welcome to attend. She also noted that the school had not yet regained its tax-exempt status from the IRS, and recalled that, although the Academy had had a Korean student during the IRS investigation, the investigator noted that "we may have met the letter of the law but because we had no blacks, we didn't meet the spirit of the law." Peter Eliades, unsuccessful Virginia Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, also attended the event. His campaign manager told the Times-Dispatch "I had absolutely no idea there was any connection...with a segregation academy. If there is a connection, we are appalled. We condemn any kind of discrimination."
Amelia Courthouse, Virginia
Amelia Court House is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Amelia County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 1,099. Amelia Court House is also known as Amelia Courthouse and Amelia...
. The campus is located within the rural Piedmont region of central Virginia.
History
Amelia Academy was founded in 1964 as a segregation academy during the VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
's policy of massive resistance
Massive resistance
Massive resistance was a policy declared by U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr. on February 24, 1956, to unite other white politicians and leaders in Virginia in a campaign of new state laws and policies to prevent public school desegregation after the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision...
to involuntary integration of public schools. At this time most of the white students in Amelia County transferred to the new Amelia Academy.
Like many such schools, Amelia Academy had its tax-exempt status suspended by the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
in the early 1970s due to its racially discriminatory admission policies.
Amelia Academy regained its tax exempt status in 1985. However, in February 1986 the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
announced that it was opening an investigation to determine whether the Amelia Academy and two other Virginia private schools had in fact abandoned racial discrimination in admissions. In April 1986 the IRS announced that both the Amelia Academy and the Isle of Wight Academy
Isle of Wight Academy
Isle of Wight Academy , founded in 1967 as a segregation academy, is an independent, non-sectarian, co-educational nonprofit day school located in Isle of Wight County, Virginia...
would have their tax exemptions revoked.
As of 1988, no Black student had ever attended the school. In May of that year, headmistress Dallas De K. Lewis told the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Richmond Times-Dispatch is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond the capital of Virginia, United States, and is commonly considered the "newspaper of record" for events occurring in much of the state...
that "We have an open-door policy. We'd be delighted if we could get some other races."
Amelia Academy was briefly in the news during the 1992 Virginia gubernatorial campaign. Republican candidates George Allen
George Allen (U.S. politician)
George Felix Allen is a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former NFL head coach George Allen. Allen served Virginia in the state legislature, as the 67th Governor, and in both bodies of the U.S. Congress, winning election to the Senate in 2000...
and Michael Farris attended a picnic at the school. Both men later denied knowing that the event was a fundraiser for the school, that the school had been founded as a segregation academy, and that the student body at the time was all white. At the time, headmistress Lewis told the Washington Post that the Academy "has always had an open-door policy," and that anyone who met admissions standards was welcome to attend. She also noted that the school had not yet regained its tax-exempt status from the IRS, and recalled that, although the Academy had had a Korean student during the IRS investigation, the investigator noted that "we may have met the letter of the law but because we had no blacks, we didn't meet the spirit of the law." Peter Eliades, unsuccessful Virginia Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, also attended the event. His campaign manager told the Times-Dispatch "I had absolutely no idea there was any connection...with a segregation academy. If there is a connection, we are appalled. We condemn any kind of discrimination."