Blue Ridge School
Encyclopedia
Blue Ridge School is a private
, all-male
boarding school
for students grades 9-12 in Saint George, Virginia
, near Charlottesville
. The school was founded in 1909 by the Reverend George P. Mayo. About 190 students attend Blue Ridge from 33 states and ten foreign countries, with many from Virginia and the rest of the South
. The schools' campus is 751 acres (3 km²) and adjoins the Shenandoah National Park
at the base of Brokenback Mountain.
Headmaster Hatcher C. Williams felt the capable boy, with just a little help, could learn to take care of himself and maximize his growth academically and personally. That philosophy still prevails on the campus. In 1962, the School was reorganized by a Board of Trustees into today’s program, a college preparatory boarding school for boys, many of whom did not realize their potential in other settings. The Current headmaster is Dr. John O'Reilly. Today, Blue Ridge School asserts that it is dedicated to providing a sound college-prep education for capable and willing young men. Blue Ridge is a supportive, structured community where self-esteem is founded upon solid accomplishment in the classroom, on the athletic fields, in the arts and in a host of co-curricular activities. In 2011, 53 of 55 graduates (96%) were accepted by colleges and universities. School programs emphasize the development and refinement of individual talents and skills essential to success and fulfillment in academics and life.
Fall
Winter
Spring
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, all-male
Single-sex education
Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education, is the practice of conducting education where male and female students attend separate classes or in separate buildings or schools. The practice was predominant before the mid-twentieth century, particularly in secondary education and...
boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for students grades 9-12 in Saint George, Virginia
Saint George, Virginia
Saint George is an unincorporated community in Greene County, Virginia, United States.Saint George is home to the Blue Ridge School.-References:*...
, near Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
. The school was founded in 1909 by the Reverend George P. Mayo. About 190 students attend Blue Ridge from 33 states and ten foreign countries, with many from Virginia and the rest of the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. The schools' campus is 751 acres (3 km²) and adjoins the Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the U.S. state of Virginia. This national park is long and narrow, with the broad Shenandoah River and valley on the west side, and the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont on the east...
at the base of Brokenback Mountain.
History
The School opened its doors to about 35 students early in 1910, and when the word "industrial" was removed from the title years later, it added to the School's stature as an academic institution. Blue Ridge School, which still requires students to attend chapel three times per week, held its first commencement in 1918, when two graduates were awarded diplomas. Five years after the School opened its doors, 49 boarding students and 44 day students attended Blue Ridge and have since expanded numerous times. The original 148 acre (0.6 km²) campus, located 20 miles (32 km) from Charlottesville, VA, at the foothills of the historic Blue Ridge Mountains, has grown to nearly 800 acres (3.2 km²). The campus features a lake, several ponds. The Robert A. Gibson Memorial Chapel, the Martha Bagby Battle House (Headmaster’s Residence) and the old St. George Post Office still stand on Blue Ridge School's grounds.Headmaster Hatcher C. Williams felt the capable boy, with just a little help, could learn to take care of himself and maximize his growth academically and personally. That philosophy still prevails on the campus. In 1962, the School was reorganized by a Board of Trustees into today’s program, a college preparatory boarding school for boys, many of whom did not realize their potential in other settings. The Current headmaster is Dr. John O'Reilly. Today, Blue Ridge School asserts that it is dedicated to providing a sound college-prep education for capable and willing young men. Blue Ridge is a supportive, structured community where self-esteem is founded upon solid accomplishment in the classroom, on the athletic fields, in the arts and in a host of co-curricular activities. In 2011, 53 of 55 graduates (96%) were accepted by colleges and universities. School programs emphasize the development and refinement of individual talents and skills essential to success and fulfillment in academics and life.
Athletics
Blue Ridge School has many sports and participates in the fall, winter and spring seasons. It participates in the Old Dominion Football Conference (ODFC), the Cavalier Athletic Conference (CAC), and the Virginia Independent Conference (VIC) for Varsity Soccer. The basketball team is consistently one of the best in Virginia and has competed in the State finals. It has a 22,000 square foot (2,000 m²) field house and its sports Include:Fall
- V Cross-Country
- JV Cross-Country
- JV Football
- JV Soccer
- Mountain Biking
- V Football
- V Soccer
- Outdoor Adventure Sports
- Volley Ball
Winter
- Indoor Soccer
- JV Basketball
- Outdoor Adventure Sports
- Squire Basketball
- V Basketball
- Wrestling
Spring
- Outdoor Adventure Sports
- Baseball
- Golf
- V Lacrosse
- JV Lacrosse
- V Tennis
- JV Tennis
- Track & Field
Notable alumni
- Grits GreshamGrits GreshamClaude Hamilton "Grits" Gresham, Jr. was an internationally-known American sportsman, author, photographer and television personality who hosted ABC's The American Sportsman series from 1966-1979...
(1922-2008) -- nationally-known outdoorsman and sportsman who hosted ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's The American SportsmanThe American SportsmanThe American Sportsman was a television series from 1965 to 1986 on ABC which presented filmed highlights of hunting and/or fishing trips involving the program's hosts and celebrities. It was typically presented on Sunday afternoons, frequently following coverage of live sporting events...
from 1966-1979 and authored eight books on huntingHuntingHunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, fishingFishingFishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, and gunsGünsGüns or Guens may refer to:* Kőszeg, Hungary * Kőszeg Mountains, Hungary * Akiva Güns , birth name of Akiva Eger, a Hungarian-Polish rabbi- See also :* Guns * Gün, a surname... - Chazz WoodsonChazz WoodsonChazz Woodson is a Major League Lacrosse player for the Boston Cannons.-College career:Woodson attended Brown University and was a four-year letterman in lacrosse He was a two-time All-Ivy League selection and a two-time All-New England selection.-Professional career:Woodson was originally...
01' Professional lacrosse player for the Boston Canons