Pace Academy
Encyclopedia
Pace Academy is a K-12 college preparatory private school
, located at 966 West Paces Ferry Road
in the Buckhead
area of Atlanta, Georgia
. Pace has approximately 1040 students.
Pace Academy is situated on 37 acres in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood. The school's landmark building, the Castle, was constructed as a private residence in 1932 for the Ogden family. Pace Academy was incorporated on June 30, 1958, with an initial enrollment of 178 students, for the purpose of “training and educating children and operating a school and kindergarten.” Frank Kaley was hired as Pace's first headmaster in 1959. During the period from 1958 to 1962, the Ogden house was renovated to accommodate administrative offices and classrooms, and a playground was developed for the younger children. In 1961, a building was added housing classrooms, a cafeteria, and a library. Athletic fields were established during this time.
In 1964, Pace graduated its first class, with 13 students receiving diplomas. Further improvements to Pace’s athletic facilities were made in 1966 when the school constructed a gymnasium and enlarged the athletic field. This facility was dedicated to the memory of William T. Boyd, who had served as an outstanding president of the Pace Parents Club. In 1971, Bridges Hall was constructed and named in honor of Russell Bridges, who had served as chairman of Pace’s Board of Trustees for 10 years. It housed the Lower School, some Upper School classrooms and the present library. Improvements to the athletic facilities included the addition of a swimming pool and tennis courts.
In 1972, George G. Kirkpatrick assumed leadership of the school. Further additions to classroom facilities were made in 1973, along with a new driveway system and additional parking. With the help of Anne and Mills Bee Lane, the gardens were restored in that year.
Although from its incorporation, Pace was accredited by the Georgia Accreditation Committee for its educational programs, 1973 saw the accreditation of Pace by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
In 1976 the Randall property adjacent to Pace became available and a fundraising drive was launched to purchase the property. First used to house Pace’s Fine Arts programs in art and music, the Randall House offered Pace the possibility of providing separate classroom facilities for the Upper and Lower Schools. With the concurrence of the Atlanta zoning commission and the input of Pace neighbors, a long-range plan for the further development of the Pace campus was approved by the Board of Trustees. This plan called for major facility improvements to be undertaken in three phases: an addition to the Randall House to house the Lower School in one facility, construction of a fine arts center and auditorium, and construction of an additional gymnasium.
In 1981-83, the Keep Pace with Progress campaign was conducted to achieve the first phase of the Pace campus development plan. Almost $3 million was pledged to build the Lower School addition, build a playground adjacent to the Lower School, and to renovate the classrooms vacated by the Lower School program for improved science facilities, computer labs, and an expanded library for Upper School students.
With the completion of this project, the Board of Trustees updated its long-range plan and focused on three priorities for the Inspiring the Best campaign: construction of a fine arts center, expansion and improvement of athletic and parking facilities and increased endowment. This campaign was approved by the Board of Trustees in 1987 and raised $7.2 million.
The opening of the Fine Arts Center on September 18, 1990 inaugurated a new stage in Pace’s development. More than 2,000 people attended the opening celebrations and Pace received great public acclaim for the excellence and beauty of these new facilities. As part of this recognition, the Atlanta Chapter of the American Institute of Architects named the Fine Arts Center as one of ten outstanding architectural additions to the city, featuring it in its 1991 “Architecture in Atlanta” tours.
Peter Cobb was named headmaster in 1994, the same year the Castle was officially named Kirkpatrick Hall, in honor of George G. Kirkpatrick, who had led Pace through its greatest growth.
Following Mr. Cobb’s resignation in 1996, Michael A. Murphy, who had served as head of Lower School for seven years, served as Interim Headmaster until February 1997 when he was named Headmaster.
In the spring of 1997, following a gift of $2 million by the Hugh M. Inman Foundation, the Educating for Life – Pace 2000 capital campaign was launched, with a goal of $16 million. This goal included $7.8 million for the Inman Center, a student activity center with state of the art athletic facilities, a new cafeteria, faculty offices, and additional parking. The Inman Center was opened in January 2000. Don Sutton was the guest speaker at the opening celebration. In addition, the campaign funded new athletic fields and tennis courts, renovated classroom space in the Upper School, and established an endowment supplement of almost $4 million.
During Mr. Murhpy’s tenure Pace embarked on a campaign to build a new Middle School building, and out of that the Explore, Connect, Excel, the Campaign for The Middle School was born. After only 16 months the school had raised the necessary $16 million to build the new facility, which houses grades 6, 7, and 8. Additionally, the Board completed a 5-year strategic plan.
In the fall of 2005 Pace welcomed its fifth Head of School, Fred Assaf. Mr. Assaf was installed at the opening of school and Mayor Shirley Franklin was the guest speaker. The Board of Trustees embarked on an ambitious long range plan and master campus plan. These documents, called for in the Strategic Plan, outlined the commitment of Pace to remain a small, family school which educated the whole child.
In 2007 the school resolved longstanding issues with the neighborhood association and entered into an historic agreement which provided for both preserving the small family feel of Pace and expanding the facilities to accommodate a moderate increase in enrollment.
As a part of this plan, Pace realized its need to acquire expanded athletic facilities and acquired two parcels, an eight-acre baseball/softball complex on Warren Road and a 23-acre tract on Riverview Road in Cobb County, which will be built into a track & field facility, a new stadium for soccer, lacrosse and football with seating for 2000, an additional soccer/lacrosse/football field, and a new varsity baseball field.
The Board also authorized SHINE, The Pace Capital Campaign for $32 million that will help build the new athletic facilities, refurbish and add onto the Lower School, and enhance the endowment for faculty.
Institutions, like individuals, are challenged to attain the highest standards of achievement. Just as the school encourages its students to reach their greatest potential, it can also be said that Pace Academy, for more than fifty years, seeks to reach its greatest potential. In this, Pace, like its students, is led by the school’s motto “summum nitens confide,” to have the courage to strive for excellence.
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
the highest award an American school can receive.
Pace is also widely recognized for its Fine Arts program. In particular, the school's theater program has received wide accolades since the 1970s and produces musicals and dramas on par with professional theater groups.
Pace Academy also has a robotics team for both Middle and Upper School, the Roboknights and the Radbotics. The Middle School team participates in the FIRST Lego League
, while the Upper School team participates in the FIRST Tech Challenge
.
Pace has a notable Policy Simulation Program, which includes Model UN, TUFTS EPIIC Inquiry, and Model Arab League. The program is led by Helen Smith and was started in the early 1990s.
player Michael Barrett.
Lead by Coach Ricks Carson, the boys soccer team won the final three Fall Soccer League championships (2002 to 2004), and finished second nationally in the final NSCAA
(National Soccer Coaches of America) poll during the fall of 2003. In its first season in the GHSA Spring League in 2006, the team captured the Class AA/A State Championship and finished 19th nationally and 5th in Region II in the Final NSCAA
poll.
The boys lacrosse team, coached by Tom Kates, has consistently contended for the GHSA All-Classification championship in its twelve years of existence. The team reached the state finals twice, and has played in three other state semifinals.
In 2006, the school announced plans to add a football
team, with varsity play scheduled to begin in 2009. For most of its existence, the school focused on its soccer and baseball
programs, opting to take part in a smaller fall soccer season to allow players to play baseball in the spring. However, the cancellation of the fall soccer season left the spring season the only option, encouraging the school to finally develop a football program.
The Middle School
football team reached the championships of the Atlanta Metro Football League in its first year in existence. Matt Hall is the head coach of the Varsity football team, playing its first season in 2008. He is a former player on the Amherst College
football team.
In the Fall of 2010, after a 9-1 regular season, the Pace Knights football team made its first GHSA
playoff appearance. The teams' Seniors were in the class of Eighth Graders that had been on the original Middle School football team.
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...
, located at 966 West Paces Ferry Road
Pace's Ferry
Through much of the 19th century, Pace's Ferry was an important ferry across the Chattahoochee River near Atlanta. Started in the early 1830s near Peachtree Creek, it was run by Hardy Pace, one of the city's founders...
in the Buckhead
Buckhead (Atlanta)
Buckhead is the uptown district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States, comprising approximately the northern one-fifth of the city. Buckhead is a major commercial and financial center of the Southeast, and it is the third-largest business district in Atlanta, behind Downtown and Midtown...
area of Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. Pace has approximately 1040 students.
History
Pace Academy was founded in Atlanta 1958 by an interfaith group of local community leaders. They envisioned a community open to fresh ideas and debate in the great liberal arts tradition. Although the school is not affiliated with a specific church or religion, it adheres to Judeo-Christian values and places a major emphasis on character development.Pace Academy is situated on 37 acres in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood. The school's landmark building, the Castle, was constructed as a private residence in 1932 for the Ogden family. Pace Academy was incorporated on June 30, 1958, with an initial enrollment of 178 students, for the purpose of “training and educating children and operating a school and kindergarten.” Frank Kaley was hired as Pace's first headmaster in 1959. During the period from 1958 to 1962, the Ogden house was renovated to accommodate administrative offices and classrooms, and a playground was developed for the younger children. In 1961, a building was added housing classrooms, a cafeteria, and a library. Athletic fields were established during this time.
In 1964, Pace graduated its first class, with 13 students receiving diplomas. Further improvements to Pace’s athletic facilities were made in 1966 when the school constructed a gymnasium and enlarged the athletic field. This facility was dedicated to the memory of William T. Boyd, who had served as an outstanding president of the Pace Parents Club. In 1971, Bridges Hall was constructed and named in honor of Russell Bridges, who had served as chairman of Pace’s Board of Trustees for 10 years. It housed the Lower School, some Upper School classrooms and the present library. Improvements to the athletic facilities included the addition of a swimming pool and tennis courts.
In 1972, George G. Kirkpatrick assumed leadership of the school. Further additions to classroom facilities were made in 1973, along with a new driveway system and additional parking. With the help of Anne and Mills Bee Lane, the gardens were restored in that year.
Although from its incorporation, Pace was accredited by the Georgia Accreditation Committee for its educational programs, 1973 saw the accreditation of Pace by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
In 1976 the Randall property adjacent to Pace became available and a fundraising drive was launched to purchase the property. First used to house Pace’s Fine Arts programs in art and music, the Randall House offered Pace the possibility of providing separate classroom facilities for the Upper and Lower Schools. With the concurrence of the Atlanta zoning commission and the input of Pace neighbors, a long-range plan for the further development of the Pace campus was approved by the Board of Trustees. This plan called for major facility improvements to be undertaken in three phases: an addition to the Randall House to house the Lower School in one facility, construction of a fine arts center and auditorium, and construction of an additional gymnasium.
In 1981-83, the Keep Pace with Progress campaign was conducted to achieve the first phase of the Pace campus development plan. Almost $3 million was pledged to build the Lower School addition, build a playground adjacent to the Lower School, and to renovate the classrooms vacated by the Lower School program for improved science facilities, computer labs, and an expanded library for Upper School students.
With the completion of this project, the Board of Trustees updated its long-range plan and focused on three priorities for the Inspiring the Best campaign: construction of a fine arts center, expansion and improvement of athletic and parking facilities and increased endowment. This campaign was approved by the Board of Trustees in 1987 and raised $7.2 million.
The opening of the Fine Arts Center on September 18, 1990 inaugurated a new stage in Pace’s development. More than 2,000 people attended the opening celebrations and Pace received great public acclaim for the excellence and beauty of these new facilities. As part of this recognition, the Atlanta Chapter of the American Institute of Architects named the Fine Arts Center as one of ten outstanding architectural additions to the city, featuring it in its 1991 “Architecture in Atlanta” tours.
Peter Cobb was named headmaster in 1994, the same year the Castle was officially named Kirkpatrick Hall, in honor of George G. Kirkpatrick, who had led Pace through its greatest growth.
Following Mr. Cobb’s resignation in 1996, Michael A. Murphy, who had served as head of Lower School for seven years, served as Interim Headmaster until February 1997 when he was named Headmaster.
In the spring of 1997, following a gift of $2 million by the Hugh M. Inman Foundation, the Educating for Life – Pace 2000 capital campaign was launched, with a goal of $16 million. This goal included $7.8 million for the Inman Center, a student activity center with state of the art athletic facilities, a new cafeteria, faculty offices, and additional parking. The Inman Center was opened in January 2000. Don Sutton was the guest speaker at the opening celebration. In addition, the campaign funded new athletic fields and tennis courts, renovated classroom space in the Upper School, and established an endowment supplement of almost $4 million.
During Mr. Murhpy’s tenure Pace embarked on a campaign to build a new Middle School building, and out of that the Explore, Connect, Excel, the Campaign for The Middle School was born. After only 16 months the school had raised the necessary $16 million to build the new facility, which houses grades 6, 7, and 8. Additionally, the Board completed a 5-year strategic plan.
In the fall of 2005 Pace welcomed its fifth Head of School, Fred Assaf. Mr. Assaf was installed at the opening of school and Mayor Shirley Franklin was the guest speaker. The Board of Trustees embarked on an ambitious long range plan and master campus plan. These documents, called for in the Strategic Plan, outlined the commitment of Pace to remain a small, family school which educated the whole child.
In 2007 the school resolved longstanding issues with the neighborhood association and entered into an historic agreement which provided for both preserving the small family feel of Pace and expanding the facilities to accommodate a moderate increase in enrollment.
As a part of this plan, Pace realized its need to acquire expanded athletic facilities and acquired two parcels, an eight-acre baseball/softball complex on Warren Road and a 23-acre tract on Riverview Road in Cobb County, which will be built into a track & field facility, a new stadium for soccer, lacrosse and football with seating for 2000, an additional soccer/lacrosse/football field, and a new varsity baseball field.
The Board also authorized SHINE, The Pace Capital Campaign for $32 million that will help build the new athletic facilities, refurbish and add onto the Lower School, and enhance the endowment for faculty.
Institutions, like individuals, are challenged to attain the highest standards of achievement. Just as the school encourages its students to reach their greatest potential, it can also be said that Pace Academy, for more than fifty years, seeks to reach its greatest potential. In this, Pace, like its students, is led by the school’s motto “summum nitens confide,” to have the courage to strive for excellence.
Awards and recognition
During the 2004-05 school year, Pace Academy was recognized with the Blue Ribbon SchoolBlue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
the highest award an American school can receive.
School programs
For most of its existence, the school has been best recognized for two of its programs. Pace's debate program is renowned throughout the country and has won the Georgia High School Association's State Debate Championship each year since 1988. The program also captured the national title in 2002. In 2004, the team captured its sixth-straight Richard B. Russell All State (All Classification) Debate Championship.Pace is also widely recognized for its Fine Arts program. In particular, the school's theater program has received wide accolades since the 1970s and produces musicals and dramas on par with professional theater groups.
Pace Academy also has a robotics team for both Middle and Upper School, the Roboknights and the Radbotics. The Middle School team participates in the FIRST Lego League
FIRST Lego League
The FIRST® LEGO® League is an international competition organized by FIRST for elementary and middle school students ....
, while the Upper School team participates in the FIRST Tech Challenge
FIRST Tech Challenge
The FIRST Tech Challenge , formerly the FIRST Vex Challenge , is a mid-level robotics competition targeted toward high-school aged students. It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST Robotics competition but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit...
.
Pace has a notable Policy Simulation Program, which includes Model UN, TUFTS EPIIC Inquiry, and Model Arab League. The program is led by Helen Smith and was started in the early 1990s.
Sports programs
Under Coach Charlie Owens, the baseball team won the Georgia Class A State Championship from 1993 to 1995, all of which included future Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player Michael Barrett.
Lead by Coach Ricks Carson, the boys soccer team won the final three Fall Soccer League championships (2002 to 2004), and finished second nationally in the final NSCAA
NSCAA
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. The NSCAA has grown from a handful of college soccer coaches to more than 22,000 members, making it the largest coaching organization in the world. Its members coach at all levels of...
(National Soccer Coaches of America) poll during the fall of 2003. In its first season in the GHSA Spring League in 2006, the team captured the Class AA/A State Championship and finished 19th nationally and 5th in Region II in the Final NSCAA
NSCAA
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. The NSCAA has grown from a handful of college soccer coaches to more than 22,000 members, making it the largest coaching organization in the world. Its members coach at all levels of...
poll.
The boys lacrosse team, coached by Tom Kates, has consistently contended for the GHSA All-Classification championship in its twelve years of existence. The team reached the state finals twice, and has played in three other state semifinals.
In 2006, the school announced plans to add a football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team, with varsity play scheduled to begin in 2009. For most of its existence, the school focused on its soccer and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
programs, opting to take part in a smaller fall soccer season to allow players to play baseball in the spring. However, the cancellation of the fall soccer season left the spring season the only option, encouraging the school to finally develop a football program.
The Middle School
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
football team reached the championships of the Atlanta Metro Football League in its first year in existence. Matt Hall is the head coach of the Varsity football team, playing its first season in 2008. He is a former player on the Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
football team.
In the Fall of 2010, after a 9-1 regular season, the Pace Knights football team made its first GHSA
GHSA
GHSA may refer to:*Georgia High School Association*Gordon Head Soccer Association...
playoff appearance. The teams' Seniors were in the class of Eighth Graders that had been on the original Middle School football team.
Notable alumni
- Michael Barrett (1995), major league baseball catcher.
- Randy HarrisonRandy HarrisonRandolph Clarke Harrison is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Justin Taylor on the Showtime drama Queer as Folk.-Early life and college:...
(1996), actor, Queer as Folk. - Sarah-Elizabeth LangfordSarah-Elizabeth LangfordSarah-Elizabeth Langford is a beauty queen who has competed at both Miss America and Miss USA. She grew up in Georgia where her father was a state senator. He died when she was fifteen years old, an experience that had a long-term impact on her life.Langford's first pageant experience came in...
(1996), Miss AmericaMiss AmericaThe Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
and Miss USAMiss USAThe Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
contestant.