Randolph-Macon Academy (R-MA) is a coeducational private boarding school in the U.S. state of Virginia with a military leadership component. R-MA serves students in grades 6-12. The 135-acre (0.55 km2) campus overlooks Front Royal, and is 70 miles (110 km) west of Washington, D.C. It is one of six private military schools in Virginia.

Accreditation

Randolph-Macon Academy is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools.

History

Randolph-Macon Academy was founded in 1892 by Dr. William W. Smith as part of the Randolph-Macon College preparatory school program. The original 15 acre campus had one main building which housed classrooms as well as dormitories. The original building resembled a castle in its design and architecture. In 1917 it transformed into a military school. The program later undertook the title of the "National Defense Cadet Corps." After a fire, the new "Main Building" was built in 1927; it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 as Sonner Hall. Randolph-Macon Academy admitted its first African American applicant in 1971. In 1974 it became coeducational and in 1975 adopted the United States Air Force Junior ROTC program. In 1981, Col. Trevor D. Turner (USA, Ret.) was hired as President (1981-1997). Col. Turner's period in charge coincided with a financial crisis due to a fire, which was successfully overcome by the time he left in 1997. In June 2023, Brigadier General David Wesley announced that Randolph-Macon Academy would no longer have an AFJROTC program, and would instead be developing its own military leadership program. The replacement, the Cadet Leadership Development Program, focuses on positive character development with military undertones.

Notable alumni