Culver Academies

About

Henry Harrison Culver founded Culver Military Academy 123 years ago in 1894 "for the purpose of thoroughly preparing young men for the best colleges, scientific schools and businesses of America." Coeducational since 1971, Culver Girls Academy was founded in that year by Mary Francis England for the purpose of encouraging young women to attain the highest degree of self-development. Culver Summer Schools and Camps consists of the Culver Summer Naval School (CSNS) for boys, Culver Summer School for Girls (CSSG), the Cavalry Troop program, the Aviation School, and the Woodcraft Camp. The summer schools began operations in 1902 and today bring over 1,300 campers from around the world to Culver to learn leadership skills that improve personal confidence.

A boarding school featuring a broad college preparatory curriculum with a focus on "educating its students for leadership and responsible citizenship in society by developing and nurturing the whole individual - minds, spirit, and body - through integrated programs that emphasize the cultivation of character." Culver is one of the largest boarding schools in the United States, with over 800 students, an endowment of over $380 million, and a total campus of more than 1,800 acres (7.3 km²). The campus has the Vaughn Equestrian Center with one of the country's largest indoor riding hall and stable complexes, the Roberts Hall of Science and Dickee Hall of Mathematics with 64,500 square feet (5,990 m²) of classroom space, the Huffington Library, and the Henderson Ice Arenas which provide facilities to four boys' and one girls' hockey teams, and the newly constructed Steinbrenner Performing Arts Center.

Athletics

Culver Military Academy and Culver Girls Academy have a rich sports tradition and offer a variety of athletic programs and sports teams. The hockey team has a long history of success, and the boys' and girls' lacrosse teams have both recently won state tournaments. The boys' Varsity team won in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2007,& ^[3]2008 and the girls' team has won four times, in 2002, 2003,^[4] 2004,^[5] 2007, and 2008. Culver had state champions in golf, wrestling, cross country, and track, as well as the state softball player of the year. Culver was home to the 2006 Youth National Rowing Champion in the Men's Single Scull. CMA's Black Horse Troop is one of the nation's elite horsemanship groups for high school students and is usually invited to participate in the Presidential Inauguration Parade. The Black Horse Troop participated in the inaugural of the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010, the first time they occurred in the USA. Recently Culver's sailing team went to several national events. The Culver Academies Girls Soccer team is ranked 5th in the state (according to an ESPN poll), and made it to the State Finals in 2008. Culver is also considered one of the top fencing schools in the nation. In 2009, the boys' basketball team will be competing in the State Farm Holiday Classic basketball tournament in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.

Facilities

The Eugene C. Eppley Foundation donated the funds for three classroom buildings that comprise the Gignilliat Memorial Quadrangle. Eppley Auditorium, built 58 years ago in 1959, seats 1,492 people. The new Steinbrenner Performing Arts Center consists of a scene shop, dance studio, and private dance studio.

The ethos of the Culver Academies was augmented with the dedication of the 47,000 sq. ft. Huffington Library on October 1, 1993. Physically, the building provides a southern terminus to the academic quadrangle while affording library patrons a view of Lake Maxinkuckee. It houses a collection of approximately 55,000 volumes and, with it, the latest in information technology.

Henderson Arena is home to Culver Military Academy and Culver Girls Academy hockey teams.

On October 5, 2012 Culver dedicated the White-Devries Rowing Center, a world class facility for the men's and women's crew teams.

Notable alumni