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In 1911, a group of area businessmen founded The Columbus Academy to provide a local educational option for boys. They adopted the independent country day school philosophy that academic preparation was a cooperative effort between the school and the home. Thus, Columbus Academy began as a college preparatory school dedicated to the highest standards of intellectual, social, moral, aesthetic and physical development.
Columbus Academy's first home was situated on four acres along Alum Creek. Numerous additions to the "main house" were made as the number of students in grades 5-12 grew. Academy's first headmaster, Frank P.R. Van Syckel, instituted a strong liberal arts program coupled with vigorous athletic instruction. He established a tradition of excellence which is reflected in the school's motto, "In Quest of the Best."
Columbus Academy prospered in the '20s as more families trusted the school to prepare their sons for the future. The school weathered the Depression and a WWII enrollment dip to emerge in 1950 as a leading independent school that could choose from among qualified applicants. Demand prompted the addition of a Lower School so that area young men could complete their elementary and secondary educations at one institution.
After repeated flooding along Alum Creek and continued enrollment growth, the Board approved a 20-year plan for relocation. The school acquired 231 acres in Gahanna (eight miles northeast of Columbus), raised funds and built a new campus. The five-building complex served the school well until the student body exceeded 600 boys. In the mid-'70s, the school undertook a major building program that added a Lower School wing and the Schoedinger Theatre. This expansion allowed Kindergarten to be added to the school in the early 1980s. In 1991, the school became a co-educational institution.
Academy Hall, primarily dedicated to administrative offices, opened its doors in 1999. The front of the building is strikingly reminiscent of the original Columbus Academy structure along Alum Creek, thus connecting the school's present with its past.
In 2002, Columbus Academy kicked off the Advancing the Quest campaign, the school's largest-ever fundraising effort. ATQ's goal was to raise $17M to support the following areas: Faculty and Staff Excellence, Student Body Diversity, School Size and Structure, and Facilities. The most important objective of the Advancing the Quest campaign was to create an educational community that better serves CA students, their families and the community as a whole by enhancing facilities and enriching programs. Advancing the Quest exceeded its goal in record time and the advancements it prompted continue to resonate across campus.
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