Cushing Academy is a private, coeducational college-preparatory school for boarding and day students in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, United States. It serves approximately 400 students in grades 9–12 and a postgraduate year.

History

Cushing Academy was founded in 1865 by Thomas Parkman Cushing, a Boston merchant. Upon his death, Thomas Parkman Cushing bequeathed money to establish Cushing Academy. Following a provision from his will, the money accumulated for ten years before a board of trustees applied for an act of incorporation. On May 15, 1865, the Great and General Court of Massachusetts granted a charter, and the Academy opened in 1875 on land formerly known as Bancroft Farm. Cushing opened in September 1875 with a coeducational student body: 66 boys and 56 girls. The first principal was Edwin Pierce.

Though Cushing has never been affiliated with a religious denomination, early generations of students were required to submit reports of the services they attended once a week and attend services daily. The church attendance requirement was dropped entirely in 1970 at the appeal of the student body. In 2005, female students designed and created a schoolgirl statue. Several months later, the headmaster stated that most of the library's printed books would be replaced over a two-year period with e-books, but reassured that "books, in all formats, will continue to abound at Cushing." As of 2018, the library has thousands of print books as well as online databases with access to e-books, journals, and more.

In 2015, Cushing Academy celebrated its sesquicentennial with several events and the publication of a commemorative magazine.

Demographics and statistics

As of fall 2018, the student body has 390 students, 59% male and 41% female. Financial aid assists 38% of the students. Thirty-four percent are from Massachusetts and 18% are domestic students of color.

The student body comes from 25 states and 30 countries; 39% of students are international and 88% of students board at Cushing. Cushing began accepting international students in 1889. The faculty-student ratio is 1:8 and 57% of faculty holds advanced degrees.

The middle 50% of the Class of 2019 had a combined SAT score range of 1030–1310. Ninety-five percent of the class of 2018 attended four-year colleges or universities.

Buildings

thumb|Cushing Academy and Science Building, c. 1908.|alt=

The academic buildings include the Main Building (completed in 1875, and following a fire, a new building was dedicated in 1894), the Joseph R. Curry Academic Center, the English Building, and the Emily Fisher Landau Center for Visual Arts. Ashburnham House and Alumni Hall are the largest student dormitories. Sports facilities include the Watkins Field House, Heslin Gym, Theodore Iorio Arena, and several athletic fields and tennis courts.

Lowe Hall, built in 1890 as a dormitory for female students, was named for board of trustees member Abraham T. Lowe. Lore has it that Bette Davis, who lived in Lowe, carved her name into a closet. Lowe was most recently remodeled in 2015. Cushing sponsors an annual common read. In 2009, Cushing's library was one of the first school libraries to move to an all digital collection, however in 2014 the library returned to acquiring both print and digital resources.

Athletics

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Sports have been an important part of life at Cushing since the early years of the school. In 1876, the first baseball game was played at Cushing. Cushing formed a boys' basketball team in 1897 and a girls' team the next year.

As of 2018, Cushing has dozens of teams in the following sports: cross country, field hockey, soccer, skiing, football, volleyball, basketball, ice hockey, baseball, golf, lacrosse, softball, tennis, and track & field.

Cushing is a member of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council.

Extracurricular activities

Clubs and organizations at Cushing include A Cappella, Art Club, Black Student Union, Classical Music Club, Debate Club, E-News Club, Film Club, International Club, Kindness Club, Math Club, Model United Nations, and Pride.

The student newspaper, The Breeze, has been published since 1888. The student yearbook, The Penguin, has been published since 1933.

Cushing's annual Mountain Day tradition began in 1926 in honor of Cowell, the third principal. Mountain Day was started by James W. Vose, Cowell's successor. On Mountain Day, which traditionally takes place in late September, the Cushing community goes to Mount Monadnock for a day of walking. During World War II, Mountain Day was held at the nearer Mount Watatic for a few years due to gas rationing.

Another tradition is the Winter Carnival. The first carnival, in 1921, was an athletic competition. The modern winter carnival has some outdoor events, but also indoor events such as cupcake decorating.

  • Tracey DeKeyser, coach
  • Sturgis Elleno Leavitt, faculty
  • Richard Whitney, faculty

Principals, headmasters, and heads of school

  • Cushing Academy's 13 leaders have had the titles of principal, headmaster, and head of school.
  • Edwin Pierce (1875-1879): first principal
  • James E. Vose (1879-1887): principal
  • Hervey S. Cowell (1887–1926): principal
  • James W. Vose (1926-1933): last principal; son of the second principal
  • Clarence Quimby (1933-1956): first with title of "headmaster"
  • Ralph O. West (1956-1960): headmaster
  • Howard Baker (1961-1963): headmaster
  • Bradford Lamson (1963-1972): headmaster
  • Joseph Curry (1972-2000): headmaster
  • Willard Lampe (2000-2006): headmaster
  • James Tracy (2006-2013): first with title of "head of school"
  • Christopher Torino (2013-2016): last with the title of "headmaster"

References

Further reading

  • Rand, Frank Prentice. Cushing Academy, 1865-1965. Brattleboro, Vt.: Book Press, 1965.
  • Cushing Academy website