Massanutten Military Academy - Adjutant Yearbook (Woodstock, VA)

Page 8 text:

HISTURU ln l899 +he arlicles of incorporalion were granled and +he Board of Truslees was aulhorized by Judge T. W. l-larrison. A+ This 'rime 'rhere were very few schools in lhe Shenandoah Valley. Thus Rev. J. B. Slonesiler was designaled To solicil funds for The remodeling ol +he building and 'rhe purchasing of eguipmenl. The school was for four- feen years co-educa+ional and 'rhe sludenls came mos'I'ly from lhe Shenandoah Valley. Mr. Garrison presided as l-leadmasler for fhe firs+ Four years and 'rhen relired because of bad heal+h. l-lis successor was Rev. R. R. Jones, who presided for lwo years. Then Dr. l-l. J. Benchofl, our presenl l-leadmasfer, came lo lake charge of lhe school. From fhe year l905 Dr. Bencholi has sfeadily buill 'rhe Academy info whal' i+ is foday. Our l-leadmasfer a+ Tirsl planned for a school of one hundred sludenls, buf aller World War l, he made a careful sludy of +he siluafion, and planned for a school of aboul 'rwo hundred slu- denls. Dr. Benchoihl planned slep-by-slep +he building of his school: Lanlz l-lall was erecled in l909: Sperry l-lall, in l9l6: lhe Virginia Lee l-larrison Gymnasium, in I924g 'rhe Lanlz Hall annex, in l9271 and The J. Thomas l-larrison Swimming Pool in l928, and iusl now 'rhe Colonel is planning For 'rhe new dormilory +o +he academy. l-le buil+ a school in his lilelime, and Jrhis will sland as a living monumenl lo him for all lime. The slory of lvlassanullen, in brief, is one of loyalfy, shown nor only by lhose Tirsl few paslors and la'rer individuals, bul' also. by lhe alumni's de- vofion +o 'rhe school. By 'rhe Edilors. Colonel's Home and Sperry Hall

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HISTUHU The l-lisTory oT MassanuTTen really began when The village pasTors oT The Shenandoah Valley came TogeTher and agreed To esTablish an insTiTuTion oT learning. Their dream Tinally came True when They Tound a sTrong leader in Rev. J. Silor Garri son, who laTer became The TirsT l-leadmasTer oT lvlassanuTTen Academy. The name. lv1assanuTTen, comes Trom an old Indian word meaning GreaT lvlounTain. This is also The name given To The mounTain range which spliTs The Shenandoah Valley, Trom STrasburq To l-larrisonburg, inTo Two secTions. Thus, you can see why The name, MassanuTTen, was selecTed To TiT such a disTincTive school. ln l898 The pasTors purchased The properTy oT SenaTor Riddleberger on The souTh side oT Wood- sToclc. This properTy consisTed oT a spacious colonial house surrounded by a grove oT Norway maples. MassanuTTen Academy is The producT oT noT Fife LanTz and Sperry Halls only The ReTormed Church, buT also oT The greaT men as Rev. Garrison, Rev. R. R. Jones, and Dr. H. J. BenchoTT. The laTTer became T-leadmasTer dur- ing very diTTiculT Times, and helped The Academy Through The hard days oT The depression. Passing in Review D,-l dnd M rs. Benchoff

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W fp ll s 5 u 5 N W,f low-156 U BENCH U62 JZ? Q835I1l112YP1l eglrildcffrg Qwrubsbn-12 cbf2'gblfQ izszilzi 1 e Deir- Boys of '51 : Abt eve:-y educator can enjoy the zu-lvilege iizyd 1-e snonelbill ty of neeting, guiding, disciplining, feeding and Jlrp spir-ing school boys seven dag,-s s beelr for sever-sl school te:-us. It has been HU, unique P01-tune to have done this ffu- over- ro:-ty yeas-s. Ovez- 3, 000 or you. I bsve ez-est faith in 801'-S'. hlecb has s talent or Skill that needs direction. In a lvldel- sebse 6.21 need to be Fit ted into fs Democracy 1-mich should bsve an honest, intelligent, courageous ci Cizslzsbip. 4 nest iutez-estlng vo:-ld lies befor-e you es offs:-ing you the -ri:-est and richest fields of sez-vice in the lzisfflzey of' eluile ies tion. lieu-If you.' Thing seriously about these filings: your sever-Q1 vital choices, your integu-1't.1g yolu- patience, your endluefupce, yes, yvuz- heslibl 4111 thllzlf on they even when love nlilfes the vo:-ld go 1-olnqd and those in It s bit dizzy. Renmben that We, Aho lu-ought ne hither, ull bring 576 benceg N0 Other guide I -seelf. ' f Howir 11 JQ B Head 1121-it 917 Olgofl' ez-