Western Reserve College and Western Reserve Academy
There was no universal education for primary and secondary students in the early part of the 19th century. Many colleges established their own academies to prep students for college. According to university historian Frederick Waite, nearly 43% of Western Reserve College’s students came from its own prep school.
Curriculum
In the early years a student took whatever classes they needed to prepare for college and stayed as long as needed to do this. A specific curriculum was first published in the December 1834 Catalog and was a classical course, primarily Greek and Latin. In 1840 trustees directed the faculty to include an English Course. According to Waite:
The curriculum changed over time, especially with the development of public schools.“The catalogue issued in November 1840 includes two courses in the preparatory department, ‘a classical course designed to fit for college and an English course designed to fit for business, teaching, and entering the professions,’ both to extend through three years.”
Co-Education
In 1872 it was announced that women would be admitted to the college and prep school. In September 1873 six girls entered from Hudson and other local towns. In total, 34 girls entered between 1873 and 1881. None attended in 1881-1882, the last year the College was in Hudson. (In 1925 co-education ended at Western Reserve Academy, until 1972 when enrollment was re-opened for girls.)
It was after Western Reserve College moved to Cleveland in 1882 that the prep department took the name Western Reserve Academy (WRA). Western Reserve University provided a subsidy to WRA until 1900. University officials and trustees felt they had fulfilled their obligations to WRA and the citizens of Hudson. Also, the subsidy was a strain on the budget for the university. WRA closed in 1903.
There were several proposals for the Hudson campus. The Society of Friends was interested in opening a preparatory school and college and considered purchasing the campus. They ultimately decided on another location. James Ellsworth offered $50,000 provided the university trustees “will restore its previous subsidy and set aside $2500 annually; both sums or a total of $5000 annually to be used for the Western Reserve Academy. A Board of Trustees shall be elected to administer the funds and a perpetual lease made to protect the permanency of the institution at Hudson.” The proposal was rejected.
Ellsworth made another proposal in 1907 that WRU transfer “the Western Reserve College campus, buildings lands and all property relating thereto located in the Village of Hudson be transferred to a duly incorporated Board of Trustees three in number, the Board to be comprised if satisfactory to everybody concerned, of William E. Curtis of Washington, D.C., A.H. Dittrick of Hudson and James W. Ellsworth, with the condition that the property shall only be used for Educational purposes.”
On 3/15/1910 there was a special meeting of the Board of Trustees of Adelbert College of Western Reserve University where they considered the 1907 Ellsworth proposal. There were certain conditions the university president and trustees required. The requirements were met and for a consideration of $10.00 Western Reserve University quit-claimed the Hudson campus and buildings to Ellsworth, Curtis and Dittrick in July 1910.
The old College buildings were renovated (except for Middle College which was razed) and an endowment fund of $200,000 was provided. Western Reserve Academy reopened in 1916 and has been in continuous operation since then. WRA is also celebrating its Bicentennial.
Sources
For more information about Western Reserve Academy, see the list of published histories on our CWRU Archives Sources page. In addition to the published histories, information comes from records of the Secretary-Treasurer and Catalogs in the Case Western Reserve University Archives.
