Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Virginia)

Episcopal High School (Episcopal or EHS) is a boarding school in Alexandria, Virginia. Established in 1839 by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, it was the first high school in Virginia. Originally an all-boys school, Episcopal transitioned to coeducation in 1991. Episcopal is 100-percent boarding and is the only all-boarding school of its caliber located in a major metropolitan area. The 130-acre (53-hectare) campus houses 440 students from 25 countries, 26 states, and Washington, D.C. The school closed temporarily during the American Civil War, and was utilized by the Union Army as a military hospital. Today, the hilltop campus has seven academic buildings, ten dormitories, performing arts buildings, faculty housing and athletic facilities, as well as a forested area. As of 2026, the school has an endowment of $382 million. Episcopal places a strong emphasis on experiential learning initiatives through the Washington Program and the McCain–Ravenel Center, utilizing the school's proximity to Washington, D.C., to offer educational experiences and externships. Episcopal competes against Woodberry Forest School in the longest-running consecutive high school football rivalry in the South, played annually since 1901. Episcopal's athletics facilities have frequently been used by international soccer teams, most recently during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It is a founding member of the Mid-Atlantic Boarding School Group. Its notable alumni include many congresspeople, governors of U.S. states, heads of state, business leaders, lawyers, and athletes. History Origins Episcopal High School was founded in 1839 as the first high school in Virginia by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. The neighboring Virginia Theological Seminary purchased 80 acres (32 hectares) of land in the Seminary Hill neighborhood of Alexandria for $5000. The Rev. William N. Pendleton was appointed the first principal and the boarding facility opened on October 15 of that year. Pendleton, along with three assistant heads, taught 35 boys in the first year. In 1840, Episcopal's student body tripled in size to accommodate more than 100 boys. The school was interchangeably known as the Howard School, from its location at the site of an earlier school that ran from 1831 until 1834. Episcopal became affectionately known throughout the South as "The High School" as it was the only high school around for another 30 years. The central administration building, Hoxton House (first known as Mt. Washington) dates to around 1805 and was built by Martha Washington's eldest granddaughter, Elizabeth Parke Custis Law. The Reade-Latham House, right next to the Hoxton House, was built in 1832. 19th century Episcopal continued to grow until the Civil War, when it closed immediately after Union Army forces occupied Alexandria in 1861. Some 500 students served as soldiers in the war, many like Rev. Pendleton (who became a brigadier general) for the Confederacy, including 14 alumni who fought for the North. The Pendleton Hall at Episcopal has a memorial to the 68 student/alumni who died fighting for the Confederacy. For the next five years, school buildings served as part of a large hospital for Union troops. Poet Walt Whitman served as a nurse in the hospital. The school reopened in 1866 under Principal William Fowler Gardner. Under the direction of Launcelot Minor Blackford (first layman appointed as a principal, 1870–1913), the school initiated a modern academic curriculum as well as pioneered interscholastic team sports in the South, including football, baseball, and track. Episcopal played its first official football game in 1881, beating "Kendall" by a score of 1⁄4–0. In 1888, Episcopal adopted black and blue as school colors, but after losing few games and hearing an opponent claim that "EHS had been beaten black and blue", the school changed colors to maroon and black. In 1892, Episcopal enrolled its first international students from China. The Honor Code has served as a foundation of the EHS community since its inception. Episcopal instituted its Honor Code, one of the oldest among secondary schools. A committee of students and faculty members promotes understanding of the code and handles violations. 20th century At the turn of the 20th century, recognizing the need to improve its facilities, Episcopal undertook an aggressive building program that formed the foundation for the present-day campus. In 1891, Baltimore-based architect James Crawford Neilson was commissioned to build the Liggett Hall and other building improvements. In the 1910s, Episcopal commissioned architect Frederick H. Brooke to update the main hall, and expanded physically with the addition of multiple buildings. Prior to the opening of the Joseph Bryan library in 1927, the students had access to magazines and book collections through the various literary societies on campus, which included the Pithonian (1839–1861), the Fairfax (1870), the Blackford (1874), and the Wilmer (1911). E. Digby Baltzell's book The Protestant Establishment identified Episcopal as one of the "select sixteen" boarding schools in the United States. In the 1980 book The Official Preppy Handbook, Lisa Birnbach quips that the school "has a nightly shuttle to Clydes in Georgetown." Integration and co-education In September 1968, Episcopal began admitting African-American students under the presidency of Archibald R. Hoxton Jr. The school's first two African-American students enrolled thanks to the generosity of the Stouffer Foundation which assumed an active role in the recruitment and placement of African-American students in prep schools across the South. The enrollment of Regi Burns '72 and Sam Paschall '72 fulfilled the board's 1965 resolution "Any and all applicants for admission shall be considered on an equal basis after giving due regard to their scholastic preparedness and their ability and desire to meet the standards of the school." Since then, Episcopal has continually become more diverse and is consistently ahead of the national boarding school average for student diversity. In 1991, Episcopal began a transition to coeducation by enrolling its first 48 girls, a group now referred to as "The First 48". The decision to admit girls for the first time in its 152-year history was based on philosophical reasoning rather than economic need. The first coeducational class graduated in 1993. More recent history During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Episcopal opted not to receive loans under the Paycheck Protection Program, stating that it "should not seek this kind of support when others need it more." Organization and administration From the beginning, Episcopal and the neighboring Virginia Theological Seminary were governed by the same board of trustees, appointed by the Diocese. The organizations were permitted to be incorporated in 1854 as the "Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary and High School in Virginia." In 1923, the school broke from the diocese and has been run by an independent board of trustees since then. Episcopal is a founding member of the Mid-Atlantic Boarding School Group (MABS). Finances Tuition and financial aid The comprehensive tuition fee for the 2025–2026 school year is $74,900 and includes tuition, room and board, and other expenses. In 2024–25, over 36% of the student body received financial assistance through over 100 endowed scholarship funds. Approximately $8 million in aid was awarded annually, with the average grant equaling about $54,619. Endowment As of June 30, 2025, Episcopal has an endowment of $382 million. The School is a listed beneficiary in the will of Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans and receives annual grant from the independent Lettie Pate Evans Foundation. In its Internal Revenue Service filings for the fiscal year ending in 2025, Episcopal reported total assets of $656 million and net assets of $578.2 million. Episcopal also reported $43.6 million in program service expenses and $8.8 million in grants (primarily student financial aid). In 2025, Episcopal completed the Courage campaign. Launched in 2018, the seven-year campaign raised $157 Million. Over the years the Episcopal has completed many fundraising campaigns, including the "EHS Building Fund" (1912), "Protecting the Way"(1924), "The Episcopal High School Fund" (1944), "Forward With Faith" (1964), "P.D.Q. Fund" (1970), "Sesquicentennial Fund" (1989), "Pillars of Strength" (2000), and "Courage: The Campaign for Episcopal" (2025). Campus Episcopal's 130 acre hilltop campus has 26 buildings that include seven academic buildings, ten dormitories, performing arts buildings, faculty housing and athletic facilities. Of the 130 acres total land, 41 acres is part of forested area known as the Laird Acres. Several core facilities on campus are named in memory of Fred Hummel Jr., an alumnus and fighter pilot killed in a jet crash at Nellis AFB: the Hummel Learning Center (1970), the Hummel Bowl football stadium (1970), and Hummel Dormitory (1995). In the late 1990s, Episcopal underwent a $60 million physical plant transformation, managed by Trammell Crow Company. This resulted in multiple renovation and as well as few new buildings. American neoclassical architect Allan Greenberg was hired to renovate the Penick Hall. In 2018, Episcopal partnered with the DLR Group to launch a new campus master plan. The plan focused on student wellness and housing modernization, resulting in construction of deButts Health and Wellness Center, North and West dormitories, and a new residential quad. While this project demolished the Hoxton field and the outdated running track, a new regulation 400-meter outdoor track with a high-performance soccer pitch was constructed near the Coxe field. Academic facilities Baker Science Center (opened 2005) features a two-story glass rotunda and has a brick and stone façade with a slate roof and punched windows. The 34,000 sq.ft. LEED-certified building and was designed by Graham Gund Architects, and cost of $11 million. It won the Northern Virginia NAIOP Best Institutional Facility Award. Ainslie Arts Center (opened 2003) is a 42,000 square feet (3,900 m2) building that houses the 540-seat William N. Pendleton auditorium (built 1950), 100-seat black box theater, and a 24-channel digital recording studio. It is named for former headmaster Lee Sanford Ainslie '56. Student and religious life Callaway Chapel (opened 1990) serves as the spiritual center on campus. The 580-seat postmodernist building was designed by the Walton Madden Cooper (WMCRP) architects of Maryland. The north-facing Palladian facade leads to a curved entryway, semicircular wooden trusses, and to a giant, stained glass oculus window high behind the altar. Hummel and Maguire dorm-complex (opened 1995) was designed by the Bowie Gridley Architects. North and West dormitories (opened 2023) added 72,700 square feet (6,750 m2) of space and helped de-densify the student housing without increasing enrollment. These LEED Silver certified dorms utilize a geothermal system, and cost $45 million. deButts Health and Wellness Center (opened 2023) is a two-story 17,000 square feet (1,600 m2) space has a staff of 12 onsite, and features clinical work areas, a classroom for health and wellness courses, yoga studio, and separate waiting areas for sick and well patients. The Jesse W. Couch Counseling Center provides dedicated spaces for counselors. Student Center in Stewart Gym, known popularly as Stew serves as the student center. Originally built in 1913 at a cost of $30,000, it replaced Episcopal's first gymnasium built in 1877. It was renovated in 2014 by the Voith & Mactavish Architects at a cost of $9.5 million. Laird dining hall serves as the main dining hall at Episcopal. Libraries David H. March library (opened 1990) serves as the main library of the school. It is located in the Hummel Learning Center. Joseph Bryan library (opened 1927, renovated 2007) was the first school library. It was built with a gift of $35,000 from John Stewart Bryan in memory of his father, Joseph Bryan. As the Colonial Williamsburg restoration had begun around this time, the library was built in Georgian Revival style. It now holds the school archives and functions as a small meeting space. Athletic facilities Episcopal athletics department is located in the Hershey Athletic Center. There has eight primary outdoor playing fields, which include three synthetic turf fields (Greenway, Coxe, and Bryant fields), two bermuda grass fields, a football stadium (Hummel Bowl) with permanent seating for 2,800 spectators, the Cooper Dawson baseball diamond, and a separate varsity softball Field. The outdoor swimming pool is primarily used for recreational purposes as the swim teams use the elite indoor venues nearby. Indoor facilities are located inside the Hershey Athletic Center, Centennial Gym, Goodman Squash Center, and the Flippin Field House. The facilities include five basketball courts, indoor track, nine international squash courts, and 15 tennis courts (outdoor and indoor). The training facilities are regarded as one of the finest in the region. In 2025, the school installed 40-to-100-foot-tall lights at its athletic fields, allowing for evening practices in the summer months. Bocock Wrestling Cage is a dedicated venue for the wrestling program. Centennial Gym (opened 1937) offers multiple courts for basketball and volleyball. It was constructed in 1937 in anticipation of the school's centennial and was renovated in 2010. The Class of 1976 Golf Center (opened 2025) features four practice bays equipped with TrackMan-4 simulators, and a 10-hole indoor putting green. Hoxton field and Greenway fields were established in the 1930s. FIFA base camp Episcopal's soccer fields have been praised for their world-class football pitch and are often used by professional teams. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Episcopal was named FIFA World Cup training site and served as the base camp for the Croatia national football team. The Wall Street Journal quipped the Croatian team will recover between matches within the "preppy boarding-school confines... players may enjoy a well-stocked library, relax in a bespoke ceramics studio, or choose to fill out an Ivy League application." In July 2025, Episcopal served as a base camp for the Al Ain FC during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The United States women's national soccer team used the athletic facilities at Episcopal to train before departing for the 2016 and 2024 Summer Olympics. Episcopal hosted Guatemala national football team, and Chelsea F.C. Women in 2024. Locally, the Alexandria Reds (NPSL) and the Washington Spirit (NWSL) have used the fields. Academics In 2026, Episcopal had 96 full-time faculty members, a 4.6:1 student-faculty ratio, and an average class size of 11. 90% of the faculty live on campus and 80% hold advanced degrees. Curriculum Episcopal offers 150+ courses, of which 75 are honors/advanced level. Episcopal no longer offers AP courses, but students may take AP exams if they take advanced classes. Episcopal has eight academic departments and offers eight foreign languages. Episcopal also partners with the Global Online Academy (GOA), a not-for-profit consortium, allowing upperclassmen to take specialized electives for course credit. McCain-Ravenel Center and the Washington Program The McCain–Ravenel Center for Intellectual and Moral Courage (MRC) serves as the hub for experiential learning, externships, global programs, leadership, and service-learning. Established in 2018, the center is named for senator John McCain and his mentor at EHS, William Bee Ravenel III. MRC helps connect students with the real-world experiences/opportunities in Washington D.C. and coordinates visiting speakers. It also arranges the month-long senior externships with 85+ metro area partners. As part of the Washington Program, the school has built into daily schedule a 2.5 hour flex block (in afternoons and evenings) dedicated to class visits to the surrounding Washington area. With 100% of teachers conducting a flex block, the program offers 650+ experiences per year. Enrollment and student body As of 2025, Episcopal has an enrollment of 440 students, half of whom are girls. In the 2025–26 school year, Episcopal reported that 40% of its students identified as people of color. The student body represented 25 countries, 26 states, the District of Columbia. For the 2026 admissions cycle, independent educational aggregators reported Episcopal's acceptance rate to be between 29% and 35%. Student life All students live in one of the ten dormitories, five for boys and five for girls. Each residence hall has multiple resident faculty, associate faculty members, and senior student proctors. The check-in hours depend on the grade, dorm, and the day of the week. The Laird dining hall serves as the main dining hall at Episcopal. Students may also eat at the Stewart student center and may order food delivery on the weekends. The school hosts over 90 student clubs and leadership organizations. Publications The Chronicle is the school's monthly newspaper, published since 1888. In the beginning, the students offset the publishing costs by charging for advertisements, but the school took over that expense in the 1970s. The school yearbook, Whispers, has been published annually since 1903. While the first yearbook was published in 1891, this was followed up irregularly. The Daemon is the student-run literary and arts magazine published since 1957. Arts programs Episcopal offers arts courses in instrumental music, vocal music, acting, dance, ceramics, photography, videography, drawing, painting, music theory, and music recording. Every year 61% of students take arts courses. All students entering as freshmen are required to complete two courses in the arts during their four years, and older students must complete one course in order to graduate. Arts courses take place in the Ainslie Arts Center. Episcopal regularly offers student and professional art shows, concerts and workshops. The National Chamber Players perform at the school several times each year, and student musicians often perform with the Youth Symphony Orchestra. Chapel and spiritual life Religious life on campus is supported by the Theology department, which provides chapel service and a full-service ministry for the spiritual needs of students. The 580-seat Callaway Chapel, built in 1990, serves as the spiritual center on campus. The chapel is named for Patrick Henry Callaway, who served as the member of the Episcopal faculty for 70 years, from 1916 until 1986. Students are required to attend a 15–20-minute chapel service three times a week and a monthly evening Vespers service. There is a voluntary church service each Sunday. Though the school is affiliated with the Episcopal Church, students of all religions are welcomed, and Episcopal strives to include traditions of all faith backgrounds in its services. The Chaplain's Office will also work with students to take them off-campus to attend various houses of worship in the area if they are interested, including other churches, synagogues, and mosques. Through its programs, Episcopal has brought to campus a number of notable leaders in spiritual life including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Most Rev. Michael Curry, Katharine Hayhoe, Rob Wright, and David Zahl. Athletics Episcopal fields 52 boys' and girls' interscholastic teams in 19 sports: baseball, basketball, climbing, crew, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, squash, swimming, tennis, track and field, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, and wrestling. Non-interscholastic programs, such as sports media, dance, cross training, and strength training, are also available. There are varsity, junior varsity, and, for some sports, junior-level teams. Students are expected to complete three seasons of sports as freshmen, at least two as sophomores and juniors, and at least one as seniors. However, these requirements may be met by participation in non-interscholastic sports or by serving as managers for the scholastic sports teams. The Seminary Hill Cup (SHC), established in 2008, is an annual girls' athletics match-up between Episcopal and the St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School. This rivalry between the girls' teams dates back to 1991, when St. Agnes merged with St. Stephen's to become a coed school and Episcopal admitted its first female students. The Hershey Athletic Center houses the Hall of Fame. Episcopal has sent 272 athletes to colleges since 2013. Conference affiliation The boys' teams compete in the Interstate Athletic Conference (IAC). The school has won 48 IAC Championships since 1979 and 30 Virginia Independent School State Championships since 1930. Episcopal's girls' teams compete in the Independent School League (ISL). They have won 41 ISL Championships since 1993. Episcopal won their first-ever Independent School League tournament championship in 2010 in field hockey. It was the first for Episcopal since joining the ISL 1993. Football Episcopal competes against Woodberry Forest School in the longest-running consecutive high school football rivalry in the South and one of the oldest in the United States. Beginning in 1901, every fall the Maroon and the Woodberry Forest Tigers have competed on the football field. "The Game", as it is known, attracts many alumni and is considered the homecoming game for both schools. The location of the game alternates each year between Orange and Alexandria. Episcopal will host the 125th game in 2026. The football team won back-to-back IAC Championships in 2015 and 2016 led by head coach Panos Voulgaris. The 2016 team was consistently ranked in the Washington Post Top 10 for the first time in over 25 years. During Voulgaris' tenure the program produced numerous college football players including multiple nationally ranked recruits. Soccer In the fall of 2008 the boys' varsity soccer team completed a perfect IAC season with a 23-0-0 record. It went on to become the number one team in the state of Virginia by defeating NSCAA-nationally ranked #3 Norfolk Academy 4–0 in the VISAA Championship final. The team finished the season ranked as the #13 team in the country. In the 2009 fall season the boys' varsity soccer team finished the year with a double overtime win over Collegiate School (Richmond, VA) which brought two consecutive state championship trophies back to Alexandria. Episcopal was also the 2009 IAC champion and was ranked as the number 3 team in the country. Notable alumni Stephen Ailes, Secretary of the Army (1964–1965) Lee Ainslie, financier Bill Backer, advertising executive known for Coca-Cola campaigns Louis Bacon, hedge fund manager, member of the Forbes 400 Dominique Badji, forward, Colorado Rapids Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War (1916–1921), Founder of Baker Hostetler Cass Ballenger, Republican congressman from North Carolina Erek Barron, US Attorney for the District of Maryland Alfred Berkeley '62, Former President and vice-chair of Nasdaq Stock Market Langhorne Bond '55, administrator of the FAA (1977–1981) T. Berry Brazelton, pediatrician and creator of the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale Bo Callaway, Representative, United States House of Representatives and Secretary of the Army Gaston Caperton '59, former governor of West Virginia and president of the College Board Johnson N. Camden Jr., former senator from Kentucky Danny Coale, NFL wide receiver, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts Virginius Dabney, editor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch (1936–1969) and winner of the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing Paul DePodesta, former GM, Los Angeles Dodgers Phillips Lee Goldsborough I, 47th Governor of Maryland (1912–1916), United States Senate (1929–1935) Arthur Pue Gorman Jr., Maryland state senator Todd Gray, Chef and Owner of DC's Equinox Restaurant John Campbell Greenway, American businessman and senior officer of the U.S. Army Reserve who served with Colonel Theodore Roosevelt in the Spanish–American War and commanded infantry in World War I. Edward Trail Helfenstein, eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland Tim Hightower, NFL Runningback, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins Yan Huiqing, Premier and President of Republic of China (1877–1950) James Addison Ingle, first bishop of the Missionary District of Hankow, China Alex S. Jones, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Specialized Reporting Lester Kinsolving, political talk show host on WCBM and member of White House Press Corps Lucien Lee Kinsolving, first bishop of the missionary diocese that eventually became the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil Harry Klinefelter '30, rheumatologist and endocrinologist Tom Long, president and CEO of the Miller Brewing Company and MillerCoors John McCain '54, Republican senator from Arizona and the 2008 Republican Party nominee for President of the United States R. Walton Moore, United States House of Representatives (D-VA), (1919–1931) Arinze Onuaku, NBA forward, Orlando Magic Forrest Pritchard, New York Times bestselling author and sustainable farmer Patrice Rene, CFL Linebacker, BC Lions Robert Goodwyn Rhett, fiftieth mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, president of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States Julian Robertson, financier Quentin Roosevelt, youngest son of Theodore Roosevelt Shep Rose, Southern Charm cast member Kenneth Claiborne Royall, last Secretary of War and first Secretary of the Army Horace Smithy, cardiac surgeon who performed early heart valve surgeries Bryson Spinner, NFL QB, San Francisco 49ers Ernie Stires, musician and composer Ernest M. Stires, Episcopal Bishop of Long Island Robert E. L. Strider, president of Colby College (1942–1960) Logan Taylor, professional NFL football player Pembroke Lea Thom (died 1901), Maryland state delegate Thomas J. H. Trapnell, WWII hero and Bataan Death March survivor Luiji Vilain, defensive end, Minnesota Vikings Mason Wiley, co-author of The Official Preppy Handbook Theodore Wong, Chinese translator Caroline Calloway, author Notes References Bibliography External links Official website The Association of Boarding Schools profile Profile from BoardingSchoolReview.com "High School's 100th". Time. September 12, 1938. (about Episcopal High School)