# Blair Academy

Blair Academy is a coeducational, boarding and day school for students in high school. The school serves students from ninth through twelfth grades as well as a small post-graduate class. The school's campus is located on a 463 acres (1.87 km$^2$) campus in Blairstown in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, approximately 60 miles (97 km) west of New York City.
As of the 2024–2025 school year, the school had an enrollment of 467 students and 59.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 8.0:1. The school's student body was 50.7% (237) White, 17.8% (83) international, 11.6% (54) Asian, 8.4% (39) Black, 4.7% (22) two or more races, and 4.5% (21) Hispanic.

## Academics

Blair's academic program follows the traditional four-year college-preparatory plan. Diploma requirements are governed by college entrance requirements. In 2024, the school moved away from Advanced Placement (AP) courses, in favor of a new curriculum designed by the faculty to allow "students to demonstrate their ability to handle advanced coursework in a greater variety of disciplines."

## Athletics

Blair primarily competes in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (which includes Blair Academy, Peddie School, Lawrenceville School, The Hill School, Hun School of Princeton and Mercersburg Academy). The school's traditional mascot is the "Buccaneer" (with the team called the Bucs) and the school colors are navy blue, white and grey. Blair's traditional arch-rival is The Peddie School of Hightstown, New Jersey. Since 1903, Blair and Peddie have competed in football, and the rivalry constitutes New Jersey's oldest continuous prep football competition. Each November, the two schools compete against one another in a fall sports competition, with the winner receiving the Kelley-Potter Cup.
During the days leading up to Peddie Day, spirit abounds at Blair. The campus is bedecked with banners hanging from windows, often poking fun at Peddie's Falcon mascot (known to Blair as the Peddie Chickens). On Peddie Day held at Blair in November 2021, Blair claimed the Kelley-Potter Cup for the ninth time.
The most successful athletic program is wrestling. Under previous head wrestling coach Jeff Buxton, the team won 31 consecutive National Prep Titles (from 1981–2012) and produced a number of NCAA champions and Olympic gold medalist Robert B. Weaver. Most recently, Blair has produced PAC12 Champion Evan Martin Silver. He has gone on to wrestle for Stanford University after leading as wrestling team captain at Blair. The academy's wrestling team is considered one of the most successful high school wrestling programs in the nation, winning 41 National Team Championships.
The boys swimming team won the NJSIAA state Non-Public state championship in 1926, 1932 and 1935-1940.
Blair's basketball program has developed alums including NBA players Luol Deng, Charlie Villanueva, and Royal Ivey.
Former Blair football player Dion Lewis was drafted in the 5th round of the 2011 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He has received numerous honors in 2010 such as, Sporting News Top 5 Heisman Trophy Candidate, Top 25 Overall Players (No. 6), All America Team (first team), All-Big East, as well as ESPN.com "Big East's 25 Best" No.1. Other notable alums from the Blair football program include Baltimore Raven players Odafe Oweh (1st round 2021) and David Ojabo (2nd round 2022).

## Facilities

Almost all campus architecture is in the Richardson Romanesque style, and modern buildings reflect the features and themes of the older structures. There are five major academic buildings: Clinton Hall, Bogle Science Center, Timken Library, Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts and the Chiang-Elghanayan Center for Innovation and Collaboration.
Bogle Science Center, dedicated in 1989 and expanded and renovated in 2019, provides laboratories and classrooms for the science department and includes the 100-seat Cowan Auditorium. Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts was dedicated in 1997 and includes the 500-seat DuBois Theatre, the black box Wean Theatre, and practice rooms. The renovated Timken Library opened in 1998. Annie Hall, a girls' dormitory, opened in the fall of 1999. The Romano Dining Hall was completed in the fall of 2000, and renovation of Insley Hall was completed in 2001.
A major expansion and renovation of the school's athletic and activities facilities and fields occurred between 2006 and 2009: a lighted, synthetic turf field for football, field hockey, and soccer, with new stands, press box, and 400 meter all-weather track; ten new tennis courts (five lighted), a new junior varsity baseball field, and expansion of the existing, natural grass fields. The renovation and expansion of the existing athletic center, including a new student center, concluded in March 2009. This facility, known as Hardwick Hall, houses seven squash courts, three gymnasiums, wrestling facilities, aerobic space, a fitness center, a training room, and locker rooms, and also includes Blair Commons, home of the School's bookstore, The Black Canteen, and college counseling offices. Blair's athletic facilities also include a nine-hole golf course.
The School's pedestrian campus was completed in 2010, making the center of campus vehicle-free. In 2015, the School opened Kathryn Hall, an upper-school girls' dormitory, and Lakeside Hall, an upper-school boys' dormitory, each of which includes three faculty apartments. The Chiang-Elghanayan Center for Innovation and Collaboration, a modern, technology-rich academic facility was completed in 2017 and serves as home to Blair's technology and fine arts departments. Also in 2017, Weber Hall was renovated to best facilitate the teaching of math. In 2018, Blair added the J. Li Golf Training Center and seasonal winter sports complex to its athletic facilities. In 2021 a crew training center was opened and the "Shipyard" outdoor basketball court was named.

## Statistics
### Enrollment

Characteristics of the student body:
* Total enrollment: 470 (84% boarding / 16% day)
* Male/female ratio: 51% / 49%
* Number of postgraduate students: 8
* Number of countries represented: 30 (21% of student body)
* Number of states represented: 25

### Tuition and fees

For the 2024–25 academic year, Blair charges $75,900 for tuition, room and board. Day students are charged $52,900, which covers tuition, study rooms, and meals at school.
Scholarship grants total $9 million for the 2024-25 academic year, with 36 percent of students receiving financial aid. The average day student award is $33,173 and the average boarding student award is $54,896.

### Faculty

* Student/Faculty Ratio: 6:1
* Head of School: Peter G. Curran

### Accreditation

* Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (since 1928). The school's accreditation status was extended for seven years in Fall 2018.

### School memberships

* ADVIS – Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools
* CASE – Council for Advancement and Support of Education
* NAIS – National Association of Independent Schools
* NJAIS - New Jersey Association of Independent Schools

### Endowment

* Market value (approximate): $142 million as of June 30, 2023.

### Campus

* The campus, set among 463 acres (1.87 km$^2$) of rolling hills in the shadow of the Delaware Water Gap, is home to numerous grand old buildings and in 1992 was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its historic and architectural significance.
* In the 1960s and 1970s, the campus was used in the summer by Camp Racquet, a tennis camp run by Charlie Lundgren, then the coach of the tennis team at Upsala College.

## Notable alumni

* Jabri Abdur-Rahim (born 2002), basketball player for the Providence Friars
* Mahlon Apgar IV (born 1958), businessman and former Assistant Secretary of the Army
* John C. Bogle (1929–2019), founder of The Vanguard Group
* John W. Campbell (1910–1971), science fiction writer and editor of Astounding Science Fiction
* John Cassavetes (1929–1989), actor, screenwriter, and director
* Anthony D'Amato (born 1987), singer and songwriter
* Ray Davis (born 1999), American football running back for the Buffalo Bills
* Branson DeCou (1892–1941), photographer and traveler
* Luol Deng (born 1985), former professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, and Minnesota Timberwolves
* Jordan Dingle (born 2000), college basketball player for KK Vojvodina of the Basketball League of Serbia
* Tim Eustace (born 1956, class of 1974), member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 38th Legislative District from 2012 to 2018
* A.J. Ferrari (born 2001, class of 2020), wrestler at the Oklahoma State University
* Reid Fliehr (1988–2013), professional wrestler
* Thomas F. Goldsmith (1938–2020, class of 1957), mayor of Easton, Pennsylvania from 1993 to 2003
* Bob Guccione (1930–2010), publisher of Penthouse magazine
* John R. Guthrie (1921–2009, class of 1938), United States Army four-star general
* James Hagerty (1909–1981), White House Press Secretary during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower
* Max Heidegger (born 1997), American-Israeli basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Andrew R. Heinze (born 1955, class of 1973), writer and scholar of American history
* Royal Ivey (born 1981), former professional basketball player, currently an assistant coach with the New York Knicks
* George P. Jenkins Jr. (1915–2009), chairman of Metropolitan Life
* Sanoussi Kane (born 2001, class of 2020), American football safety for the Baltimore Ravens
* Jesse L. Lasky Jr. (1910–1988), screenwriter, novelist, playwright and poet
* Dion Lewis (born 1990), running back for the University of Pittsburgh and the Tennessee Titans
* Stuart Loory (1932–2015, class of 1950), author who was managing editor of the Chicago Sun-Times and executive vice president of Turner Networks
* Tucker Max (born 1975), Internet celebrity and New York Times best-selling author
* Olivia Miles (born 2003), college basketball player for Notre Dame
* Steve Mocco (born 1981), 2008 Olympic wrestler, professional mixed martial artist, formerly with WSOF
* Will Neff (born 1989, class of 2008), Twitch streamer, YouTuber, and actor
* David Ojabo (born 2000, class of 2019), American football outside linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens
* Odafe Oweh (born 1998, class of 2018), American football outside linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens
* Frank Perantoni (1923–1991), American football center who played professional football for the New York Yankees
* Tucker Richardson, college basketball player for the Colgate Raiders
* Justin Robinson (born 1987), professional basketball player for the London Lions of the British Basketball League
* Ed Ruth (born 1990), mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler
* Albert G. Rutherford (1879–1941), U.S. Congressman
* Ed Sabol (1916–2015), founder of NFL Films
* John Sebastian (born 1944, class of 1962), lead singer and guitarist for the band the Lovin' Spoonful
* Becky Selengut (born 1970, class of 1988), chef and cookbook author
* Marial Shayok (born 1995, class of 2014), professional basketball player, played in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers, plays in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Joseph Horace Shull (1848–1944), member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 26th congressional district from 1903–1905
* William E. Simon (1927–2000), businessman and 63rd Secretary of the Treasury
* Joe Stanowicz (1921–1999), football player, attended the United States Military Academy where he played guard for the Army Black Knights football team
* Samuel S. Stratton (1916–1990), U.S. Congressman
* Hudson Taylor (born 1987), college wrestling coach at Columbia University, straight ally, and founder of Athlete Ally
* Taki Theodoracopulos (born 1937, class of 1955), conservative writer
* Mike Tobey (born 1994), professional basketball player for Valencia Basket of the Liga ACB
* Charlie Villanueva (born 1984), former professional basketball player, played in the NBA for the Dallas Mavericks
* Alexis Wangmene (born 1989), Cameroonian basketball player at the University of Texas at Austin
* Bobby Weaver (born 1958), Olympic gold medalist in wrestling at the 1984 Summer Olympics