Moravian Academy

Moravian Academy
Moravian Academy
Address
	Merle-Smith Campus: 4313 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18020 Downtown Campus: 7 E. Market Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018 Swain Campus: 1100 S 24th St, Allentown, Pennsylvania 18103; Bethlehem and Allentown, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania; United States
Information
Type	Independent, Coeducational, and College Preparatory School
Motto	More to Explore
Established	1742; 282 years ago; 1971
Founder	Benigna Zinzendorf
Campus Director	Merle-Smith Campus - Rachel Wright Downtown Campus - Abby Mahone Swain Campus - Megan Franzyshen
Head of school	Adrianne Finley Odell
Faculty	173 (on an FTE basis)
Grades	Preschool – 12
Enrollment	910 (2022–23)
Student to teacher ratio	6:1
Campus	Suburb Urban
Color(s)	Red and Gold
Athletics conference	Colonial League
Mascot	Lion
Website	www.moravianacademy.org

Moravian Academy is a preschool through 12th-grade independent, co-educational, college preparatory school in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. Moravian Academy is the ninth oldest independent school in the United States.^[1]

The school has more than 900 students and 200 employees from across the region located on three campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Allentown, Pennsylvania.

History

The history of Moravian Academy dates back to 1742, and includes the following highlights:

18th century

1742: Countess Benigna Von Zinzendorf opens Moravian Seminary for Girls.^[2]

20th century

1971: Moravian Preparatory School and Moravian Seminary for Girls merged to create Moravian Academy. Each spring, this merger is celebrated during the school Birthday Love Feast.^[3]
June 10, 1972: First joint graduation ceremony with thirty nine graduating students.
1987: The first issue of the Moravian Academy Journal was published. ^[4]
1991: Moravian Academy publishes “Mind, Body, and Spirit: Moravian Academy 1742-1992.” ^[5]
1992: 250th Anniversary Celebration of the forming of Moravian Academy.

The History of the Swain School

1929: D.Esther Swain opens the Swain School. The opening of the school is celebrated annually on Founder's Day. Dogwood trees are planted in honor of D.Esther Swain. ^[6]
1990: The Swain School celebrates 60 years

21st century

2020: Moravian Academy and the Swain School Merge to form a three campus school, Moravian Academy. Each campus is named: Merle-Smith Campus, Downtown Campus, and Swain Campus.^[7]
2022: Moravian Academy installs the first women head of school, Adrianne Finley Odell. ^[8]

Schools

Beginning School

The Beginning School includes preschool and kindergarten classes on the Downtown and Swain Campuses.

Lower School

The Lower School serves students in first through fifth grades on the Downtown and Swain Campuses.

Upper School

The Upper School serves ninth through 12th grade students on the Merle-Smith Campus.

Administration

Henrietta Benigna Justina von Zinzendorf, founded the school in 1742. Since then, the heads of the school have been:

Reverend Edwin Sawyer, president (1971-1973)
David J Devey, head master (1973-1988)
Peter Sipple, head master (1988-1998)^[9]
Barnaby Roberts, head master (1998-2007)^[10]
George King, head master (2007-2016)
Head of School, Jeffrey M. Zemsky (2016-2022)^[11]
Adrianne Finley Odell, head of school (2022-present)

Notable alumni

Sally Kohn, liberal political commentator
Santo Loquasto, actor and Tony Award winner
Gilmer McCormick, actress

References

^ "Moravian Academy | Our History". www.moravianacademy.org. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
^ "Service marks Moravian celebration ** Yearlong event ended Wednesday with a chapel service that told of the founding of the school by a countess. ** Bethlehem". The Morning Call. 2001-01-19. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
^ "Moravian Academy | About Us". www.moravianacademy.org. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
^ "Explore Moravian Academy". Niche. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
^ "MORAVIAN ACADEMY RECORDS ITS HISTORY". The Morning Call. 1991-09-29. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
^ "Swain School celebrates its anniversary". The Morning Call. 2014-11-06. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
^ "The Swain School, Moravian Academy announce partnership | Lehigh Valley Press". www.lvpnews.com. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
^ "Adrianne Finley Odell new Head of School at Moravian Academy | Lehigh Valley Press". www.lvpnews.com. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
^ Swasta, Susan (1991). Mind, Body, and Spirit: Moravian Academy 1742-1992 (1st ed.). Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ "MORAVIAN ACADEMY NAMES NEW HEADMASTER * BARNABY ROBERTS TO REPLACE PETER W. SIPPLE ON JULY 1". The Morning Call. 1997-12-18. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
^ lehighvalleylive.com, Sara K. Satullo | For (2016-08-14). "Moravian Academy's new headmaster modern Moravian embodiment". lehighvalleylive. Retrieved 2023-05-02.

External links

Official website
- Moravian Academy athletics official website
Moravian Academy profile at Niche
Moravian Academy sports coverage at The Express-Times

40°40′44″N 75°18′42″W / 40.678945°N 75.311794°W / 40.678945; -75.311794

[1] "Moravian Academy | Our History". www.moravianacademy.org. Retrieved 2023-05-02.

[2] "Service marks Moravian celebration ** Yearlong event ended Wednesday with a chapel service that told of the founding of the school by a countess. ** Bethlehem". The Morning Call. 2001-01-19. Retrieved 2023-05-02.

[:0-3] "Moravian Academy | About Us". www.moravianacademy.org. Retrieved 2022-10-24.

[:1-4] "Explore Moravian Academy". Niche. Retrieved 2023-01-02.

[5] "MORAVIAN ACADEMY RECORDS ITS HISTORY". The Morning Call. 1991-09-29. Retrieved 2023-05-02.

[6] "Swain School celebrates its anniversary". The Morning Call. 2014-11-06. Retrieved 2023-05-02.

[7] "The Swain School, Moravian Academy announce partnership | Lehigh Valley Press". www.lvpnews.com. Retrieved 2023-05-02.

[8] "Adrianne Finley Odell new Head of School at Moravian Academy | Lehigh Valley Press". www.lvpnews.com. Retrieved 2023-05-02.

[9] Swasta, Susan (1991). Mind, Body, and Spirit: Moravian Academy 1742-1992 (1st ed.). Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[10] "MORAVIAN ACADEMY NAMES NEW HEADMASTER * BARNABY ROBERTS TO REPLACE PETER W. SIPPLE ON JULY 1". The Morning Call. 1997-12-18. Retrieved 2023-05-02.

[11] valleylive.com, Sara K. Satullo | For (2016-08-14). "Moravian Academy's new headmaster modern Moravian embodiment". lehighvalleylive. Retrieved 2023-05-02.

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