In fact, the Academy’s sympathies to our fledgling nation brought the wrath of the British who marched across the frozen Hudson River and burned the original building to the ground! Not to be deterred, the school rebuilt, flourished, and continued to emphasize its motto: Ad Lumen (Toward Enlightenment). From its beginning, Newark Academy was a unique college preparatory school in that it opened its doors to students from every conceivable background, offered courses in trade and business skills, and even opened a division for young women for a time. After residing in three separate locations in Newark, the Academy moved to its present 68-acre location in Livingston in 1964. Over the years, the Academy’s footprint has grown—additions such as the Hawkes Memorial Library, the Middle School wing, the McGraw Arts Center, the Simon Family Field House, and the Carol Heaney Nature Trail have provided remarkable resources for the entire community. Newark Academy became fully co-educational in 1972. Today, Newark Academy continues to move forward, building its endowment to sustain the school’s mission in perpetuity and planning strategically for further facility and program growth. But even as Newark Academy expands and develops as an institution, the vision of the school’s founders remains intact: Newark Academy is an inclusive community comprised of an exceptional faculty dedicated to encouraging a global perspective that empowers students to develop depth of character, innovative thinking, and commitment to service.
