Mercersburg’s proud history and rich traditions date back to 1836, when the Academy’s predecessor, Marshall College, was founded at Mercersburg.

Marshall College moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1853, but the preparatory department of the college remained on its original site. It was chartered as Mercersburg College in 1865. In 1893, Mercersburg’s board of regents elected William Mann Irvine to lead the institution. Within months, Dr. Irvine renamed the school Mercersburg Academy and reorganized it as a college-preparatory school based on the Exeter model.

Dr. Irvine launched the new school in fall 1893 with forty boys, four instructors, and four acres of leased ground. Mercersburg rapidly grew in size and stature, gaining regional and national recognition as a top college-preparatory boarding school with strong ties to Princeton University.

Mercersburg alumni contribute remarkable gifts to their communities. We count among us seven Rhodes scholars, four recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, and one Nobel laureate. In 1928, actor Jimmy Stewart, star of such classics as Rear Window and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, graduated from the Academy.

Throughout the Depression and World War II, the Academy continued to prosper. In 1969, Mercersburg embraced coeducation and racial integration, ushering in a time of rising academic standards and growth of the campus. Among other improvements during the 1972–1997 tenure of Headmaster Walter H. Burgin Jr. was the construction of Lenfest Hall, the Academy’s 55,000-volume library.

Douglas Hale was appointed head of school in 1997, launching remarkable growth and success. Since Mr. Hale’s appointment, the Academy has extensively renovated its residence halls, the academic program has expanded to include 35 AP and honors courses, fine arts and athletics enjoy strong records and great community support, and the endowment stands at more than $170 million.

Today, Mercersburg Academy offers a dynamic academic program to a diverse and close-knit community of learners. On a magnificent campus—Douglas Hale says that stepping on campus is like being pulled into a painting—students learn to think for themselves as they prepare for purposeful lives in a global community.