Northwestern Military Academy (founded 1888) was a high school in Linn, Wisconsin which was founded by

Harlan Page Davidson Harlan Page Davidson (September 15, 1838 – January 19, 1913) was an educator in private education. He was a teacher and director of several schools and academies for fifty years. He founded Northwestern Military Academy and was its president ...

. Originally located in

Highland Park, Illinois Highland Park is a suburban city located in the southeastern part of Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 30,176. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located ...

, the school was relocated to the town of

Linn, Wisconsin Linn is a town in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,687 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Linton and Zenda are located within the town. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the ...

on the south shore of Geneva Lake near the city of

Lake Geneva , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial lak ...

in 1915 and was renamed Northwestern Military and Naval Academy (NMNA) before merging with SJNMA. During the academy's century of operation at this location , its primary goal was to mold young men, grades 7–12, into outstanding citizens, eager and ready for higher levels of education. The institution adhered to the visions and principles of Davidson which adopted military structure and religious principles into an exceptionally sound educational program. The results were a capstone curriculum which ranked the academy as one of the most prestigious schools within the nation. Within the later years of its operation the institution decided to expand upon its enrollment spectrum and began accepting students from the 7th and 8th grade level. Two large 60" x 336" murals of John Kinzie and party first encounters with the Potawatomi Indians around 1841 were painted by Chicago artist

Louis Grell Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis ...

. The first mural was a gift of the class of 1939 and the second a gift by the class of 1940. The large murals hung in the grand west and east wings of Davidson Hall for many decades until St. John's acquired and merged with the Academy in 1995. The murals are now in a controlled storage vault on the campus in Delafield, WI. In 1995, the institution merged with rival school St John's Military Academy to form

St. John's Northwestern Military Academy St. John's Northwestern Military Academy (SJNMA) was founded in 1884 as St. John's Military Academy (SJMA) in Delafield, Wisconsin, by the Rev. Sidney T. Smythe as a private, college preparatory school. In 1995, Northwestern Military and Naval Ac ...

. The Lake Geneva property was abandoned for a few years, which fell victim to vandalism and became the late night choice of neighboring kids. Before the beginning of the 21st century, the property was sold to a developing company. The several acres of NMNA land have been transformed into an affluent community peppered with expensive homes. The Davidson Building in Lake Geneva no longer exists, but in its place is a piece of stone from the school with a plaque of remembrance. Scenes of the building interior were used for filming of Damien: Omen II.

Headmasters

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

Royal Page Davidson * Father James Howard JacobsonCritique 1966, 1966 yearbook, NMNA ** Principal: Colonel Walter S. Hahn * Daniel P. Snow *

Alfred Greishaber

Notable alumni

* Curtis Roosevelt (1948) – eldest grandson of President Franklin D. Roosevelt; served as a delegate to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

* Marshall S. Roth (1925) –

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

(1919–1920) – actor (did not graduate) * Arthur W. Wermuth (1932) –

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

Major Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

References

External links

Louis Grell Foundation
{{Coord, 42, 32, 54, N, 88, 31, 31, W, display=title Defunct United States military academies Highland Park, Illinois Schools in Walworth County, Wisconsin Educational institutions established in 1888 Defunct schools in Illinois Defunct schools in Wisconsin Schools in Lake County, Illinois Educational institutions disestablished in 1995 1888 establishments in Illinois 1915 establishments in Wisconsin