Founded in 1826. In 1826, a charter was granted to establish Western Reserve College and Preparatory School in Hudson, Ohio. For the next 56 years, the college and school occupied the campus together until 1882, when the college, now known as Case Western Reserve University, moved to Cleveland.

The WRA Portrait Gallery. Western Reserve Academy's reputation as a fine academic institution stems from decades of dedicated, long-serving faculty and administrators. Visit the WRA Portrait Gallery to view portraits of past faculty, deans, administrators and board members. A caption below each full-sized portrait provides information regarding the capacity in which the individual served in his/her concluding year of service at Reserve. Please note that the Gallery also contains portraits of school benefactor James Ellsworth and his wife, Julia. (NOTE: Portrait Gallery set up by Joe Wang '09.)

The benefactor. Although financial instability forced the preparatory school, Western Reserve Academy, to close its doors in 1903, the school re-opened in 1916 under the leadership of James Ellsworth, a former student. Newly constructed Seymour Hall became the main campus building for the co-educational student body, and other buildings were added in the early 1920s, notably Bicknell Gym and Ellsworth Hall. Upon Ellsworth's death in 1925, the benefactor's large endowment came to Western Reserve Academy. The school became solely a boys' institution for nearly 50 years. Girls were readmitted in the fall of 1972.

An historic campus. Within recent years, the school has constructed or acquired a number of additional buildings, including the Nathan Seymour House, the Metcalf Center, the John D. Ong Library, the Burton D. Morgan Hall and the Murdough Athletic Center. The campus, however, looks much as it did 100 years ago. Its historic "Brick Row," which consists of the series of brick buildings that line College Street, is one of only two historic campus brick rows intact today.

The Academy Archives. For more information about Western Reserve Academy, visit the Academy Archives located in the John D. Ong Library on College Street. Tom Vince, school archivist and historian, is a well-known local authority on the school, the town of Hudson, and the region.

The Western Reserve Academy Archives is the official repository for all non-current records related to the history, operation, faculty, alumni and other personnel associated with the school since 1883.

Researchers, alumni, and other interested individuals wishing to visit the Archives may contact the school's historian and archivist: