North Carolina State Military Academy

Oak Ridge Military Academy

Oak Ridge, NC

Adopted in 1991.

The General Assembly of 1991 adopted the Oak Ridge Military Academy as the offical State Military Academy (Session Laws 1991, c. 728).

Oak Ridge is in its 163^rd year of being a boarding school providing young men and women with a structured, organized, and purposed life. It is a military school where a uniform highlights individual identity. They are a school where self-discipline leads to personal freedom and where peer relationships produce leadership opportunities and experiences.

North Carolina State Military Academy:
Oak Ridge Military Academy

Mission

The mission of Oak Ridge Military Academy, a college preparatory school, is to provide an educational environment which stimulates curiosity, fosters scholarly competence, encourages academic excellence, rewards self-discipline, and develops leadership potential through student involvement in both the curricular and co-curricular educational process.

The military dimension of Oak Ridge Military Academy's program seeks to reinforce every other aspect of the mission and to add a set of values which can be applied throughout life, including a work ethic, a sense of responsibility, integrity, and morality, all of which are intended to instill and preserve shared beliefs in the principles that have made our society and our country great.

Philosophy

The philosophy of Oak Ridge Military Academy is to stress the importance of preparing students for college and for life by teaching them the attitudes, information, and skills they will need to successfully meet the requirements of a college curriculum. It is the philosophy of Oak Ridge Military Academy that this personal and academic development can best be achieved through a comprehensive program which addresses the development of the total person. This program includes a challenging, college preparatory academic curriculum; a leadership program administered through the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) Leadership, Education, and Training (LET) curriculum; physical education; and development of personal integrity through the Academy honor system.

The Corps of Cadets

The Corps of Cadets is organized as a battalion that is comprised of several line companies and Headquarters Company. A cadet's rank and position within the Corps are determined by academic and military performance, participation in Oak Ridge Military Academy activities, and demonstrated leadership potential. All cadets are required to adhere to the regulations and policies outlined in the Cadet & Parent Handbook and the provisions of the Cadet Honor Code and Creed.

Cadet Honor Code: I will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.

Cadet Creed: I will be honest and courteous, respect the rights and dignity of others, and be proud of how I act and who I am.

Faculty Creed: What we teach and do for our cadets is important, but more important is what we teach them to do for themselves.

Oak Ridge Military Academy Timeline

• 1850 - Oak Ridge Male Institute was conceived on April 7th by 43 local citizens who, being desirous of promoting the cause of education, contributed a total of $629 and appointed five trustees to bring the Institute to fruition.

• 1852 - The founding year of Oak Ridge Male Institute. Within two years the name was changed to Oak Ridge Institute and females were admitted. Girls attended Oak Ridge Institute until 1929.

• 1861-1866 - The school was closed because of the Civil War. Scores of eligible aged students (probably about 100) enlisted or were conscripted into Southern units. (These units included the Guilford Guards, Stonewall Boys, Wilkes Guards, 11th Regiment of N.C. Volunteers, Madison Greys, Confederate Guards, Troublesome Boys, Guilford Men, 21st Regiment, 57th Regiment, 48th Regiment, 22nd Regiment, 45th Regiment, 29th Regiment, and many other regiments of N.C. troops).

• 1917 - The school became military and the boys uniformed under the supervision of the War Department. The school trained and graduated men who served in World War I.

• 1926 - Oak Ridge was designated a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps unit.

• 1929 - The name was changed to Oak Ridge Military Institute and limited to males only.

• 1932 - A two-year junior college was established and continued until 1966.

• 1946 - A monument on campus and various tributes memorialized the 42 ORMI alumni who lost their lives in World War II.

• 1971 - Girls were admitted again and the name was changed to Oak Ridge Academy.

• 1981 - The name changed again to its present name, Oak Ridge Military Academy. Both boys and girls are now uniformed.

• 1991 - Oak Ridge was named the "Official Military Academy of North Carolina" by the State Legislature.

• 1996 - Oak Ridge Military Academy Drill Team won the National Drill Team Championship in Daytona Beach, Florida.

• 2002 - The Academy celebrated its sesquicentennial anniversary.

North Carolina Law

The law designating the Oak Ridge Military Academy, in Oak Ridge, as the official North Carolina state military academy is found in the North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 145 Section 145-14.

Chapter 145.
State Symbols and Other Official Adoptions.
 
 § 145-14. The State Military Academy.

Oak Ridge Military Academy, in Oak Ridge, North Carolina, as long as it remains a military academy is adopted as the official military academy of the State of North Carolina. (1991, c. 728, s. 1.)