[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 127 (Thursday, September 10, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2240]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF ST. JOHN'S NORTHWESTERN MILITARY 
                                ACADEMY

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                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 10, 2009

  Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor St. John's 
Northwestern Military Academy and to recognize its 125th anniversary.
  St. John's Military Academy was founded in 1884 in Delafield, 
Wisconsin, by Dr. Sidney T. Smythe with the goal of educating young men 
in a program of physical, moral and religious education that trained 
student character as well as mind.
  The principles are echoed in the academy's motto, ``Work Hard, Play 
Hard, Pray Hard.'' Dr. Smythe believed that the way to get the most out 
of a boy is to challenge him and to make him reach just a little 
farther than he had supposed his arms could stretch. From its small 
beginnings, the academy grew steadily as it became recognized as one of 
the leading schools of its kind in the Nation.
  Northwestern Military Academy was established in 1888 in Highland 
Park, Illinois, by Harlan Page Davidson, whose philosophy of education 
was remarkably similar to Sidney Smythe. In addition to academic 
classes, cadets participated in athletics, gymnastics, drill 
instruction and bayonet practice. In 1911, naval training was added to 
the academy's program and the name was changed to Northwestern Military 
& Naval Academy, gaining national recognition as an educational 
experience with a military emphasis.
  In 1995, St. John's Military Academy, and Northwestern Military & 
Naval Academy joined to become St. John's Northwestern Military 
Academy, located at the St. John's 110-acre campus in Delafield. Though 
the emphasis has shifted away from the military arts of an earlier day, 
the discipline, self-confidence, loyalty and camaraderie remain just as 
strong today. Shaped by each school's strong history, common goals and 
similar philosophies, the academy continues its long tradition of 
education and leadership with honor.

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