[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S72]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF FOXCROFT ACADEMY

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, Foxcroft Academy in Dover-Foxcroft, ME, 
was established on January 30, 1823, with a mission of bringing quality 
education to pioneer families in our new State. On this 200th 
anniversary, it is a pleasure to congratulate this outstanding school 
for its dedication to excellence and opportunity.
  The history of Foxcroft Academy demonstrates that commitment. It was 
the first school chartered in Maine after we achieved statehood 3 years 
earlier. It is one of the oldest private day and boarding preparatory 
high schools in America.
  That charter was the result of extraordinary vision. The school's 
namesake, Colonel John Foxcroft, born to a prominent Massachusetts 
family, was successful in business and amassed a considerable fortune. 
His wealth enabled him to acquire thousands of acres of prime 
timberland in the wilderness of Maine. With the growing cities of early 
America nearby, he could have exploited this natural resource and added 
greatly to his fortune.
  Instead, he chose to offer opportunity. He opened his land up to 
those less fortunate; he encouraged settlers to come to clear farmland, 
construct mills, start businesses, and build their homes and their 
futures. The people of the fledgling settlement raised $100 to build a 
wood frame building to create a school and a true community.
  Today, Foxcroft Academy sits upon a beautiful 125-acre campus with a 
full array of state-of-the-art academic, athletic, and residential 
facilities. More than 350 day students live in Dover-Foxcroft and 
neighboring towns, and an additional 100 international students come 
from 20 countries around the world.
  Foxcroft Academy is renowned for high achievement in academics, 
athletics, and the arts. Its designation as an Apple Distinguished 
School recognizes its successful integration of technology into 
education, and its inclusion in the International Baccalaureate Program 
acknowledges its commitment to helping students become good global 
citizens.
  The school's motto is ``Knowledge is Power.'' Whether graduates go on 
to college, the workforce, or the military, they leave Foxcroft Academy 
empowered to succeed.
  Foxcroft Academy was founded with a pioneering, innovative spirit 
that is carried on today by students, faculty, administrators, and 
supporters. This bicentennial year is a time to celebrate a school that 
holds a special place in Maine's history and in its future.

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