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Woodberry Forest School is a private all male boarding school located in Woodberry Forest, Madison County, Virginia. It was founded in 1889 by Captain Robert Stringfellow Walker, a former member of Mosby's Rangers during the American Civil War.

Contents 1 History 2 The Grounds 3 Student body 4 The Honor Code 5 Athletics 6 Notable alumni 7 External links

The school occupies approximately 1600 acres (4.5 km³) in central Virginia, bounded on one side by the Rapidan River. It was originally the estate of William Madison, brother of President James Madison. The headmaster's residence is taken entirely from an architectural design by Thomas Jefferson. The property eventually passed to the Walker family. The school was founded when Captain Walker hired a tutor to teach his six sons and other local children.

J. Carter Walker, son of Captain Walker, and a graduate of the school, graduated from the University of Virginia in 1897. According to Elizabeth Copeland Norfleet in Ventures in Faith, the history of the school's early years, his plans to go on the law school was interrupted by his father's request that he serve as "head teacher". Carter Walker later explained his decision to his brother thus, "I always did what Father and Mother told me to."

J. Carter Walker served as headmaster until he retired in 1948.

Other headmasters of the school were:

Shaun Kelley, Jr. 1948-1952.

Joseph M. Mercer 1952-1962

A. Baker Duncan Jr. 1962-1970

Charles M Sheerin, Jr. 1970-1973

Gerald L. Cooper (Acting) 1973-1974

Emmett W. Wright, Jr. 1974-1991

Gen. John S. Grinalds 1991-1997

Dennis M. Campbell 1997-present

The grounds include a working farm, a nine-hole golf course, two swimming pools, tennis courts, an indoor track facility, and various athletic fields. Woodberry is unique among boarding schools in that its ample outdoor space allows students to go hunting and skeet shooting on school property. In 1980, The Official Preppy Handbook cited Woodberry as having its own dairy that provides milk to students. The school also operates a five stand sporting clays course that opened in the spring of 2003. The golf course is a nine hole Donald Ross gem that weaves its way through the farmland and the campus grounds. The greens on the course were originally sand, but converted to bermuda in the mid 1930's. Woodberry's golf program is one of the top in the country, with recent alumni playing at top Division 1 schools.

Woodberry's enrollment is currently 402 students, all male, from 33 states and 10 foreign countries. Most students come from the Southern United States, with the largest numbers of students coming from Virginia and North Carolina.

One feature of life at Woodberry is its honor system. The Honor System is student run and led by 19 Prefects who serve as role models, live in each dorm and direct student life. They decide the fate of any students that lie cheat or steal, and their decision is confirmed by the headmaster, and the dean of students. Woodberry's Honor System is simple; if one lies, cheats, or steals, on any scale, he is dismissed from the school. While this may seem harsh, students past and present agree that this principle of integrity has significantly shaped their lives.

Woodberry competes in the Virginia Prep League in a variety of sports including soccer, baseball, golf, swimming, lacrosse, wrestling, squash, and track. However, the most popular sport is football. Home football games are played on Saturdays in the fall. Students typically dress in a shirt and tie and exhibit much school spirit during the games. The longest running high school football rivalry in the country takes place each year between Woodberry Forest and Episcopal High School of Alexandria, Virginia. Beginning in 1901, as of November 2006 they will have played 106 consecutive games against each other. The Game, as it is known, draws back many alumni and is a defacto homecoming for both schools. The 100th contest, staged in the fall of 2000 drew nearly 15,000 spectators. Woodberry alumni paid to film a documentary of the season to commemorate the event.

Notable alumni of Woodberry Forest School include:

• Randolph Scott, actor
• Marvin Bush, youngest son of George H. W. Bush
• Johnny Mercer, American songwriter
• J. Sargeant Reynolds, politician and executive vice-president of Reynolds Aluminum Credit Corp
• Halsey Minor, founder of CNET
• C.D. Spangler, former president of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
• Gordon Gray, National Security Advisor to President Eisenhower 1958-1961
• James D. Robinson III, former CEO of American Express
• Roger Wilson, actor Porky's
• Seth Hancock, owner of Claiborne Farm, syndicator of Secretariat.[1]
• Henry Payne, editorial cartoonist Detroit News.
• Paul Ilyinski, mayor of Palm Beach
• Frank Wisner, CIA official
• Bosley Crowther, film critic New York Times
• James McMurtry, singer/song writer

• Woodberry Forest School website
• Information from boardingschoolreview.com