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BJA in Florida
Florida - 1927-1933 |
- Military Prep School Cadets
- Academics in Florida - Non-Principal Principals |
Military Prep School Cadets
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Bob Jones, Sr. said that a high school was always part of his plans for BJC, but the first official mention of pre-college classes was in a March 16, 1927, press release: “A Preparatory Department will be provided for students lacking credits for college entrance.” The Preparatory Department appears to have been designed for those who did not meet college entrance requirements.
The well-known Southern educator, J. Floyd Collins, offered his services to the school and was immediately named principal of the high school. A month later the press release says, “We also have a Preparatory Department which will cover thoroughly all High School branches.” Collins’ experience probably also inspired the Preparatory Department becoming a military preparatory school. Stating that the Bob Jones College Academy was a military preparatory school communicated that it maintained high academic levels, enforced strict discipline. and stressed moral character—which is exactly what Jones, Sr. wanted the school to be. However, the BJA Preparatory Department was some-what unique in that it had cadet and non-cadet male students and was co-ed. |
J. Floyd Collins
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Military Preparatory Schools of the Past
A military preparatory school is precollege education and is not associated with the U.S. armed services. In the 1800s, the discipline of military training was considered good for boys and young men. Almost every large U.S. city had military preparatory schools, some of which still exist.
Usually military prep schools were run by a headmaster, had an all-male faculty, and boarded a dozen to several hundred pre-teen and teenage male students. The school emphasized strict discipline, rigorous physical training (which sometimes included artillery and horsemanship skills), and tough academics. Young ladies wanting a similar education went to a “finishing school” for academics and to learn “social graces.”
By the 1920s, school attendance was mandatory, and public schools were available. They were generally co-ed which was considered a “distraction to serious education." Although their popularity was declining, in the early 20th century, military preparatory schools were still considered the pinnacle of secondary education. Seeking that reputation of excellence, the Preparatory Department of BJC opened as a military prep school for those young men who choose to become cadets.
A military preparatory school is precollege education and is not associated with the U.S. armed services. In the 1800s, the discipline of military training was considered good for boys and young men. Almost every large U.S. city had military preparatory schools, some of which still exist.
Usually military prep schools were run by a headmaster, had an all-male faculty, and boarded a dozen to several hundred pre-teen and teenage male students. The school emphasized strict discipline, rigorous physical training (which sometimes included artillery and horsemanship skills), and tough academics. Young ladies wanting a similar education went to a “finishing school” for academics and to learn “social graces.”
By the 1920s, school attendance was mandatory, and public schools were available. They were generally co-ed which was considered a “distraction to serious education." Although their popularity was declining, in the early 20th century, military preparatory schools were still considered the pinnacle of secondary education. Seeking that reputation of excellence, the Preparatory Department of BJC opened as a military prep school for those young men who choose to become cadets.
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BJA cadets wore uniforms, were under strict discipline, participated in physical training, and kept a tight schedule. The non-cadets (young ladies and some young men) attended the same classes but were not part of the cadet discipline or physical training.
The 1930 San Andros (BJC yearbook in Florida) is one of the few official sources of information about the military department. “It is for the purpose of discipline and scientific exercise that military training is maintained. . . . The cadets have their own athletics and their own interests, although they are members of the literary societies and enjoy many of the privileges of the college students.” Although the Academy seems to be for cadets, of the 39 high school students pictured in the 1930 yearbook, 19 are female and only 16 are in cadet uniform. One of the few artifacts from this era involves uniform regulations.
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Although BJC was heavily promoted, BJA was not. There was scant material about BJA in the school’s academic publications, and no mention of it being a military prep school. Except for materials in the San Andros, there is no known published material indicating the Academy was a military prep school. Perhaps it was covered in the hundreds of meetings Jones, Sr. held promoting the school. Despite lack of publicity, in Florida BJA made up a third of campus enrollment. |
Freshman and sophomore class photos from the 1931 San Andros show cadets, non-cadets and co-eds.
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For cadets the day began at 5:30 AM. Monday–Saturday academic classes began 7:10 a.m. and continued until noon. Afternoons were filled with electives (music classes and lessons, physical education, spelling, handwriting, penmanship) as well as military drills, sports, and fine arts practices. Monday–Thursday evenings featured an hour-and-a-half, supervised study hall. No classes met on Saturday afternoons, and there was no evening study hall.
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One of only three known photos of BJA cadets in full uniform. The wool uniforms were probably not always comfortable in Florida. The Sam Browne belt was worn by cadets of higher rank.
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Penalty hours were assigned by teachers, military supervisors, cadet officers, and administrators. Penalty hours were spent marching guard duty on the campus and had to be worked off before a cadet could have free time or leave the campus on Saturday afternoons |
Care of Quarters regulations were enforced by the Commandant.
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As situations arose regulations were added.
The posted General Regulations list grew each year.
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For his junior high and early high school career, Bob Jones, Jr. attended Starke’s Military Academy in Montgomery, Alabama. His senior year was the first year of BJC and “Cadet Jones” became one of the first students in the Bob Jones College Preparatory Department.
On May 28, 1928, he received his diploma. The program also featured a declamation contest and an address by Dr. Lazenby, editor of the Alabama Christian Advocate. That year's college graduation was four days later and featured an address by Alabama's Governor, Bibb Graves. In the years following, Academy and College graduation ceremonies were combined. During his sophomore and junior years in college, Jones, Jr. served as “Commandant of the Preparatory Military School.” He was responsible for supervising the young men and inspecting their quarters. Later, he would say that the title commandant was “simply a scary term for dorm supervisor who helped in teaching a sense of discipline." 
The 1932 San Andros is the first-known official use of the name “Bob Jones Academy” rather than “The Preparatory Department” or “The Bob Jones College Academy.”
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Jones, Sr. with his son in cadet uniform in front of the Florida dining hall in 1928.
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Academics in Florida
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The 1927 Announcement of Bob Jones College includes the Preparatory Department’s original four-year curriculum. Each year students would take five academic subjects: Latin, English, math, science, and history. During the Junior and Senior year a sixth course would be added: French or Spanish. As if this was not enough to keep the students busy, the last statement under “Course of Study” says “The following subjects are required of all: Reading, Spelling, Penmanship, Speaking.” Although not mentioned, a Bible class would be required of everyone.
It was to be a long class day! This curriculum was typical of many military prep schools and was probably influenced by Collins (it was announced just following his becoming principal) and was similar to the curriculum of Starke’s Military Academy, where Jones, Jr. was attending. It, however, was beyond what the Florida Department of Public Instruction required for a high school diploma. It was never realized at BJA. While in Florida only 2 years of Latin were taught and only 2 or 3 years of science and math were available. Commercial courses (bookkeeping, shorthand, typewriting, and commercial mathematics) were popular. Music courses (harmony, voice, and piano) were offered. Courses in industrial arts and speech were available and home economics became required for young ladies. |
This motto was first published in 1931 and expressed the academic goals of both BJC and BJA.
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There were very few high school faculty per se; only one or two instructors taught only (or mostly) high school classes. College faculty were assigned to teach a high school course or two. This arrangement resulted in a very good student/faculty ratio. Since most college faculty had master or doctorate degrees, the faculty easily met the academic credentials for high school teacher certification. After the school's first year, letters awarding certification to Bob Jones College Preparatory Department or the Bob Jones College Academy are in the Academy Archives.
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The first application for “Standardization” (accreditation) was submitted the second year of BJA’s existence. It is 8 pages, lists faculty and their credentials, course offerings, class schedule, and reveals several facts about BJA and BJC. - BJA’s academic classes were 45 minutes long and met 6 days a week. - High school enrollment: 65 students. - Average class size: about 9 students. - Parents were informed of student progress every 6 weeks. - The library contained 3,484 books and subscribed to 24 magazines. - Campus value: $228,800. - Annual salaries: Patterson (dean of BJC) $3,300. Hutto (new teacher) $1,350. Collins (teacher) $1,350. (These were typical salaries for such positions in the late 1920s.) - Toilets were “inside” with sewage disposal approved by the health department. - Drinking water came from a 300 ft. deep well. Having surpassed the requirements, the BJC Preparatory Department was granted “Standardization” 1928-29, and all the following Florida years. |
The curriculum, which was realized as the BJC Preparatory Department opened, was published in 1928.
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The 1931 Bulletin (probably influenced by Eunice Hutto) detailed the school, and the curriculum was more concise.
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BJA's Non-principal Principals
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Declining health forced J. Floyd Collins to serve only one year as principal. He did continue to teach classes and administered discipline for the cadets until 1932. After he stepped down, no one was officially named principal of Bob Jones Academy. The Dean of the College was BJC’s chief academic officer and functioned as the Academy’s administrator.
Woodrow Patterson and August Griesel signed official high school documents—not as principal, but as the "dean" or "college dean." Neither claimed to be, nor were they designated BJA principal. They were not described as such in the yearbooks or academic publications. They did not teach high school classes. Rather than calling them Academy Principals, as some have in the past, they will be designated as “Academy Administrators” since they served BJA more for the convenience of the school (someone to sign documents) than as leaders or directors of BJA. |
Woodrow E. Patterson
College Dean • 1927-30
Academy Administrator • 1928-30
Dr. Patterson had been a professor of education at the University of Alabama and helped to find faculty for BJC and BJA. He made operational decisions, but policies were set by Jones, Sr. He left to become president of a state vocational school in Alabama.
College Dean • 1927-30
Academy Administrator • 1928-30
Dr. Patterson had been a professor of education at the University of Alabama and helped to find faculty for BJC and BJA. He made operational decisions, but policies were set by Jones, Sr. He left to become president of a state vocational school in Alabama.
August Griesel
College Dean • 1930-32
Academy Administrator • 1930-32
A. Griesel held a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a Master of Arts. He taught education and history and served as the Dean of
the College until Eunice Hutto replaced him. When Griesel left, Jones, Sr. described him (in a recommendation!) as “a man without
much decision.”
College Dean • 1930-32
Academy Administrator • 1930-32
A. Griesel held a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a Master of Arts. He taught education and history and served as the Dean of
the College until Eunice Hutto replaced him. When Griesel left, Jones, Sr. described him (in a recommendation!) as “a man without
much decision.”
To go to the next article about BJA's history in Florida, click here.
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For information about Bob Jones College/University see:
· Fortress of Faith: The Story of Bob Jones University. Melton Wright · Standing Without Apology: The History of Bob Jones University. Daniel L. Turner · Bob Jones University—50 Years Under God. Margaret Beall Tice · Reflecting God's Light—Facets of a Miracle. Daniel L. Turner · The Campus History Series: Bob Jones University. Bob A. Nestor |
