Gould Academy

Gould Academy is a private, co-ed, college preparatory boarding and day school founded in 1836 and located in the small town of Bethel, Maine, United States.

Gould Academy
Location
Bethel
,
Maine

United States
Information
TypeIndependent School, boarding
Established1836 (1836)
HeadmasterTao Smith ’90
Enrollment250
Average class size10–12 students
Color(s)Blue and Gold
MascotHuskies
Annual tuition$62,700 (Boarding) $38,650 (Commute)
Websitewww.gouldacademy.org

History
The Original Gould Hall c. 1890; Hanscom Hall now stands where this building did.

In 1835 citizens of Bethel, Maine, formed an organization as trustees of the Bethel High School. A hall was fitted up for a schoolroom, and N. T. True was employed as principal. Encouraged by their success, the trustees reorganized and obtained a charter for an Academy, which by act of the Legislature on January 27, 1836, was incorporated as Bethel Academy. A building was erected, Isaac Randall was the first instructor, and the school opened for its first term on the second Wednesday of September, 1836.[1]

Bethel Academy also accepted its first tuition-paying students in 1836, both locals and boarders. Reverend Daniel Gould left his $842 fortune to the school when he died in 1843. Gould stipulated that the school be named for him; from then on it was known as Gould's Academy and eventually Gould Academy.[2]

In 1921, plans to build the Bingham Gymnasium were announced by then president Frank E. Hanscom.[3] In 1933, construction began on Hanscom Hall. In 1936, the Academy earned accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.[4]

William Bingham II,[5] who came to Bethel from Cleveland for John George Gehring's medical care,[6] was a major school benefactor from the 1930s to his death in 1955 and thereafter via the Bingham Betterment Fund.[2] Since the town of Bethel lacked a public high school, all local children were educated at Gould until 1969, when Telstar High School opened.[2]

Much of the school's history is preserved by the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society, which has had stewardship of the Gould Academy Archives since 2014.[7]

Academics
Hanscom Hall contains the library, classrooms, and administrative offices

Subjects taught include English, History, Math, Science, Computer Science, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Spanish, Mandarin. Gould offers honors and AP classes and courses in design-thinking, fabrication, and robotics related to the school's makerspace, the Marlon Family IDEAS Center.

Gould operates on a trimester system, and students typically enroll in five to six courses per trimester. Class periods are affectionately known as "dots" (periods), and have a fixed schedule changing between four and three classes a day. The fall and spring term schedules include a half day every week on Wednesday, a late start every Thursday, and occasional Saturday classes. The Winter term schedule is based on half days Tuesday through Friday to make time for athletics, mainly the On-Snow Competition programs.[8]

The Academic Skills Center is a special academic support program where students work closely with a learning specialist to develop learning strategies and skills.

Programming

Athletics

Gould's high school teams compete in the MAISAD league of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council. Most sports also branch outside of the league and conference. Fall Sports include Cross Country Running, Equestrian, Field Hockey, Golf, Mountain Biking, Soccer, the Outing Club, and Yearbook. Winter Sports include Basketball, Snowboarding (competitive and not), Alpine Skiing (competitive and not), Freestyle Skiing, Nordic Skiing, Learning to Ski, Rugrats, and the Outing Club. Spring sports are Baseball, Equestrian, Lacrosse, Road Cycling, Skateboarding, Softball, Tennis and the Outing Club.[9]

On-Snow Competition Program

The On-Snow Competition Program includes Alpine, Snowboard, Freestyle, and Nordic Skiing. The program is designed to prepare athletes to compete at the highest levels in every age group. A winter term is available for 8th grade students, from Thanksgiving through March.

Special class schedules and flexibility are available for students competing in the program, especially during the winter.[10]

Four Point

At the end of the winter trimester, each Class pursues a week-long assignment called Four Point, designed to emphasize experiential learning outside of the classroom. Ninth grade students travel abroad as a class, Tenth grade students engage in community service on or near campus, Eleventh grade students take a class winter camping trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and Twelfth grade students take on an independent project.[11]

Campus
Sanborn Family Library inside Hanscom Hall, newly renovated in 2011
See also: List of Gould Academy buildings

Gould's 436 acre campus is located in the town of Bethel, Maine, just on the Western edge of "Bethel Village".[12] Bethel sits in the Androscoggin River Valley, with the Sunday River Ski Resort 6 miles up the road and New Hampshire's White Mountains about 20 miles to the west.

Academic facilities
  • Hanscom Hall
    • Main academic building
    • Constructed in 1933, Renovated multiple times over the years
    • Marlon Family IDEAS Center (B1)
      • Newly added in 2016 as part of the basement floor renovation
      • Wood Shop
      • Digital fabrication shop
      • Class collaboration space
      • Student study/cafe area
      • Campus store
    • Sanborn Family Library (1F)
      • Renovated in 2012
      • Meeting rooms
      • Designated quiet & casual study areas
      • Photography studio
    • Academics Skills Center (2F)
    • College Counselling Office (2F)
    • Areas of Study
      • English
      • History
      • English Studies Program
      • World Languages
      • Visual Arts
  • McLaughlin Science Center
    • Science & Mathematics building
    • Constructed in 2002
    • Labs: Physics, Chemistry, Biology
    • Trustees Auditorium (1F): 56-seat auditorium for smaller community events
    • Facilities: server room, greenhouse
  • Owen Art Gallery
    • Visual Arts building
    • Exhibition space, printing shop, metal design shop, blacksmith shop, workspace
  • Bingham Hall
    • Auditorium for morning assemblies and other community events
    • Performing Arts building
    • Constructed in 1921, Renovated in 1963
    • Band room (B1)
    • William Bingham Gym (1F)
    • Music Classrooms (1F, 2F)

Housing facilities
  • Davidson Hall
    • Named after Sidney W. Davidson, 4th Headmaster
    • Boys' Dormitory
    • Constructed in 1971
    • First Floor, Second Floor, Second Floor
    • Room Types: Single, Double, Quad
    • Community Color: Orange
  • Holden Hall
    • Named after Liberty Emery Holden, Class of 1853
    • Boys' Dormitory
    • Constructed in 1939, Renovated in 2019
    • Room Types: Single, Double, Triple
    • Basement Floor, First Floor, Second Floor
    • Basement Floor used for on-snow athletes
    • Community Color: Black
  • Gehring Hall
    • Named after Marian True Gehring
    • Girls' Dormitory
    • Constructed in 1927, Renovated in 1998
    • Room Types: Single, Double
    • Basement Floor, First Floor, Second Floor, Third Floor, Fourth Floor
    • The basement floor used to be the school cafeteria until Ordway Dining Hall was built in 1998
    • Community Color: Pink

Athletic facilities
Ordway Hall, Dining Hall at Gould Academy, Built in 1998

Farnsworth Field House: Farnsworth is a multi-purpose complex that is home to Lombard Basketball Court, a fitness and weight-training center, an athletic training room, a trampoline room, an indoor skate park, two tennis courts, and a team room. Outdoors, there are four tennis courts, four full-sized athletic fields, an artificial turf field, baseball and softball diamonds, and an 18-hole golf course at the Bethel Inn Resort.[9]

Paul Kailey Competition Center: The On Snow Competition programs train at Sunday River, at the school's own competition center near Barker Lodge.

There are also 40 km of trails on campus for running, mountain biking, and groomed for Nordic Skiing in the winter. These trails also connect to a second network of trails at the Bethel Inn Resort.

Gould people

Students

About 250 students attend Gould. 45% of the student body come from Maine; 22% of the student body are local day-students. 26% of Gould's student body is international, while 15% of students come from New England states other than Maine and 14% come from US States outside of New England. Domestic students of color represent 5% of the community. About 30% of students compete in the On-Snow Competition program.

In the Class of 2011, 43 students (63% of the class) took 134 AP exams by the end of their junior and senior years combined. 56% earned a 3 or better, and 34% earned a 4 or 5. 99% of the graduating class matriculates at four-year colleges and universities.[8]

Headmasters
Order Name Years Reference
1 Nathaniel T. True 1835-36 [13]
William Rogers Chapman [13]
Moses Bartlett
Abernathy Grover
David Hastings
Moses Soule 1841-43
Nathaniel Tuckerman True 1848-1881
David True Timberlake 1881
Henry Johnson
Frank E. Hanscom 1897–1936 [14]
Philip Sayles 1936-40
Elwood F. Ireland 1940–1947
Sidney W. Davidson 1947–1959
Edmond Vachon 1959–1967
Edward Scheibler 1967
Richard Dolven (acting) 1968
William P. Clough III 1983–2001 [15]
Daniel Kunkle 2001–2012 [16]
Matthew Ruby 2012–2018 [17]
Chris Gorycki 2018–2020
Tao Smith 2020-

Notable alumni


Name Class Notability Reference
James S. Wiley c. 1832 U.S. Representative from Maine, 1847–1849
La Fayette Grover 1838 Fourth Governor of Oregon, member of the United States House of Representatives and served member of the United States Senate [18]
Margaret Joy Tibbetts 1937 United States Ambassador to Norway 1964–1969
Richard Dysart 1948 American actor, known for his role as Leland McKenzie on the NBC legal drama L.A. Law [19]
Robin McKinley 1970 Author of Newbery Medal winning novel The Hero and the Crown
Matt Bevin 1983 Governor of Kentucky
Arn Chorn-Pond 1985 Human Rights Activist [20]
Park Bom 2001 Main vocalist of K-pop group 2NE1 [21]
Troy Murphy 2010 Freestyle Skier, US Ski Team

References
  1. "Gould Academy : Historical Sketch" (PDF). Thebetheljournals.info. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  2. "History of Gould Academy" Archived 2012-04-24 at the Wayback Machine, school webpage. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
  3. "William Bingham Gym at Gould Academy". Thebetheljournals.info. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  4. "CIS Directory of Schools | Independent, Non-Public K-12 Schools (CIS) / Commission on Independent Schools". Cis.neasc.org. Archived from the original on 2013-08-12. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  5. William Bingham biography, thebetheljournals.info website. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
  6. "Medicine: Master of the Inn" (subscriber access only), Time, Apr. 25, 1927. Review of RHerrick's novel, The Master of the Inn. Retrieved 2011-12-14.
  7. "Bethel Historical Society to oversee Gould archives". The Bethel Citizen. 2014-07-31. Retrieved 16 June 2017. The archives are being placed on long-term loan to the society which, with its newly completed Mary E. Valentine Collections Wing, is in a position to carefully monitor and maintain the archives while also making it available for display and study purposes, according to a BHS press release.
  8. "Gould Academy Homepage" (PDF). Mygould.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-12-07. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  9. "Athletics at our small, New England, prep, boarding school". Gould Academy. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  10. "Competition Program". Gould Academy. Archived from the original on 2013-11-21. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  11. "Four Point". Gould Academy. Archived from the original on 2011-12-03. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  12. "Gould Academy Profile | Bethel, Maine (ME)". Boardingschoolreview.com. 2013-11-24. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  13. Parkman, Francis (1976). The Gould Academy Story 1836-1976. Bethel, Maine: Gould Academy. p. 23.
  14. File:Hanscom Hall Gould Academy History.jpg
  15. "Holderness School ~ Commencement 2009 Awards". Holderness.org. 2009-05-24. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  16. "Gould Academy Head of School by Gould Academy". ISSUU. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  17. Archived December 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  18. "Oregon Governor Lafayette Grover". National Governors Association. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-08-11. Retrieved 2013-06-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. Fleming, J., "Cambodian Travels Hard Road from Labor Camp to Maine Prep School," Los Angeles Times, Nov 24, 1983, p. M5.
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