Malvern Preparatory School

Malvern Preparatory School, commonly referred to as Malvern Prep, is an independent Catholic middle and high school for boys located in Malvern, Pennsylvania. It was started and is still run by Augustinian friars. Malvern Prep is a member of the Inter-Academic League which also includes Episcopal Academy, Germantown Academy, Penn Charter, The Haverford School, and Chestnut Hill Academy.

History

Malvern Prep was founded as a preparatory academy on the campus of Villanova University in 1842 at the Belle-Aire farm, which the Augustinian order purchased in January 1842. The academy was named "St. Nicholas of Tolentine Academy" in 1901.

In 1922, due to the expansion of Villanova's college program and increasing distinctions being made between the attendees of the academy and the college, it was decided to remove the academy from Villanova's campus. The Rosengarten family of Malvern sold a 143 acre (579,000 m²) part of its old farm between Warren Avenue and Paoli Pike to the Augustinians, and the academy became Malvern Preparatory School. The property included the site of the Paoli Massacre, a Revolutionary War battlefield that Malvern Prep owned until 2000, when it was purchased by the federal government. [1] Only two original buildings were suitable for classes and are still preserved; these are the original farmhouse (Austin Hall) and another farm building (the Friary, or Alber's Hall). Three new buildings were built in 1924 to house the need for more space. The first graduating class of Malvern Prep, who were almost all boarders, graduated in 1927.

Malvern Prep reached 200 students in 1953 and went through another construction phase, erecting six new buildings in the next eight years. Over the next twenty years, the number of boarders decreased, eventually to zero; the school is now entirely a day school. Malvern Prep is currently undergoing another construction phase, the main feature of which is a large building (slated to be named the Rev. David Duffy Center) that will replace the current auditorium (Vasey Hall) and fine arts facilities in Tolentine Hall. The school has erected a new sports center (O'Neill Sports Center), dining hall (Stewart Hall, which is actually a previously existing building (Villanova Hall) that was recently renovated and renamed), and athletic fields in the last few years.

The Augustinians in North America

The North American foundation of the order happened in 1796 when Irish friars arrived in Philadelphia. Michael Hurley was the first American to join the Order the following year. Friars established schools, a University and other works throughout the Americas, also including Villanova University in Philadelphia and Merrimack College. While this school was founded in 1842, by 1909 two Augustinian houses and a school had been established in Chicago, 1922 in San Diego, by 1925 a school in Ojai and Los Angeles; 1926 a school in Oklahoma; in 1947 Merrimack College; in 1953 a school in Pennsylvania; 1959 a school in New Jersey and in 1962 a school in Illinois.

Athletics

Malvern, a member of the Inter-Ac League, participates in sixteen varsity sports: Baseball, Basketball, Crew, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Ice Hockey, Indoor Track, Lacrosse, Soccer, Squash, Swimming, Tennis, Track, Water Polo, and Wrestling. Malvern competes for the Heyward Cup with five other schools: Germantown Academy, Haverford School, Chestnut Hill Academy, and Episcopal Academy. Thus far in the 2005-06 academic year, Malvern has taken Varsity Inter-Ac championships in Cross Country and Football. Malvern's Ice Hockey team has also won the Varsity AAA Flyers Cup five years in a row (2001 to 2005)(8 total), and the Pennsylvania Varsity AAA State Championship (2003-04).

In 2006, Malvern Prep's Lacrosse team, being coached by John McEvoy went on to win the Pennsylvannia State Lacrosse Championship, and boasts three All-Americans. Also, Malvern Prep's baseball team finished off the season by winning the Pennsylvania Independent School's tournament. The baseball team could not win the State chanpionship because the Inter-Ac league is not part of the PIAA. The six senior baseball players are all moving on to play at the next level in college. The Cross Country team has won the Inter-Ac Championships the past 4 years including a perfect 15 points in 2005 (placed 1st through 5th). The rowing team won three events at the Philadelphia City Championships, two events at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, and two SRAA Nationals Events. In 2007, the Malvern Varsity Quad won the triple crown, coming in first place at all three of these highly competitive events. They also traveled over seas to compete at the Henley Royal Regatta, and the varsity quad made it to the semifinals of the Fawley Challenge Cup Event.

Activities

Robotics

The Malvern Robotics FIRST team [2] was founded in 2002. Its rookie competition took place at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in spring 2003, at which the Friarbot was awarded the Rookie All-Star Award despite finishing 50th out of 55 teams due to mechanical breakdowns. In spring 2004, it competed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this time finishing 17th out of 35 teams and winning a Judges' Award. The Friarbot was picked for the elimination rounds, but was eliminated in the first quarterfinal. In 2006, the Friarbot once again competed in Annapolis, finishing close to last due to difficulties in many areas of the robot's construction. The Friarbot will return to Annapolis in 2007.

Notable alumni

• David Boreanaz - actor; Angel on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the spinoff show Angel. Now starring in Bones
• Ben Davis - professional baseball player; Drafted w/ the second overall pick by the San Diego Padres in the 1995 Amateur Draft; Spent seven seasons in the MLB.
• Fran Dunphy - Current Temple University and former University of Pennsylvania basketball coach; first person to coach two Philadelphia Big 5 schools.
• Rob Pardo - Blizzard Entertainment Executive and leading creator of World of Warcraft
• Nick Luukko- 15th round 300th overall pick of the London Knights of the OHL in 2007

External links

• Malvern Preparatory School
• Malvern Prep Rowing Blog
• Malvern Prep Football
• MP Lacrosse Site
• Friarbot
• Order of St Augustine, International Homepage
• Augnet International Cooperative Web Site for Augustinian communities
• Augustinian Abbey of St. Thomas at Brno
• Malvern Prep Ice Hockey

Coordinates: 40°1.6′N, 75°30.6′W

Donate to Wikimedia