Allen Academy History

Allen Academy traces its beginnings to Madison Academy, founded by Mississippians John H. and Rivers O. Allen in Madisonville, Texas in 1886. Founded as an elementary and secondary school for boys and girls, it became Madison College in 1895 and then Allen Academy in 1896.

The Allen brothers moved their school to Bryan because of the town’s growing rail connections, its central location between Houston, Waco, Dallas, and Austin, and because they envisioned their school becoming a preparatory school for the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College. Several prominent citizens of Bryan encouraged the move and helped establish Allen Academy as a boarding school for boys in 1899. The school quickly earned a reputation as an outstanding college preparatory school.

In 1917, thirty years after its founding and with the coming of World War I, Allen once again adapted to the needs of the times: military training was added to the academy’s academic programs. Over more than 60 years, Allen Academy earned a reputation unmatched by any other military school in Texas and unbeaten by any military preparatory school in the nation. Between 1922 and 1983, Allen Academy and its Corps of Cadets earned the United States Army’s highest rating as an Honor Military School with Distinction.

In the late 1980’s, Allen purchased 40 acres of land on the corner of Highway 1179 and Boonville Road in Bryan. Given the social change of the previous two decades, 1986 saw the end of the Academy’s military training and by 1988, the school had returned to its founders’ original concept of a college preparatory school for both boys and girls.

The century old dream of our pioneer educators is alive. Allen Academy’s heritage is exciting, grand, and epic in triumph. Mirroring our history, our school’s future is one of innovation and vision.