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.

History

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.
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.
In 1921, plans to build the Bingham Gymnasium were announced by then president Frank E. Hanscom. In 1933, construction began on Hanscom Hall. In 1936, the Academy earned accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
William Bingham II, who came to Bethel from Cleveland for John George Gehring's medical care, was a major school benefactor from the 1930s to his death in 1955 and thereafter via the Bingham Betterment Fund. Since the town of Bethel lacked a public high school, all local children were educated at Gould until 1969, when Telstar High School opened.
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.

Academics

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", 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.
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, Alpine Skiing, 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.

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.

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.

Campus

Gould's 436 acre campus is located in the town of Bethel, Maine, just on the Western edge of "Bethel Village". 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

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.
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 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.

Headmasters

Notable alumni

NameClassNotabilityReference
c. 1832U.S. Representative from Maine, 1847–1849
1838Fourth Governor of Oregon, member of the United States House of Representatives and served member of the United States Senate
1937United States Ambassador to Norway 1964–1969
1948American actor, known for his role as Leland McKenzie on the NBC legal drama L.A. Law
1970Author of Newbery Medal winning novel The Hero and the Crown
Matt Bevin1983Governor of Kentucky
1985Human Rights Activist
Jackie Passo2000Mogul Skier, FWT Athlete, Xtreme Verbier Champion
Park Bom2001Main vocalist of K-pop group 2NE1
Troy Murphy2010Freestyle Skier, US Ski Team