Oxford Academy (Connecticut) - History

History

The school was founded in 1906 in Pleasantville, New Jersey, by Dr. Joseph M. Weidberg, a psychologist. Dr. Weidberg was concerned that many students were falling through the cracks of traditional education systems and therefore were not living up to their potential due to behavior or academic learning differences. In founding the Academy, Dr. Weidberg looked to the great educators of the past: the lessons of John Dewey and Socrates were central to the creation of the Oxford Method.

The Oxford Method was also based heavily on the tutorial system of Oxford University: Weidberg believed that a unique curriculum personally designed for each student would allow even the most problematic student to achieve academic and social success. By utilizing the Socratic method of question-and-answer education, these students were observed to display remarkable improvement. In 1947 Dr. Edward R. Knight was selected to succeed Dr. Weidberg as Headmaster.

In 1971, the school's main building was destroyed by fire, so the Academy moved from its original location in New Jersey to its current location in Westbrook, Connecticut where it has been since 1973.

Over the last ten years the school has overseen a massive fundraising effort to improve the school's facilities. Knight Hall, the main academic building, both of the two dormitories, Lind and Davis Hall, and other buildings were extensively upgraded. In recent years, the Oxford Academy has acquired a very strong reputation for teaching English as a foreign language, attracting students from as far away as Korea, China, and Kuwait.