Woodberry Forest School

The school's endowment and managed funds total $432,000,000 as of June 30, 2023. Comprehensive tuition for 2023–2024 is $65,350; 41% of the students receive financial aid.

• Name — Woodberry Forest School • Motto — A Posse Ad Esse • Motto Translation — From Possibility to Actuality • Address — 898 Woodberry Forest Rd • Town — Woodberry Forest • County — Madison County • State — Virginia • Zipcode — 22989-9998 • Country — United States • Type — Independent boarding high school • Religious Affiliation — Nonsectarian • Founder — Robert Stringfellow Walker • Status — Currently operational • Ceeb — 472455 • Headmaster — Byron Hulsey • Faculty — 60.9 • Grades — 9-12 • Gender — All-boys • Enrollment — 392 • Enrollment As Of — 2023-2024 • Grade9 — 94 • Grade10 — 98 • Grade11 — 109 • Grade12 — 91 • Avg Class Size — 10 • Ratio — 6.6:1 • Hours In Day — 7.2 • Campus Size — 1200 acre • Campus Type — Fringe rural • Colors — Orange & Black orangeblack • Nickname — Tigers • Rival — Episcopal High School • Teams — 16 interscholastic sports 38 teams • Publication — The Talon • Endowment — $432 million • Newspaper — The Oracle • Annual Tuition — $65,350 • Affiliations — NAIS, TABS • Website — woodberry.org

The school was founded in 1889 by Captain Robert Stringfellow Walker, who had been a member of the 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry (Mosby's Rangers) in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. The school occupies approximately 1200 acre in Madison, Virginia. The campus is bounded on one side by the Rapidan River. It was originally the estate of William Madison, brother of President James Madison. The headmaster's residence, known as The Residence, is taken entirely from an architectural design reputed to be by Thomas Jefferson. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The property eventually passed to the Walker family. The school was founded when Walker hired a tutor to teach his six sons and other local children because of the lack of adequate schooling in the surrounding area. Today, the campus is known for its historic Jeffersonian brick buildings and state-of-the-art science and arts facilities. J. Carter Walker, son of Captain Walker and a school graduate, graduated from the University of Virginia in 1897. According to Elizabeth Copeland Norfleet in A Venture in Faith, his plans to attend law school were interrupted by his father's request that he serve as "head teacher." Carter Walker later explained his decision to his brother: "I always did what Father and Mother told me to."

• Illustration — Woodberry Forest Gymnasium Team, ca. 1905, Library of Congress Woodberry, nicknamed the Tigers, competes in the Virginia Prep League in a variety of sports, including basketball, soccer, baseball, golf, swimming, lacrosse, wrestling, Cross country running, Tennis, track and field, and football. The longest-running high school football rivalry in the Southern United States takes place annually between Woodberry Forest and Episcopal High School of Alexandria, Virginia. The schools first played against each other in 1901, competing in almost 125 games. "The Game," as it is known, draws back many alumni and is considered the homecoming game for both schools. The location of the game alternates each year; it is either in Orange or Alexandria. The 100th contest, which Woodberry won, took place in 2000 and drew nearly 15,000 spectators. Before every game between the two schools, Woodberry has a bonfire reaching four stories high, where students line up to throw torches into a tower of logs. The bonfire draws nearly as many Woodberry fans as The Game itself. The school's facilities include an on-campus 9-hole golf course designed by Donald Ross, an indoor track/pool complex, two turf football/lacrosse fields, two baseball fields, three competition-level soccer fields, and three other grass fields for football, soccer, and lacrosse. The Tigers send numerous athletes to play college sports at all levels, including multiple NCAA Division I recruits each year.