History of Wentworth

Wentworth was the oldest military academy west of the Mississippi River, steeped in 137 years of excellence.

Founded the Wentworth Male Academy in 1880 by Stephen G Wentworth in honor his son William who died on May 12, 1879

1881-1882 Wentworth Male Academy became a military academy known as Wentworth Military Academy in 1890

The small academy nestled near the banks of the Missouri River in Lexington, MO has produced countless military leaders such as General Hoge, General Welsh, and two Medal of Honor Recipients; business leaders such as James “Bud” Walton, and Eddie Chiles; arts and media greats such as Robert Altman and Marlin Perkins; sports pioneers such as George Rody and Ben Jones; and public servants such as former Ambassador Charles H. Price II and U.S. Congressman Ike Skelton who served 34 years in public office and as chairman of the House Armed Service Committee. Their legacies have left an indelible mark on each respective field of expertise.

Notable alumni

Politics

• Ike Skelton (Class of 1951)– United States Congressman, 4th District of Missouri (1977–2011), Ranking Democrat and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (2007–2011).
• Charles H. Price II – former United States Ambassador to Belgium (1981–1983) and United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (1983–1989); appointed by President Ronald Reagan
• Newell A. George – United States Congressman, 1959–1961

Arts

• Robert Altman – Academy Award winning Director of classic films such as M*A*S*H (1970), McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), The Long Goodbye (1974), Nashville (1975), The Player (1992), Short Cuts (1993), Kansas City (1996), Dr. T & the Women (2000), Gosford Park (2001), The Company (2003), and A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
• Lew Hunter – American screenwriter, author and educator
• Marlin Perkins – world renowned zoologist and host of the television program Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom
• Arthur Schneider – four-time Emmy Award winning television editor

Business

• James “Bud” Walton – Co-founder of Wal-Mart
• David C. Pratt – CEO/Owner of Gander Mountain and minority owner of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team
• Eddie Chiles – Founder of the Western Company of North America and owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team
• William C. Schwartz – Physicist, Laser pioneer, and founder of International Laser Systems

Journalism

• Paul Henderson – reporter for The Seattle Times, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting in 1982
• Lewis Hill – co-founder of Pacifica Radio, the first public radio station in the U.S.
• Bill Corum – (Class of 1913)- sports columnist for the New York Journal-American, boxing, baseball and horse racing sportscaster, and president of Churchill Downs. Coined the term “Run for the Roses” to describe the Kentucky Derby.

Academia

• Ovid R. Sellers – internationally known Old Testament scholar and archaeologist

Athletics

• Beals Becker – Major League baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Boston Doves, the New York Giants, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Philadelphia Phillies.
• Med Park – NBA player for the St. Louis Hawks.
• Harry Ice – MVP of 1942 Sugar Bowl, member of University of Missouri‘s all-century football team.
• Ben A. Jones – Thoroughbred horse trainer, six-time winner of the Kentucky Derby.
• George E. Rody – Captain of the first national championship basketball team at the University of Kansas,1922. Head basketball and baseball coach at Oklahoma State University, 1929–31. Head basketball coach at Tulane University, 1931–33.
• Ahmed bin Salman – Owner of 2002 Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem. Saudi royal and former owner of Saudi Research and Marketing Group.

Military

• William E. Adams (Class of 1959) – Medal of Honor recipient, Vietnam War
• William W. Ashurst – Recipient of the Silver Star and Legion of Merit
• Dale R. Buis – first casualty of Vietnam War
• Melvin F. Chubb Jr. (Class of 1951) – former Commander of Hanscom Air Force Base
• Harvey C. Clark (Class of 1889) – U.S. Army brigadier general^[5]
• William M. Hoge (Class of 1912) – oversaw construction of the ALCAN Highway and directed capture of the Remagen Bridge in World War II
• LeRoy Lutes – Commanding General, Fourth United States Army, 1949–1952
• Johnny R. Miller (Class of 1984) – Assistant Adjutant General of the Illinois Army National Guard
• Clarence L. Tinker (Class of 1908) – namesake of Tinker Air Force Base
• George B. Turner – Medal of Honor recipient, World War II
• Mark A. Welsh (Class of 1972) – 20th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, 2012–2016

Credit to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wentworth_Military_Academy_and_College