The faculty and staff of the Staunton Military Academy brought meaning to the buildings and the students that comprised the Corps of Cadets. Without these dedicated men and women who devoted anywhere from a year of their lives to entire careers, the buildings of the school would have simply been silent monuments to an Architect and the cadets would have been a rabble of young men drifting through life.
Each of these groups played separate but equally important roles at the Academy. The faculty provided the instruction that turned the cadets into educated men ready to take on college, the armed forces, and various professions from 1884 through today. The staff made sure that the cadets had everything they needed to live at SMA. They provided hot water to bathe, lights to study, heat in cold weather, clean uniforms, food, mail, pencils, books, pens, paper, guidance, discipline, and the thousand and one other things that the cadets needed to succeed. Without both of these groups of devoted people, there would have been no Staunton Military Academy.
Because the employment records of the school have been long lost, the exact number of people that served in the faculty and staff at the school may never be known. However, the names of 832 of the men and women who served at the school from 1884 until 1976 are known from searches of the catalogs and yearbooks. Some stayed only a year. Some stayed longer. Some stayed a lifetime. The longest serving instructor stayed 57 years. The longest serving staff member stayed 50 years.
Listed below are the names, school sessions of employment, positions, and years spent at the Academy for those faculty and staff that served 25 or more years. To download a alphabetical list of the known 832 faculty and staff members with their service information, click here. Additional information about each faculty or staff member can be found in the school catalogs, yearbooks, literary magazines (Scimitars), and cadet newspapers.
NAME | YEAR(S) AT SMA | POSITIONS HELD | # Years at SMA |
PITCHER, COL S. STEWART | 1912-1968 | INSTRUCTOR, HEAD OF DEPT., TAC. OFFICER | 57 |
CRAWFORD, WALTER “CHICK” | 1925-1974 | MESS HALL, HEAD WAITER | 50 |
MOODY, COL. REUBEN EARLE | 1918-1965 | INSTRUCTOR, FACULTY ADVISER, COACH | 48 |
DEY, COL. HARRISON STEELE | 1927-1973 | SUPERINTENDENT, INSTRUCTOR, COACH, ACTING AD ’41, AD ’42, TRAINER | 47 |
JAMES, COL. HAROLD CEDRIC | 1917-1960 | HEAD OF DEPT, INSTRUCTOR | 44 |
STEELE, MAJOR LAWRENCE B. | 1908-1951 | HEAD OF JR. DEPT, SECRETARY TO PRESIDENT, EXECUTIVE OFFICE, ASST. TO SUPERINTENDENT, ASST. TREASURER, ACTING BUSINESS MANAGER, INSTRUCTOR, HEAD OF MATH DEPT. | 44 |
BROWN, COL. WARREN WOOD |
1925-1967 |
HEAD OF SCIENCE DEPT. INSTRUCTOR |
43 |
RUSSELL, LTC. TED G. |
1907-1949 |
COMMISSARY OFFICER, QUARTERMSTER, INSTRUCTOR, ASST. COMMANDANT, COMMANDANT, MILITARY TACTICS, ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT |
43 |
TAYLOR,MAJOR JOSEPH |
1920-1960 |
QUARTERMASTER, ORDINANCE OFFICER, COMMISSARY OFFICER, SUPERVISOR ARMORY, MESS OFFICER, PE DEPT, “FATHER” OF SMA BOXING |
41 |
PENCE, COL. JAMES WORTH |
1919-1958 |
INSTRUCTOR 19-38,HEADMASTER 38-58 COACH |
40 |
EARLE, MISS EVELYN |
1937-1973 |
SEC. TO TREASURER/TREASURER |
38 |
KABLE, II, COL. WILLIAM G. |
1935-1972 |
EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ASST. TO BUSINESS MANAGER, ASST. TO QUARTERMASTER |
37 |
STEELE, COL. WILLIAM H. |
1909-1945 |
BOOKKEEPER, TREASURER, BUSINESS MANAGER, TRUSTEE & FIDUCIARY OFFICER OF KABLE ESTATE |
37 |
BRICE, COL. MARSHALL M. |
1920-1944,46-56 |
INSTRUCTOR, COACH CLASS DAY SPEAKERS, DEBATING TEAM, ADVISOR LITERARY SOC., COMMANDANT KABLE HALL,HEAD ENGLISH DEPT. |
36 |
DUGGAN, COL.FRANCIS DESALES |
1918-1952 |
INSTRUCTOR, ADVISOR S.BARRACKS |
35 |
SUTHERLAND, COL. LEROY |
1908-1941 |
SUPERINTENDENT, INSTRUCTOR, FACULTY ADVISER YMCA |
34 |
WONSON, MAJOR ROY |
1909-1942 |
INSTRUCTOR, POST ADJUTANT, HEADMASTER, HEAD OF DEPT. |
34 |
BEARDSWORTH, MAJ. THOMAS S. |
1908-1941 | DIRECTOR OF MUSIC, INSTRUCTOR, HEAD OF MUSIC DEPT. DIRECTOR OF BAND |
33 |
LANDER, COL. FRANKLIN J.LANDER | 1944-1974 | SUPERINTENDENT OF LIBERAL & COMMERICAL DEPT, INSTRUCTOR, COACH | 31 |
RUSSELL, COL. THOMAS HALBERT |
1904-1933 |
INSTRUCTOR, HEADMASTER, SUPERINTENDENT, PRESIDENT, POST ADJUTANT |
30 |
DODGE,MAJ. EDWARD L. |
1947-1973 | INSTRUCTOR, COACH, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT ’54 |
29 |
BENDER, CAPT. R. |
1922-1949 |
ASST. TREASURER/CASHIER |
28 |
KABLE, CAPT WILLIAM HARTMAN |
1884-1912 |
PRINCIPAL |
28 |
WEBB, COL. WILFRED B. |
1942-1969 |
DEPT. HEAD, INSTRUCTOR, FAC. ADVISOR, 1950 ORGANIZE SUMMER SESSION, COACH, ORGANIZED MEN’S GARDEN CLUB OF VA |
28 |
BROWN, DR. LELAND C. |
1946-1972 |
SCHOOL PHYSICIAN/MEDICAL OFFICER |
27 |
KABLE, COL WILLIAM GIBBS |
1894-1920 |
COMMANDANT TO 1912, PRINCIPAL 1912-1913, PRESIDENT 1913-1920 |
27 |
KIRBY, MISS MASSIE GIBBS | 1926-1952 | SEC. TO SUPERINTENDENT, ASST.REGISTAR | 27 |
SIZER, MAJOR FREDERICK MORTIMER | 1909-1934 | INSTRUCTOR, HEAD OF DEPT. | 26 |
ELLIOTT, WALLACE E. | 1951-1975 | SUPERINTENDENT OF BLD & GROUNDS | 25 |
MICHAEL, PRESTON ALEX | 1948-1972 | ADM. ASST MANAGER SUPPLY ROOM DEPT. | 25 |
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