Our Mission
The mission of the La Salle Military Academy Alumni Association is to continue lifelong alumni friendships and to assist/enhance alumni networking.
Mission
Philanthropy Efforts
Through the La Salle Foundation, we raise funds from various alumni events and make donations to various worthy charities dedicated to health, education, and military service.
Our Timeline
1725
The school was founded by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, or "Christian Brothers" (sometimes called the "De La Salle Brothers," having been founded by St. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle in France in 1725 as an organization of Catholic men under vows dedicated to teaching; the term "De La Salle" brothers distinguishes them from the Irish Congregation of Christian Brothers and other, similarly named and purposed groups).
1883
The school was actually founded in Westchester, New York in 1883 as Westchester Institute. Soon thereafter, the school relocated to Clason Point in the Bronx, New York, and was renamed Clason Point Military Academy.
1926
In 1926, the school purchased the estate of Frederick Gilbert Bourne, of the Singer sewing machine company, which featured a 110-room mansion, Indian Neck Hall, overlooking Great South Bay, Long Island.
2001
The graduation ceremony for La Salle's class of 2001 on May 19 was the last at the once-vibrant school on a 175-acre campus overlooking the Great South Bay. Faced with escalating financial troubles and declining enrollment, the school will close its doors on June 30. Since that time, the La Salle Military Academy
Alumni Association only has strengthened its alumni's lifelong friendships and kept the memories and stories alive.
Life at La Salle Military Academy
The school had extensive boarding facilities and attracted many sons of the wealthiest Catholic families in the northeastern United States. It also attracted a strong international contingent, particularly from Latin America. For many years LSMA was considered one of the top preparatory schools on the East Coast. It was accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Its academics were held in the highest regard and although LSMA did not require its students to take Regents exams, they never found this to be a problem. LSMA's reputation was such that its grads were consistently admitted to the best colleges. Graduating classes were often 100% college-bound.
Another academic benefit of not being a Regents program was that the faculty were not bound by a rigid curriculum, which widened the school's latitudes when it came to classes. This benefited the day-to-day education that took place there. For example, in English classes students would often read books that would never have been permitted in a Public School setting (e.g. Kurt Vonnegut, Evelyn Waugh, Bernard Malamud). Honors-track students were often able to take college-level courses (curriculum-wise). LSMA offered some very advanced Math and History classes, as well as Marine Biology.
Academic and JROTC Programs
The Christian Brothers administered the academic program, while the military program was run by the United States Army in close coordination with the Christian Brothers. La Salle was consistently rated in the top ten military high schools in the country. As a "Junior ROTC Honor School with Distinction," the school could actually make nominations to the service academies. The school maintained this status until it closed its doors in 2001. Another benefit of this status was that the Army assigned active duty personnel to conduct Military training. This was led by a command-rank officer (usually a Colonel or a Major), who served as the school's SAI (Senior Army Instructor). The rest of the team was made up of NCO's (non-commissioned officers, i.e. sergeants). For many of these Army personnel, LSMA was their last stop before retirement.