BORN AS A DREAM AND BOUND BY HOPEBrentwood Academy's history is best told by the people who lived it. Enjoy this walk down memory lane with found Headmaster, Bill Brown and former BA administrator and first graduating class member Nancy Brasher '73. |
The charter of Brentwood Academy was signed on November 20, 1969. The members of the Board of Trustees attending the first meeting were Joe M. Rodgers, James E. French, William C. Cate, Jr., Jack A. Butler, Morris Werthan II, J. Richard Cole, Randall N. Yearwood, and William B. Brown, Jr. Members unable to attend were Mrs. H. Rodes Hart, Tom P. Kennedy, Jr., H. Lynn Greer, and Miller Kimbrough.
In December 1969, Tom P. Kennedy, Jr. offered the school 10 acres of land on Granny White Pike. The offer was accepted, and an option was obtained on 20 additional acres. The first building, containing four classrooms, a science laboratory, boys’ and girls’ dressing rooms, administrative offices, and a commons area, was completed in August 1970. The first classes were held on September 8, 1970. The charter students selected the eagle mascot and the red, white, and blue school colors.
Mr. Bill Brown established Brentwood Academy in 1969 to meet the need for an educational alternative to the existing private schools in Nashville. Mr. Brown and the founding trustees envisioned a school for average to above-average students that would emphasize the development of each student’s body, mind, and spirit. Their intent was to establish a school that would encourage the cultivation of relationships, service, and community outreach. The triangle philosophy, symbolizing the spiritual, academic, and athletic dimensions of a whole person, is articulated in our mission statement.
After more than 50 years, Brentwood Academy continues to hold to its mission:
Brentwood Academy is a co-educational, independent, college preparatory school, dedicated to nurturing and challenging each whole person—body, mind, and spirit—to the glory of God.
We are grateful for the assurance of Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:6 that one plants, another waters, but it is God who grants the increase. We pray for our school throughout the year, recognizing that our success is rooted in God's ability to transform us from what we are now into what He intends us to become.
God has blessed us and changed us in many ways since the founding of Brentwood Academy. We are confident that He will continue to mold us into His school. It is important for us to allow God to be the catalyst for change, rather than the world or our own quest for significance and success. The growth in our facilities are visible reminders that each small step builds toward the end result. At the same time, we share an expectation that the outcome will be better than what we now experience. We expect to see similar growth in each of us as we each contribute our gifts, talents, wisdom, and experience toward the mission of Brentwood Academy.
In the Spring of 2000, Curt Masters became headmaster at Brentwood Academy. During the installation service, he received three symbolic gifts to cheer and guide his leadership: a living tree represented the nurture and care essential for the growth of the dynamic Brentwood Academy community; a clay pot—partly finished, partly marred—was given as a reminder that each member of the Brentwood Academy family is a work of God in progress; and a track baton, which Bill Brown—headmaster, teacher, and coach—passed on, signifying the end of his leg of the race.
Curt Masters announced his intention to retire as Brentwood Academy Headmaster at the end of the 2024- 2025 school year on February 21, 2024. As the Search Committee conducts a thoughtful and thorough search for the next Head of School, information will be shared to update the BA Community.
