William Carson Long

William Carson Long

William Carson Long, better known as Carson, was killed in a freak logging accident on March 5, 1912. He had graduated from the University of Michigan in 1908 and made his way to the Pacific Northwest to pursue his interest in lumbering. At the time of the accident he was working for Cascade Lumber Company in North Yakima, Washington; a company in which his father, Theodore K. Long, had an interest. He was twenty-three years old, athletic and strongly built. He showed great natural ability in his chosen career before his life was cut short.

The shock of his death was a terrible blow to his parents and caused a great change in their lives. Theodore's wife went into seclusion, leaving him restless and in search of a way to honor his son's life. An attempt to start a school, another to start a library as a memorial to Carson did not work out. When Theodore, a native of Perry County, returned to his alma mater, an opportunity arose to fulfill his dream. His old school had fallen on hard times; enrollment was down, the buildings and grounds had been neglected. He purchased the former 'New Bloomfield Academy' in 1914. The school was reorganized as 'Carson Long Institute' and was formally renamed 'Carson Long Military Institute' in 1916, fulfilling a dream of a living memorial to his son, Carson.

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SCHOOL HISTORY

Carson Long Military Institute is a direct descendent of Bloomfield Academy which was founded in 1836. It was started by Robert Finley in New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania as a Latin Grammar school with only six students. In 1840 the school was moved two blocks up the hill to its present location. The first building of the original school was built in the same year and is still in use as a reception hall and a museum.

In 1842 the trustees decided to make the Academy a coeducational boarding school. For a short period of time in the early 1850's, the school was purchased and operated by the Perry County Commissioners. During the second half of the 1800's, the Latin Grammar academy added a Normal School, which was a training school for teachers.

Theodore K Long
In 1914 the school was purchased by Theodore K. Long, who graduated from Bloomfield Academy and Yale, and who became a prominent Chicago lawyer and city councilman. In 1916 he renamed the school Carson Long Institute as a living memorial to his son, William Carson Long, who died at an early age. At that time the Academy became an all boys school accepting girls as day students only for about four more years. After World War I, Edward L. Holman, a nephew of Colonel Long came back to his alma mater and started military training in 1919. He spent the next 61 years of his life building the school into what it is today.

In 1971 he became the Board Chairman and his son, Colonel Carson E. R. Holman, a graduate of Carson Long and West Point, became President of the School.

OLDEST BOARDING SCHOOL WITH MILITARY TRAINING

Carson Long Military Institute is the oldest boarding school in the United States that still has military training. It has been a nonprofit corporation since 1920 and is governed by a 15-member Board of Trustees. Carson Long has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools since 1929. It is a member of the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States, the National Association of Independent Schools and the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools.

Carson Long Military Institute is starting its 172 nd year of character-building education.