Archmere Academy is a Roman Catholic, independent, college preparatory school inspired by the Norbertine tradition and a heritage of committed faculty, alumni, families, and friends. Archmere welcomes faculty and students of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. Through dedication to academic excellence, social development, community service, and faith reflection, Archmere focuses on the education of the whole student. This philosophy encourages and supports the unique qualities and differences of students in achieving the maximum level of their abilities. Understanding their moral obligation to the global community, young men and women graduate from Archmere prepared for college, career and vocation in life.

From 1910 until 1931, Archmere was the beautiful country estate of John J. Raskob, his wife, Helena Springer Green, and their 12 children. Chairman of the Board of General Motors and Vice President in charge of finance for the DuPont Company, Raskob was recognized as one of the most successful and influential financiers of his time. 

Between 1916 and 1918, the Raskobs had constructed on their 48 acre property an elaborate home, The Patio, a fine example of Italianate, Renaissance architecture, and Manor Hall, a servants' quarters. While the Raskobs lived at Archmere, the house was alive with activity. During the presidential campaign of 1928, Archmere was the scene of many meetings of the Democratic National Committee. Raskob was campaign manager for the party's presidential nominee, Governor Al Smith of New York. 

The history of Archmere as a college preparatory school began in the spring of 1932 when Bernard Pennings, Abbot of the Norbertine Order, made what must at the time have seemed a risky decision to purchase the Raskobs' Delaware River Estate for $300,000.  In the Spring of 1932, Rev. Michael McKeough, O.Praem. was assigned as the school's first Headmaster. Three other Norbertines and three laymen joined Fr. McKeough to comprise the pioneer faculty. The school opened in September with an enrollment of 22 students; 16 freshman and 6 sophomores. Archmere was officially dedicated on October 12, 1932, the late Bishop Fitzmaurice of Wilmington presiding. Archmere's growth was a gradual but highly gratifying one to Fr. McKeough. By 1933, the enrollment had risen to 50 students and by 1934 to 72.  In the summer of 1936, Fr. McKeough was succeeded as Headmaster by Rev. Daniel Hurley, O.Praem., who faced the challenge of guiding the school through the uncertain years of the Depression and World War II. Yet the enrollment continued to grow and minor changes were made to The Patio and Manor Hall to accommodate boarding students. In February 1939, the school's first gymnasium was completed and by September 1940, Manor Hall had been converted into a science center.

The 1930's for the pioneers at Archmere were a decade of triumph over early adversities. Archmere entered the 1940's with a sense of confidence well founded on its successful, although infant, years.  During the 1945-46 academic year, illness forced Fr. Hurley to return to the Norbertine Abbey in West DePere, Wisconsin and until September 1946, Fr. Roger Paider served as Headmaster. At that time Rev. Justin Diny, O.Praem., who had taught in the school from 1937 to 1944, was recalled from Wisconsin to become the fourth Headmaster in Archmere's history.  In his first year as Headmaster, Fr. Diny made the decision to consolidate the school's operations, turning it into strictly a four year college preparatory institution. The seventh grade was phased out during the 1946-47 school year and the eighth grade the following year. And still enrollment continued to grow, nearly doubling the 1940-41 figure of 72.  Archmere continued its growth as a boarding and day school for boys. By 1952, enrollment had climbed to 158. In the same year, the Archmere's Fathers' Club was formed as a valuable ally of the Mothers' Guild, which had served Archmere from its tentative beginning in 1932.  The Fathers' Club was primarily responsible for the construction of the athletic field and track in the spring of 1955.  Archmere's expanding enrollment of the 1940's and 1950's placed a heavy strain on the existing facilities. In the 1950-51 school year, Archmere was working on arrangements for a new classroom building to accommodate more than twice the number of students currently enrolled. On October 12, 1957, the Archmere community celebrated its 25th anniversary. As part of the commemoration, ground was blessed and broken for St. Norbert Hall. It was dedicated on November 8, 1959. The school would enter the 1960's with a student body of 232 boys and a superior facility to accommodate not only them, but many more.  Through the 1960's, Archmere's coming of age appeared in its curriculum. Through the anxious, emotional and intellectual years of the 60's Archmere kept to a sane course, adhering to its philosophy of teaching religious, academic, and moral fundamentals, while at the same time improving the quality of its course offerings. When the National Advanced Placement program began, Archmere's best students performed admirably on the exams in all subject areas. 

Still further construction was required to meet the needs of an increasing student body, and in 1966 the Field House was opened while plans were in the making for a dedicated science facility. 

By the end of the 60's, the student body reached 394 (including a noticeable number of sons of alumni) and faculty members numbered 26 (eight Norbertines and 18 laymen.)

The Justin E. Diny Science Center was dedicated on October 28, 1973. The classrooms and laboratories contain facilities in the disciplines of physics, chemistry, biology, and environmental science. The old science laboratory, Manor Hall, was now dedicated to the Arts, an expanding program of the 1970's which incorporated the school's chorus, band, theater, and studio art programs. 

In 1975, facilities for boarding students were discontinued and for the first time in its history, Archmere became exclusively a day school. Archmere announced its decision to become a co-educational institution beginning in September of 1975. Fifty young women became a part of a student body of 372. The presence of girls at Archmere made an immediate impact. The composition of the faculty changed too, with 40 full and part time teachers, eight of whom were women. By 1980, Archmere's enrollment of 450+ students was f45 percent girls. The faculty and staff increased to 50 men and women. Of these, 15 were Norbertines and 35 lay people, the total including eight Archmere alumni. 

During the latter part of the 1970s, the school saw the need to establish a Board of Trustees. The Board held its first meeting on June 16, 1980. 

The 1980s were years of growth and change. By 1982, major advances in curriculum and extracurricular activities were underway. When Rev. Joseph McLaughlin, O.Praem. became Headmaster in 1983, the continued expansion of programs in the arts and the enthusiasm of the students for their new opportunities made plain to the Board of Trustees that the school's facilities were inadequate to meet the demands of an eager, energetic administration, faculty and student body. At the same time, other curricular advancements - the new Computer Science program, the Writing Center, and a broader program in languages - all augmented the pressure to update and enlarge Archmere's facilities. 

The result was approval by the Trustees to convert some present facilities in St. Norbert Hall to entirely new uses and to construct a major addition to the building. The library was too small to accommodate the needs of the student body but it would provide suitable space for the computer laboratory, faculty offices, and tutoring services of the language department. The auditorium, now also too small to seat all the students and faculty and too confined for the scale of recent drama productions, would conveniently house a new library and media center on two floors. The new construction would create a theater/auditorium to seat 700. Manor Hall, shared by both art and music students, would be available entirely for work in the visual arts. 

Ground was broken for this project by Abbot Neitzel on March 17, 1982 and the new complex was completed in the fall of 1983. More than half of the student body became involved in the music and drama programs, creating a concert band and chorus, a select choral group known as the Mastersingers and a Stage Band.

Since 1982, Archmere's student body has gradually grown to approximately 500 students. These students are challenged by the college preparatory program, and guided by 45 full-time and 8 part-time faculty. Over the past decade, Archmere has seen advancements in curriculum as well as athletics. Presently there are over 30 clubs & activities as well as 25 athletic teams. 

In 1996, Rev. Timothy Mullen, O.Praem. '65 became the school's sixth Headmaster and the first alumnus to serve in this capacity. The 1990s have also seen a tremendous growth in technology. The campus was completely networked so that  technology could be integrated into classroom instruction. The Writing Center and Computer Lab as well as the Science Labs have all been updated to keep pace with the demands of current technology. In the summer of 1998, the A.V. Room of the Library was converted into a high tech Computer Multimedia Center through a generous grant from the Longwood Foundation. 

On January 29, 2003, Fr. Mullen passed away unexpectedly and Rev. Michael
Collins, O.Praem. ’68 was appointed as Archmere’s seventh Headmaster.  Fr. Collins served Archmere as Headmaster from February 2004 until July 2004.

On July 1, 2004 the Board of Trustees selected Rev. John C. Zagarella, O.Praem. as Archmere’s eighth Headmaster.  His first introduction to Archmere was in 1990 when he taught Speech Communication and Religion for two years.

As Fr. Zagarella completed his first year as Headmaster, he was delighted and excited to be a part of Archmere’s first capital campaign in over 20 years.  The Campaign for Archmere: Building on Mission & Heritage was announced in October 2003.  The Campaign’s goal included the completion of the Justin E. Diny Science Center, including a media center and two-story physics lab for hands-on learning; the construction of a Student Life Center, which houses the campus dining and worship as well as a health, guidance and counseling suite; renovations to the Gym’s ground floor (women’s and men’s lockers, fitness center and coaches offices); and athletic field refurbishments.  Under Fr. Zagarella's leadership, Archmere renewed its relationship with Daylesford Abbey, ensuring continued support for Archmere's mission as a Catholic school in the Norbertine tradition.

After Fr. Zagarella's term as Headmaster, Fr. McLaughlin became Headmaster, once again, on July 28, 2006.  Fr. McLaughlin taught at Archmere from 1970-1983, when he became the school's fifth Headmaster.  During his previous service as Headmaster from 1983 to 1996, Archmere grew and prospered in many important ways.  Since 2001, Fr. McLaughlin has served as Chaplain at Archmere. 

The academic program currently offers a full curriculum to students including a highly successful honors as well as A.P. program which now includes 19 offerings. Students receive a great deal of individual attention in helping them to develop into the fine young men and women that Archmere seeks to graduate. An important part of the program today is community service involvement; accomplished through a combination of the religion curriculum and activities organized by the Community Service Club.

Archmere is never at rest. Yet the more Archmere has changed, the more it has remained dynamically in tune with the adventurous Christian spirit that led to its birth back in 1932. Archmere has blossomed and matured through the years precisely because Archmere's people, both Norbertine and lay, have never, in either rough or tranquil times, lost touch with the tradition encapsulated in their school motto, PIETATE et SCIENTIA (Faith and Knowledge). The potent mix of dynamism and tradition has been the formula for the success story of Archmere and certainly points the way to a similarly fruitful life in the years to come.