President's Welcome

Academic year 2006 - 2007 was one for the record books for the Marine Military Academy. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ accreditation team pronounced MMA "the best of 80 schools" they had evaluated in two years. We enjoyed record attendance at three annual fund-raising dinners (featuring, in Chicago, General James T. Conway, Commandant of the Marine Corps; in Harlingen, Ambassador Richard Fisher, President of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank; and, in San Francisco, Major General Jay Paxton, Commanding General of the First Marine Division). Fifty-eight graduates are headed to some of the world’s finest colleges, including Yale and Texas A&M. I could not have been more pleased with my first year at the helm of this unique institution.

But we are not resting on our laurels. We will continue to find ways to inspire our cadets to even greater achievements. Historically, most of our cadets raise their grade point average by a point during their first year here; we aim to help them make even larger improvements. We intend to help them make more dramatic gains in their SAT scores. And while we cannot increase our cadets college acceptance rate (already 100 percent), we propose to help them obtain more scholarship assistance.

What sets the Marine Military Academy apart from other military college preparatory schools? We are the only school founded on the ideals and traditions of the United States Marine Corps. Our military department is the only one comprised solely of Marines, most of whom served more than 20 years on active duty. We pride ourselves on wearing the Marine uniform. We are home to the largest Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps unit in the country. But don’t be misled: we do not seek to make Marines of our cadets. Our mission is "to develop disciplined, morally strong, college-ready young men who are prepared for responsible leadership."

Every young man who attends this academy is transformed into a better student and person by virtue of learning and living in a challenging – and immensely rewarding – environment. By instilling our cadets with the Marine Corps’ values and discipline, the Marine Military Academy offers graduates an unparalleled advantage as they move on to institutions of higher learning.

Our 142 acre campus is meticulously maintained. Our climate is temperate, and we offer some 19 sports and activities. We are easily accessible by air (Southwest and Continental) and highway; in fact, we are located adjacent to Valley International Airport, so cadets can walk to and from the terminal. Please come see what we have to offer. Your young man will be the ultimate beneficiary!

Semper fidelis,
(the Marine motto, Latin for “always faithful”)

Steve Cheney
Brigadier General, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)