GIRLS’ ACADEMY

Inscription

GIRLS’ ACADEMY
UNION SCHOOL FOUNDED 1814 BY
EBENEZER FOOT FOR THE
SECONDARY EDUCATION OF GIRLS.
LATER BECAME ALBANY ACADEMY
FOR GIRLS. MOVED HERE 1959.
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2025

Located in Albany, New York, the Albany Academy for Girls has a rich history going back over 200-hundred years.

Founded in 1814 by Ebenezer Foot (sometimes spelled “Foote” in later sources), a local politician and judge, the school was first known as Union School. Foot, along with a group of like-minded Albany citizens, recognized the need for secondary education for young women at a time when educational institutions were primarily focused on male education. In 1821, the school was incorporated under a new name: The Albany Female Academy.

Along with Ebenezer Foot, his wife, Betsey, is credited with providing the inspiration for the creation of Union School to offer a complete education to their daughter. Though as of 2025 definitive primary sources confirming Betsey’s involvement in the start of the school has yet to be located, it seems extremely plausible that Union Academy was a joint effort shared between both Ebenezer and Betsey. In fact, in a 1893 pamphlet distributed at the Columbian Exposition, which declared the Albany Female Academy as the “oldest school in the world for the higher education of girls,” Betsey is listed as the co-founder.

The academy quickly distinguished itself as a premier institution for girls’ education, offering a rigorous curriculum that included mathematics, science, literature, philosophy, and the arts. Under the leadership of prominent early educators and trustees, the school grew throughout the 19th century. In 1919, the institution was renamed the Albany Academy for Girls, reflecting its long-standing reputation and focus on college preparatory education.

Throughout its history, the Albany Academy for Girls has evolved, moving to different locations within the city to accommodate its growing student body and changing educational needs. The building where this marker is placed became the home for the Albany Academy for Girls in 1959.