St. John's, the oldest military academy in Wisconsin, was founded as a boys' prep school in 1884 when Sidney T. Smythe, a student at Nashotah House, reopened an abandoned Delafield schoolhouse for St. John's first students. Dr. Smythe graduated from Nashotah in 1886 and devoted the rest of his life to building the academy.

The main campus buildings were built to complement each other in design and appearance. Of English Gothic design with serrated roofs, towers, and battlements of stone, they resemble old-time European castles.

St. John's is an influential educational force in the Midwest, drawing its students from many states and foreign countries. The philosophy of the military type of education was adopted to emphasize quality, instill self-discipline, and provide team spirit and leadership qualities.

This philosophy, combined with St. John's original religious intentions, represents a distinctive side of the American spirit.

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