It served as a high school and junior college for the students who lived in the Bighorn Basin.

The academy was started in 1907 by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The initial plan was to rotate the academy between the towns of Cowley, Lovell, and Byron.

At that time the students from Cowley High School began attending Rocky Mountain High School in Byron.

In 2011 it was remodeled and now holds the administrative offices for Big Horn County School District #1.