The school opened in 1870 to educate young men in good citizenship and prepare them to enter the ministry.

[3][6] Funds and property were provided to Scott's successor, Bishop B. Wistar Morris, to establish another school, but located in Portland, Oregon.

[9][10] The newly completed Bishop Scott Grammar and Divinity School opened as a boarding and day-school for boys on September 6, 1870, under principal Charles H.

[7][11] A year after opening the school had a new head master: Professor R. W. Laing, M.A., L.L.D., assisted by the Reverend George Burton.

Eighty pupils attended school, thirteen down from the previous year, drawn from Oregon, Washington, California, Utah, Alaska, and British Columbia.

A military tone was introduced, in the form of Drill Master R. R. Anderson and the organization of the Bishop Scott Cadets.

[19] The new building was smaller than the one it replaced, although "admirable" and "of superior architectural character", to fit in with the homes in the surrounding area.

[11] Hill leased the school building from the bishop, and later from the board of trustees that had been appointed when Oregon became a separate diocese in 1889.

He filled the initial faculty vacancies with Yale graduates, such as John W. Gavin and English teacher Allan Elsworth.

[7] Hill spent his vacations visiting exemplary private schools throughout the United States, and gradually became convinced that military discipline was essential for the Academy.

Although intended as a drill hall, the armory was also used for dances, which Hill believed would provide cadets with a graceful posture.

[7] The uniforms for the intake of 234 students that year were supplied by Thomas Kay Woolen Mills' store in Salem.

[11] The principal's own financial state also suffered due to the Panic, his investment in real estate, and the general contraction of the Oregon economy.

Hill tried to deflect the impact by assigning the lease of the school to the diocesan secretary, thus placing the Academy out of the reach of his debtors.

[7] Desiring to further formalize the military aspect of the Academy, Hill asked for a serving officer to be assigned.

[7] The school also became the first in the Pacific Northwest to implement the Sloyd system of instruction, with Hill personally contributing financially to the purchasing in 1895 of the required equipment.

Originally a Democrat, Hill shifted allegiance to the Republican party in 1896, due to his support for the gold standard.

[6] For example, in June 1913 The Ontario Argus announced that "the Bishop Scott Grammar School for Boys" would reopen in September, north of Yamhill.

[25] Note: Incomplete list; dates refer to when individuals are mentioned in biennial reports of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Oregon.