The Honolulu Military Academy was founded by its president, Col. L. G. Blackman, in 1911.
It had no endowment, but owned a fine piece of property consisting of about 100 acres (0.40 km2) of ground and six buildings, and was valued at $200,000.
It was located at Kaimuki near Wai'alae Bay, a mile from the end of the Waialae street-car line.
The military regime was a dominant feature of the school's organization, as the name of the Academy indicates.
It began by providing only elementary grade instruction, and later grew to offer a 12-grade program of studies.