The school was founded as Riverside Military Academy in 1907 by local professors and businessmen Haywood Jefferson Pearce[citation needed] and Azor Warner Van Hoose Jr [2] with the mission of preparing ethical young men for success in college and life.

[3] Riverside had a Winter campus in Hollywood, Florida, which briefly was used as a Naval Air Gunners School during WWII,[4] from 1931 until 1984, when it was sold.

[5] In 2022, the school rebranded as Riverside Preparatory Academy to emphasize its rigorous academic program, while still holding on to a modified military mission.

[7] Riverside Preparatory Academy won "Best Band" by virtual appearance in the Atlanta Veteran's Day Parade in 2020.

[8] Riverside Preparatory Academy won its 10th consecutive Atlanta Veterans Day, "Presidents' Trophy" in 2019.