Chamberlain-Hunt Academy was one of the oldest college preparatory schools in the South. It is the legacy of Oakland College founded in 1830 by the Reverend Jeremiah Chamberlain and the Presbyterian Church in Mississippi. Oakland closed during the Civil War but was reborn nearby as Chamberlain-Hunt Academy in 1879 in historic Port Gibson, Mississippi. Between 1913 and 1971, the Academy was a traditional boys military prep school. What might be termed a regional boarding school, the majority of students have traditionally come from Mississippi, Louisiana, West Tennessee, and Arkansas. In 1971, CHA began (like many Southern military schools such as Baylor School and McCallie in Tennessee) to transition into a less military and more civilian way of life. A Corps of Cadets was maintained but not strictly enforced; females were admitted; and more day students came to the school than had been the case previously. In some ways, the 1970s and 1980s were exciting years for Chamberlain-Hunt. Enrollments were strong; the academic and extracurricular programs were admired; and campus life was happy and productive.