Publications

Dan Hardy is a Presidential Sponsor for the 2026 Maroon & Gold Gala, MMA’s premier annual fundraising event. His story is shared in celebration of his enduring connection to the Academy and his leadership support of this important evening.

Venustiano Reyes ’88, known professionally as Venus Rey Jr., has released “Music for Strings,” a new album of original compositions through Da Vinci Classics. Recorded in Cosenza, Italy, the album features Italian violinist Gianfrancesco Federico and the Pythagora’s Orchestra of Calabria, conducted by Reyes. 

Missouri Military Academy cadets Lian Haddad, William Larson, Sean Mumm and Eric Shellabarger placed third in division 2 at a Capture the Flag cybersecurity competition hosted by the University of Alabama, finishing among 59 teams from 17 states.

For more than 135 years, Missouri Military Academy has shaped young men into leaders of character, grounded in academic rigor, structure and accountability. As detailed in the Winter 2025/2026 issue of the Eagle, the Academy carries forward not only its own legacy, but also that of Kemper Military School and College and Wentworth Military Academy — forming Missouri’s historic Tri-Military tradition.

In this Vespers address, Cadet Gunnar Ward, a high school junior from Union, Missouri, speaks on resilience as a matter of daily choice rather than toughness or perfection.

During Vespers, President Geraci challenged cadets to uphold a standard of leadership rooted in the Six A’s—principles that extend beyond academics to shape character, accountability and resilience.

The Missouri Soccer High School Coaches Association has selected Missouri Military Academy parent Jacob Shellabarger as its 2025 Champion of the Game, a statewide honor awarded annually to one individual whose loyalty, dedication, promotion, and service exemplify the best of high school and youth soccer in Missouri.

A newly crafted, one-of-a-kind lectern now stands as a powerful symbol of Missouri Military Academy’s commitment to honoring its past while building its future. Designed and built by Bernard Strunk using reclaimed materials from historic campus spaces, the lectern was presented to President Brig. Gen. Richard V. Geraci, USA (Ret.), and unveiled during the January 14, 2026, All-Academy Assembly.

MMA has hired COL Timothy Baer to serve as commandant of cadets at the boys’ college preparatory military boarding school. Baer comes to MMA from his post as deputy director of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center — the Army’s primary historical research facility — at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He will begin his duties at MMA on April 15, 2026.

As we look forward to a bright new year, we reflect on the achievements and milestones of the past year. From academic distinction and competitive excellence to meaningful partnerships and historic moments, our cadets and the Academy continued to advance. Join us as we highlight the top 10 stories that defined 2025! 

House Bill 2307, filed in the Missouri House of Representatives, proposes formally recognizing Missouri Military Academy as the state’s official military academy. The measure reflects MMA’s statewide educational impact, long-standing service partnerships and historic ties to Missouri’s military-school tradition.

MMA celebrates and remembers alumnus and Hall of Famer Pooley Hubert, whose legendary leadership of the 1925 Alabama national championship team continues to exemplify the tradition of excellence at Missouri Military Academy.

Missouri Military Academy Deputy Commandant Maj James G. Poettker ’08 was recognized during the 27th Annual U.S. Exercise Tiger Foundation “Adopt A Warrior” Program in Columbia, Missouri, where the MMA Color Guard presented the colors. 

Missouri Military Academy (MMA) celebrated its storied legacy and longstanding tradition of developing young leaders during its annual Founders’ Day observance on Friday, November 21, 2025.