Academy. It moved away from being a boarding school and became a day school exclusively. In 1975 it also announced the decision to become a co-ed institution, enrolling 50 girls into the school. It was near the end of the 1970s that a board of trustees was for the academy, with the first meeting taking place in 1980. The board has been credited with expanding the curriculum and extracurricular activities at the academy as well as further expanding to accommodate the new programs. One expansion included a renovation of St. Norbert Hall which included an addition to the current building. Additional expansion in the early 1980s included a new auditorium that seated 750 people, as well as a new library constructed on campus. In April 2001, an internal dispute among the Norbertines relating to the establishment of Claymont Priory separate from Daylesford Abbey spilled over into the administration of Archmere Academy. Interventions from alumni calmed the turmoil and resulted in the academy taking control of the former Raskob residence, known as "the Patio." 2003 marked the beginning of the academy's "building on mission & heritage" campaign that included goals to complete the Justin E. Diny Science Center expansion, the construction of a student life center, and renovations to the athletic field. The school broke tradition with the installation of a non-Norbertine headmaster when Dr. Michael Marinelli, a 1976 graduate of Archmere Academy, took over at the beginning of 2010. Towards the end of the 2015-16 academic school year, Archmere began massive renovations on Saint Norbert's Hall. This reconstruction made changes to the library and every room in the building. Architecture The Patio, one of the buildings of Archmere Academy, was built between 1916 and 1918 and was originally used as the country estate of John J. Raskob and his wife. Raskob was a financier, the developer of the Empire State Building, and a previous chairman for the Democratic National Committee. The name "Archmere" was given to the estate because of the natural arch of the trees formed over the Delaware River vista. The original building that Raskob constructed, also known as the Patio, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. In 2009, the Delaware Public Archives dedicated Archmere Academy with a historical marker. Academics Archmere students are required to take courses in a variety of areas, including eight semesters of English, seven semesters of religion, and