Ridley College (also known as RC, Ridley) is a private boarding and day university-preparatory school located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, 20 miles (32 km) from Niagara Falls. The school confers the Ontario Secondary School Diploma and the International Baccalaureate diploma programme. Ridley is one of the oldest private schools in Canada, and has the largest boarding program in Ontario, with students representing over 61 countries. Established as an Anglican-affiliated all-boys school in 1889, Ridley became coeducational in 1973. The school is divided into ten houses, each of which serves as a residence and community for its students. All students take part in an extensive extracurricular program including sports (ranging from a beginner to varsity level), arts and theatre opportunities, student initiatives, and community service. Ridley's boarding program plays a dominant role in its curriculum, with faculty heavily involved in student life outside the classroom in roles such as housemasters, coaches, and advisors. Ridley is a member of the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools, the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and competes in the Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario Athletic Association (CISAA) sports conference, of which it is one of four original founding schools. Ridley has an array of student clubs, many of which take part in both Canadian and international competitions. The school's overall curriculum emphasizes a balanced and disciplined combination of academics, athletics, school involvement, and community service. Ridley alumni are known as Old Ridleians, and are entitled to use the post-nominal letters “O.R.” History Origins Established in 1889, the school was founded by a group of Anglican clergymen seeking to provide boys in Ontario with an education that emphasized strong academic and religious values. Another founder, Thomas Rodman Merritt, served as President of the college until 1899. Named after Bishop Nicholas Ridley, a 16th-century English churchman martyred during the Protestant Reformation, the school was originally known as Bishop Ridley College. The school's first campus, known as the Springbank campus, was integrated into the then-recently closed hotel of the same name constructed in 1864 by Dr. Theophilus Mack on Yates Street in St. Catharines. The Reverend Dr. John Ormsby Miller, a highly regarded scholar and administrator, assumed his duties at the school's conception as the first headmaster of Ridley College. In 1891, the first Ridley College Cross Country Run was held, which would go on to become one of the longest standing traditions at Ridley. In the same year,