Timothy Academy Timeline
1956-2006

• 1956 Academia Timoteo was started by Baptist Mid-Missions,
Rev. & Mrs. Schwartz and Miss Margaret Tolosa
• 1956–11 students started in 1st grade.
• 1974–Ownership was transferred to IEB from the Mission.
• 1956 to 1980 Miss Tolosa served as administrator.
• 1979–Student enrollment: 175.
• 1979–Purchased 2637 N 4th Street Building.
• 1980–Mr. William Elliott, Headmaster
• 1981–Ramon Tolosa Library Established.
• 1982–Jr. High School Program added.
• 1983–Philadelphia donated property at 303 W. Lehigh
• 1984–303 W. Lehigh occupied.
• 1994–Accreditation by - Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
• 1997–New Science Lab & Elevator added to Lehigh building.
• 2001–T-1 Line providing each classroom access to the Internet.
• 2002–PBU opens extension campus at Timothy.
• 2003-4 New Computer Lab and Curriculum Added to the Lehigh building.
• 2005-2006 Dual accreditation by MSA & ACSI

The First 25 Years

Timothy Academy’s history is very closely tied to that of “Iglesia Evangelica Bautista” (I.E.B.). Rev. Edwardo and Mildred Schwartz of Baptist Mid-Missions established this Spanish Evangelical Baptist Church. These missionaries of German descent had previously worked in Venezuela but were forced to return to the States by poor health. Hearing of some 6,000 Hispanics in Philadelphia, mostly Puerto Ricans, they began a survey to determine the feasibility of establishing a Spanish-speaking church. The survey, begun in early October 1951, was never completed. Daily the missionaries found so many people interested in hearing the Gospel in their own language that they dedicated all their time to establishing a church. The first regular Sunday night service began December 30, 1951, in the little Rescue Mission meeting hall at 412 West Green Street. Attendance averaged ten to fifteen people, eight of whom had been members of Baptist churches in Puerto Rico. Bible clubs for children as well as Bible study classes for adults were held in various homes. Open-air evangelistic meetings began on Saturday nights at strategic street corners in Spanish neighborhoods. The congregation grew so rapidly that the children’s Christmas program of 1952 had to be held in a larger mission building on Fifth Street. Then the Sunday school building of the old Fourth Baptist Church became the meeting hall.

Less than two years after the work began, attendance at services had grown from 15 to 85 and 124 names were on the Sunday school roll. In October 1953, church members met to formally organize into a duly constituted church giving way to the birth of I.E.B. The search for a larger building ended with the purchase of an old printing factory at 2719-21 North Reese Street, just north of Lehigh Avenue. The congregation moved in October 1956. The same month this became the first location of Timothy Academy. Meanwhile Miss Margaret Tolosa, a missionary day school teacher, had been working in San Felix, Venezuela, where she established a private Christian school. She was home in Michigan, on furlough, when she was contacted by Reverend Schwartz and asked to come to Philadelphia to begin a daycare program. She agreed to come only if a school were combined with daycare. In late spring of 1956, she arrived at the North Philadelphia train station with suitcases, boxes and a trunk. No questions asked and without reservation, she had moved, convinced this was the Lord’s will for her.

Margaret Tolosa arriving from Michigan to help Pastor Ed and Mildred Schwartz found a combination daycare center and school, K through 2nd grade. The need was great among the Hispanic families of Iglesia Evangelica Bautista, (I.E.B.) the recently planted Spanish Baptist Church. This trio of Baptist Mid-Missions missionaries chose the name “Academia Timoteo” from the Bible text of 2 Timothy 3:15. Paul writes to the young disciple, Timothy, as follows: “From a child, you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” The school opened that October, 1956.

At first, Church families and others who worked in the factories of North Philadelphia dropped off their small children at the new school, which met on the 2nd floor, while the church met on the main floor. Bus service started in 1957 with Miss Margaret driving her VW Microbus. Daycare was provided before and after school. Tuition was $5.00 a week; hot lunches were served. In order to have a better understanding of their students and their backgrounds, teachers visited students in their home. While explaining to the parents what was being taught at school, they had the opportunity to share the Gospel as well. As IEB church membership and Academia Timoteo attendance increased, the row houses adjacent to the church building were purchased and used for classroom space. The first "yard" for recess was the front sidewalk of the church, 2719 N. Reese Street. After the purchase of adjacent houses on 5th Street, the backyards were joined to form an enclosed recreation area, cemented over in 1961.

By the end of 1979 both church and school had outgrown the Reese Street facility. The church bought its present location, a former Methodist church building on Erie Avenue. The school acquired property on N. 4th St. just south of Lehigh Ave., Lehigh Avenue, built as a public school in 1880. When Timothy's 6th grader teacher Scott Bateman was diagnosed with cancer, his substitute, Georgina Echevarria, helped students hoist their desks to their heads and walk the two blocks from Reese S. to 2637 N. 4th Street. Over several summers Margaret attended Grace Theological Seminary to acquire her second Masters degree, Christian School Administration. A new chapter was about to begin in the life of the nearly 24-year old Timothy Academy.

By Olga Alvira-Velez

Olga started as a 1st grade teacher in 1972 and was a sixth grade teacher in 1982 and Board member for many years.