George Junior Republic

George Junior Republic is an all-boys institution in western Pennsylvania, in the vicinity of Grove City. It is one of the nation's largest private non-profit residential treatment facilities. George Junior Republic houses, schools, and disciplines 500 high school-aged boys from troubled backgrounds. George Junior Republic uses a behavior/education treatment model and provides psychological testing, psychiatric evaluation, education, vocational training, recreation and athletics to delinquent youth. Special needs programs and drug and alcohol diagnosis/treatment areas are also provided. The school is characterized by its many cottages that house the boys. All the houses are modern and they give the campus the appearance of an upper-class housing development.FoundingThe George Junior Republic in Grove City was founded by American philanthropist William Reuben George in 1909. The original George Junior Republic was founded in Freeville, New York in 1895 as a self-governing colony requiring payment in labor for all that they received. "The George Junior Republic was run like a small village where the residents where engaged in self-supporting enterprizes and administered their own laws." In 1910 George was forced to sever ties with the Freeville Junior Republic and make his home elsewhere after allegations of misconduct arose regarding his treatment of female citizens. After leaving direct supervision of the Freeville Republic, George became the director of the National Association of Junior Republics. In 1914 he was accused of misconduct in a case involving molestation of three girls at Freeville. The judges strongly condemned his "theory" of paternalism which allowed him to treat women and citizens of the republic "without regard to the rules and usages of common life and civilized society."