Welcome to Meriwether Academy
“Whenever you do a thing,
act as if all the world were watching.”
– Thomas Jefferson
Our Mission
At Meriwether Academy our mission is to facilitate character development in men through immersive experiences involving a connection to nature, intellectual pursuits, and brotherhood.
Meriwether offers men’s retreats & wilderness expeditions, with our highest goal being the establishment of a boys school to instill noble character in our sons.
Our Philosophy
- Character is the cornerstone of a man’s life.
- The pursuit of Wisdom is vital to the development of a well-rounded character.
- Wisdom comes from learning new things, challenging ourselves, and developing the bonds of brotherhood with others.
- Philosophy, history, and science build a strong capable mind.
- Nature and her challenges teach us things that we cannot learn from books.
- Brotherhood is built through shared adventure.
- It is not only our right, but our duty, to become wiser and cultivate a noble character.
- A noble character is attainable to any man who desires it for himself and is willing to do the work.
Our Namesake
Meriwether Academy is named in honor of soldier, explorer, writer, & statesman Meriwether Lewis. He is best known for leading the Lewis & Clark expedition to the Pacific Ocean in 1804.
Thomas Jefferson, who appointed Lewis the leader of the expedition, wrote that “His courage was undaunted; his firmness and perseverance yielded to nothing but impossibilities; a rigid disciplinarian yet tender as a father of those committed to his charge; honest, disinterested, liberal, with a sound understanding and a scrupulous fidelity to truth.’”
Meet The Team
Warren Steury
Meriwether Director
Media producer, entrepreneur, writer, & outdoorsman. Attended Appalachian State University in Boone, NC and lives in Nashville, TN. Contributing writer to various publications on matters of history and culture. Author of three published philosophical writings. He enjoys hiking the hills of Tennessee, studying history and philosophy, and spending time with his friends.
Col. Jim Patterson
Meriwether Advisor
Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and former Group Commander with the 932nd Air Wing, this decorated veteran served in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom and played a key role in casualty evacuation at U.S. Transportation Command. Successful business developer and operator of a multi-venture holding company spanning real estate, construction, disaster recovery, and healthcare. He is also the author of A Line in the Sand and a motivational speaker on leadership and personal growth.
Brian Daniel Mounce
Meriwether Fellow / Attorney
Brian Daniel Mounce is a Tennessee Attorney specializing in federal criminal law. Throughout his career, he has actively engaged in contributing to various legal and academic journals and news outlets. Mr. Mounce frequently lectures on constitutional theory, history, and American political philosophy at various universities. He holds a law degree with honors from Tulane and an MSc with honors from the London School of Economics.
Ernest Chapman
Meriwether Fellow / Entrepreneur
Musician, entrepreneur, and lecturer who has been teaching the arts professionally for over 20 years. He’s now on his third career – first a professional musician, then a full time music teacher, and now a brand therapist and digital marketing wizard. At the core of his work is an appreciation of the patterns of nature and harmony, expressing themselves through elevated consciousness and human culture in all its forms.
Andrew Rozario
Meriwether Fellow / Videographer
Video & film producer living with his family in Nashville, TN. He attended Montgomery Bell Academy and The University of Dallas. The first feature film he worked on was O Brother, Where Art Thou? and has played a role in countless productions since. In his free time he enjoys visiting Tennessee waterfalls and reading poetry.
Joe Allen
Meriwether Fellow / Writer
Writer for Chronicles, The Federalist, Human Events, The National Pulse, Parabola, Salvo, Bannon’s War Room, and Protocol: The Journal of the Entertainment Technology Industry. He holds a master’s degree from Boston University, where he studied cognitive science and human evolution as they pertain to religion. As an arena rigger, he’s toured the world for rock n’ roll, country, rap, classical, and cage-fighting productions.
Ryan Turbeville
Meriwether Fellow / Real Estate Developer
Agent, developer, and investor in real estate. He attended the University of Tennessee and attained degrees in Finance and Political Science. Ryan regularly speaks on history, architecture, and all manner of culture. He resides in Nashville, TN with his beautiful wife and daughter.
