Albany Academy is celebrating a milestone and our Vince Gallagher was there for a little history and insight.

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ALBANY, N.Y. -- "It's a very meaningful moment for me, as well. I came to the Albany Academy in 1945," said Dr. Douglas M. North.

Dr. North is the head of school and also a 1958 graduate. He joined students, faculty and alumni to celebrate the 200th birthday of the Academy

North said, "Although I haven't been in Albany all that time, nevertheless, the Academy means a great deal to me."

The chartering of the Albany Academies took place on March 4th, 1813, making Monday Charter Day.

"It's a very historic day,” said history teacher Vincent Zabinski.”When you think back, the United States was fighting in the War of 1812 when this school was founded."

Another way of celebrating all this history at Albany Academy is to take a look back at the school's alumni, which includes Andy Rooney, Erastus Corning and Moby Dick author Herman Melville.

"We have received as a gift in honor of our bicentennial, a first edition of Moby Dick, a book written by one of our illustrious graduates and first in 1851," North said.

Recent students are getting in on the celebration. The class of 2013 had the iconic clock tower restored just in time for the bicentennial.

"The clock was put into the tower back in the 1920s. Clearly it had not been properly maintained in a long time,” said clock repairman David W. Graf.

North said, "It's to get the clock tower working and the heart of the school beating again and it has great symbolic significance for all of us."

It is a day to look back at the past two centuries of history at the institution.

"It formed me in the first place and I'm still here and still learning," said North.

And look ahead to the next 200 years.