The Greek philosopher who founded the Academy in Athens was Plato.
Plato established his school around 387 BC in a sacred grove and gymnasium outside Athens associated with the hero Academus. The institution became known as the Academy and is often regarded as one of the earliest organized centers of higher learning in the Western world.
The Academy studied philosophy alongside mathematics, astronomy, politics, and other subjects. Plato’s student Aristotle spent about 20 years there before leaving Athens and founding his own school, the Lyceum. Plato’s nephew Speusippus succeeded him as head of the Academy after his death.
The Academy should not be confused with the Lyceum, which Aristotle founded, or with the later Neoplatonic Academy of late-antique Athens. The original institution continued in changing forms for centuries, although its exact organization and the date of its formal foundation remain subjects of scholarly discussion.