St. Thomas High School (Houston, Texas)
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| St. Thomas High School | |
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Bonitatem et Disciplinam et
Scientiam Doce Me. Teach me Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge.
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| Address | |
| 4500 Memorial Drive Houston, Texas Southwest Houston, Texas, (Harris County), 77007 United States |
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| Coordinates | 29°45′44″N 95°24′29″W / 29.76222°N 95.40806°WCoordinates: 29°45′44″N 95°24′29″W / 29.76222°N 95.40806°W |
| Information | |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Christian |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Basilian |
| Patron saint(s) | St. Thomas Aquinas |
| Established | 1900 |
| School number | (713) 864-6348 |
| President | Rev. Ronald G. Schwenzer, C.S.B. |
| Principal | Rev. Patrick W. Fulton, C.S.B. |
| Asst. Principal | Ms. Chris Westman |
| Faculty | 64 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 748 (2011) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 33:1 |
| Language | English, Spanish, Latin, French |
| Hours in school day | 7 hours (8 periods) |
| Campus | Urban |
| Color(s) | Red and White |
| Song | St. Thomas Alma Mater |
| Fight song | Eagle Fight Song |
| Athletics conference | TAPPS 5A |
| Mascot | Tom Eagle |
| Team name | Eagles |
| Rivals | Strake Jesuit College Preparatory , St. Pius X High School (Houston, Texas) |
| Accreditation(s) | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools [1] |
| Publication | The Carom (literary magazine) |
| Newspaper | 'The Eagle' |
| Yearbook | 'The Aquin' |
| Tuition | $12,300 |
| Dean of Students | Michael McConnell |
| Athletic Director | Mike Netzel |
| Website | www.sths.org |
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St. Thomas High School is a Roman Catholic university preparatory school for young men in Houston, Texas, United States. Founded in 1900, St. Thomas is the second oldest continuously operating private high school in Houston behind Incarnate Word Academy, which was founded in 1873. The school is operated by the Basilian Fathers in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
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[edit] History
St. Thomas was established in 1900 as St. Thomas College and housed that year at Franklin Avenue and Caroline Street. The founders were the Rev. Nicholas Roche, C.S.B. and two other Basilian Fathers. (Their order originated in France in 1822 and expanded into Canada in 1850, the Basilians in Houst When the original school suffered hurricane damage, the Fathers relocated at Capitol and Main. In 1903, permanency was assured when Father Roche bought a block of land at Austin and Hadley and constructed Houston's first College Preparatory School for boys. Thanks to the foresight of a naitive Texan, The Rev. T.P. O'Rourke, C.S.B., educator and author, St. Thomas High School in 1940 moved to a site on the bank of Buffalo Bayou. Father A.L. Higgins directed the building of the new plant, which has expanded in later years. During Houston's 20th century growth into a focus of world culture, St. Thomas High School has trained men of vision and responsibility, winners of national and international fame; statesmen, churchmen, artists, historians, athletes, civic and business leaders, industrial pioneers, and citizens of many talents.
The school was named after St. Thomas Aquinas, the patron saint of students and education. St. Thomas has occupied its current (as of 2010) site since 1940. The school's location in central Houston on the north bank of the Buffalo Bayou at Memorial and Shepherd which places it 3 miles close to Downtown Houston. The campus is self-contained with a fine arts center, computer lab, library, competition gymnasium, baseball field, chapel, and stadium, most housed in distinguished limestone buildings.
[edit] Location
St. Thomas High School is situated west of Downtown Houston on the wooded banks of Buffalo Bayou at the corner of Memorial Drive and Shepherd, near the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, a public school operated by the Houston Independent School District.
[edit] Before St. Thomas
A majority of students at St. Thomas come from various private and parochial grade schools within the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, but a significant part of the student body comes from other area Christian schools, such as Presbyterian School[2] and Annunciation Orthodox School.[3]. Students from public middle schools also often choose to apply for admission for their freshman year.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Henry Grover, Republican gubernatorial nominee in 1972
- George Strake, Jr., Secretary of State of Texas (1979-1981); [Republican state chairman, 1983-1988; Houston businessman and philanthropist[4]
- William Mulvey, Bishop-designate of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi
- David Herbert McNerney, was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration — the Medal of Honor
- Joe Jamail, notable trial lawyer.
- Dan Cook, legendary sports journalist.
[edit] Athletics
St. Thomas originally competed in the now defunct T.C.I.L. (Texas Christian Interscholastic League) That league began in 1935 under the direction of Rev. Albert Mitchell (principal of Central Catholic, San Antonio) St. Thomas' last year of competition in the T.C.I.L. concluded when the league came to a close in the 1999-2000 athletic season. The Eagles are proud owners of numerous District, Regional and State Championships in various sports that date back from over the past 100 years, as well as several within the past five years in their current league. The athletic department provides 12 different programs which are: Baseball, Basketball, Cross-Country, Football, Golf, Lacrosse, Rugby, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Track & Field, and Wrestling.
Currently, St. Thomas competes in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS). The Eagles have prospered well in its league with numerous district and state championships. The most recent state championship came in 2010 with the baseball team winning state under the guide of Coach Craig Biggio.
In May 2008 the school hired Craig Biggio, the long time Houston Astros second baseman and fan favorite, as a baseball coach.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ SACS-CASI. "SACS-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". http://www.advanc-ed.org/schools_districts/school_district_listings/?. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
- ^ pshouston.org
- ^ aoshouston.org
- ^ "”Tradition: St. Thomas High School”". sths.org. http://www.sths.org/about/hallofhonor/strakegw.html. Retrieved October 13, 2009.
- ^ "St. Thomas hires Biggio, Hollas (w/audio)." Houston Chronicle.
[edit] External links
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