St. Thomas High School is an
all-boys,
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
college preparatory school in
Houston, Texas. 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
, image = Basilian_Fathers.png
, image_size = 150px
, abbreviation = CSB
, nickname = Basilians
, formation =
, founding_location = Annonay, France
, founders =
, type ...
in the
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
.
History
St. Thomas High School 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. When the original school suffered hurricane damage, the Fathers relocated to 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 native Texan, The Rev. T.P. O'Rourke, C.S.B., educator and author, St. Thomas High School in 1940 moved to the current site on the bank of
Buffalo Bayou. The college section later became the
University of St. Thomas St. Thomas University or University of St. Thomas may refer to:
*Saint Thomas Aquinas University, Colombia
*Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North, Tucumán province, Argentina
*St. Thomas University (Canada), Fredericton, New Brunswick
*St. ...
. Father A.L. Higgins directed the building of the new facility, 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
Thomas Aquinas, OP (; it, Tommaso d'Aquino, lit=Thomas of Aquino; 1225 – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar and priest who was an influential philosopher, theologian and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism; he is known ...
, the patron saint of students and education. St. Thomas has occupied its current (as of 2020) 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 from
Downtown Houston
Downtown is the largest central business district in the city of Houston and the largest in the state of Texas, located near the geographic center of the metropolitan area at the confluence of Interstate 10, Interstate 45, and Interstate 69. The ...
. The campus is self-contained with a fine arts center, computer lab, library, competition gymnasium, baseball field, chapel, and stadium, most housed in distinguished Texas Cordova Shell Stone buildings.
By the 2010s St. Thomas sought to expand but lacked land needed to build more buildings.
As of July 2013 St. Thomas High School and the investment group AV Dickson Street were engaged in a dispute over the acquisition of the
High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (HSLECJ) property of the
Houston Independent School District
The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...
(HISD).
[Willey, Jessica.]
Old HISD building center of property fight
" ''KTRK-TV
KTRK-TV (channel 13) is a television station in Houston, Texas, United States, airing programming from the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station maintains studios on Bissonnet Stre ...
''. Tuesday July 16, 2013. Retrieved on July 18, 2013. On Thursday July 18, 2013 the HISD board rejected both requests. David Thompson, the HISD board attorney, stated that both bidders violated the district's code of silence policy. In November of that year HISD sold the former HSLECJ to St. Thomas. HISD received $60 million from St. Thomas.
[
At the time of sale HISD was still using the HSLECJ campus and St. Thomas had to wait until the new campus for HSLECJ opened before repurposing it.] HSLECJ, later renamed to High School for Law and Justice, moved to its new campus in 2018. The HSLECJ was named the Joplin Campus, and it opened in 2020. The dedication was held November 2020.
Location
St. Thomas High School is situated west of Downtown Houston
Downtown is the largest central business district in the city of Houston and the largest in the state of Texas, located near the geographic center of the metropolitan area at the confluence of Interstate 10, Interstate 45, and Interstate 69. The ...
on the wooded banks of Buffalo Bayou at the corner of Memorial Drive and Shepherd.
Feeder schools
A majority of students at St. Thomas come from various private, Catholic, and parochial grade schools such as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Anne (Houston), St. Michael's, St. Cecilia's, St. Rose of Lima, St. Theresa, and The Regis School of the Sacred Heart
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
within the Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston, but a significant part of the student body comes from other area Christian schools. Students from public middle schools also often choose to apply for admission for their freshman year.
Transportation
the school has four bus routes: Pearland
Pearland ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Brazoria County, with portions extending into Fort Bend and Harris counties. The city of Pearland is a principal city within the metropolitan statistical area. At the 2020 U.S. census, t ...
, Christ the Redeemer Catholic School in Cypress, St. Martha Catholic School in Kingwood, and St. Edward Catholic School in the Spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season)
Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of ...
area.
Campus
In 2012 Richard Connelly of the ''Houston Press
The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017.
The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
'' ranked St. Thomas as the third most architecturally beautiful high school campus in Greater Houston
Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Co ...
. Connelly said that "An appropriately churchy feel to the entrance relieves the somewhat banal industrial feel of the wings."[Connelly, Richard. "The 7 Best-Looking High Schools in Houston." '']Houston Press
The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017.
The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
''. Tuesday May 22, 2012
2
Retrieved on May 27, 2012.
The Joplin Campus includes strength/conditioning and sports medicine facilities as well as locker rooms for basketball and wrestling teams.[ The weight training room was previously a cafeteria. The auditorium at Joplin has a capacity of 630. St. Thomas had plans to use Joplin space for its baseball field.][
]
Student body
In 2013 there were 745 students, with 63% being non-Hispanic White, 21% being Hispanic or Latino, 7% being African-American, 6% being Asian, and 3% being multiracial. In 2013 students came from over 130 ZIP codes. The school administration stated that this is because St. Thomas is in the center of the Houston metropolitan area. In 2013 it had 105 full-time employees.[
]
Notable alumni
*Bill Archer
William Reynolds Archer Jr. (born March 22, 1928) is a retired American lawyer and politician. Archer served two terms, from 1967 to 1971, in the Texas House of Representatives – changing from the Democratic to the Republican party in 1969 †...
, U.S. congressman (1971-2001)
*Cavan Biggio
Cavan Thomas Biggio ( '; born April 11, 1995) is an American professional baseball utility player for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is the son of former MLB player and Hall of Famer Craig Biggio.
High school and coll ...
, baseball player
* Jack Burke, Jr., professional golfer; winner of 1956 Masters and 1956 PGA Championship
*Dan Cook
Daniel John Cook Jr. (August 12, 1926 – July 3, 2008) was a sports writer for the '' San Antonio Express-News'' for 51 years. He is most notable for making the phrase " the opera ain't over 'til the fat lady sings" into common use. Described a ...
, legendary sports journalist.
*Henry Grover
Henry Cushing Grover (April 1, 1927 – November 28, 2005), usually known as Hank Grover, was an American politician from the U.S. state of Texas best known for his relatively narrow defeat in 1972. He was a conservative Republican
Election his ...
, Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
gubernatorial
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
nominee
A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example:
* to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs.
* t ...
in 1972.
*Joe Jamail
Joseph Dahr Jamail Jr. (October 19, 1925 – December 23, 2015) was an American attorney and billionaire. The wealthiest practicing attorney in America, he was frequently referred to as the "King of Torts".
In 2011, his net worth was estimated b ...
, notable trial lawyer.
*Dave Marr
David Francis Marr, Jr. (December 27, 1933 – October 5, 1997) was an American professional golfer and sportscaster, best known for winning the 1965 PGA Championship.
Early years
Marr was born and raised in Houston, Texas, the son of a prof ...
, professional golfer and broadcaster; winner of 1965 PGA Championship
The 1965 PGA Championship was the 47th PGA Championship, played August 12–15 at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, a suburb southeast of Pittsburgh. Dave Marr won his only major championship, two strokes ahead of runners-up Bi ...
.
* John Bradshaw, author, educator, and motivational speaker
* David Herbert McNerney, Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
recipient.
* Vincent M. Rizzotto, Auxiliary Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...
Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galveston-Houston
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
.
* William Michael Mulvey is the current bishop of Corpus Christi since his episcopal ordination on March 25, 2010.
* L. Patrick Gray, former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
* William H. Goetzmann, Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
professor and winner of 1967 Pulitzer Prize for History
*Steve Tyrell
''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen
Notable people with the name include:
steve jops
* Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people
* Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people
* Steve ...
, Grammy Award-winning musician and producer
* George Edward Cire, U.S. federal judge
*George Strake, Jr., Secretary of State of Texas (1979-1981); Republican state chairman, 1983–1988; Houston businessman and philanthropist.
*Corky Ballas
Mark Alexander Ballas Sr. (born December 25, 1960), known as Corky Ballas, is an American retired competitive ballroom dancer who holds several Latin dance championship titles. His son, Mark Ballas, is a professional dancer on ''Dancing with the ...
, retired competitive ballroom dancer who holds several Latin dance championship titles
Athletics
St. Thomas originally competed in the now defunct T.C.I.L. (Texas Christian Interscholastic League
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by bo ...
) 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
The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, or TAPPS, is an organization headquartered in the Lone Star Tower at Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas. It was formerly headquartered at the Salado Civic Center in Salado, Texas.
Foun ...
(TAPPS). The Eagles have prospered well in its league with numerous district and state championships. The most recent state championship came in 2021 with the track and field team winning the state title.
In May 2008 the school hired Craig Biggio
Craig Alan Biggio (; born December 14, 1965) is an American former second baseman, outfielder and catcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career from 1988 through 2007 for the Houston Astros. A seven-time National League (NL) All ...
, the former Houston Astros second baseman and Hall of Famer
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
, as head baseball coach.
Biggio remained the head coach until he stepped down at the conclusion of the 2012–2013 school year.
See also
* Christianity in Houston
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Thomas High School
Private high schools in Houston
Roman Catholic secondary schools in Houston
Basilian schools
Boys' schools in Texas
Educational institutions established in 1900
1900 establishments in Texas