Bishop Kelley High School is an American Lasallian

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 ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

with 905 students, grades 9 to 12, located at 41st and Hudson Avenue, in the center of the Tulsa metropolitan area (in the Midtown area), on a campus spanning just over 47 acres (150,000 m²). The school is formerly a function of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa ( la, Dioecesis Tulsensis) is a particular church of the Latin Church of the Roman Catholic Church in the Ecclesiastical province of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City covering the eas ...

, but is now incorporated separately, and operates in the Lasallian tradition of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (Christian Brothers or the French Christian Brothers). Bishop Kelley is a comprehensive secondary school with a

college-preparatory A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher educatio ...

style curriculum consisting of tracks designed to fit a variety of learning abilities and interests. Bishop Kelley students come from 53 different zip codes, with incoming freshmen and transfer students matriculating from more than 30 middle schools across Northeast Oklahoma. Students come from a variety of faith and educational backgrounds. They are traditionally welcomed with extensive freshman orientation activities. Though Bishop Kelley is the flagship diocesan Catholic high school for the Diocese of Tulsa, it serves both Catholic and non-Catholic students. The school consistently ranks as one of the best private high schools in Oklahoma.

History

Bishop Kelley was established in 1960 to serve as Tulsa's citywide Catholic high school. At the time of its founding, its forerunners, Holy Family High School (founded 1899) and Marquette High School (founded in 1926), closed and consolidated their student bodies into the newly formed Bishop Kelley High School. While the initial plans for the school were developed under Bishop Eugene J. McGuinness' leadership, it was the pioneering Bishop Victor Joseph Reed who oversaw its founding. Bishop Reed was a famous Catholic reformer who attended all four sessions of the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

, where he was associated with the more progressive bishops, lending his support to the use of vernacular in the

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...

and to an emphasis of pastoral over administrative skills in bishops. Bishop Reed is in part responsible for the high school's legacy of lay leadership. In 1960, the year Bishop Kelley High School was founded, Bishop Reed established the first mixed (clerical and lay) diocesan board of education in the United States. The school was named for

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 ...

Francis Kelley Francis Clement Kelley (October 23, 1870 – February 1, 1948) was a Canadian-born Catholic bishop. He was the second Bishop of Oklahoma City, as well as an author and diplomat. He was a Catholic priest for 54 years, and bishop for 23 years ...

, the second bishop of Oklahoma. The founder of the Catholic Church Extension Society, Bishop Kelley was an accomplished author and diplomat, whom H.L. Mencken described as "a charming Irishman" who "has had a brilliant career in the Church." He famously partnered with California oilman

Edward L. Doheny Edward Laurence Doheny (; August 10, 1856 – September 8, 1935) was an American oil tycoon who, in 1892, drilled the first successful oil well in the Los Angeles City Oil Field. His success set off a petroleum boom in Southern California, a ...

to support Catholic philanthropy. At its founding, male students were taught by the LaSallian (French) Christian Brothers, while the

Sisters of Divine Providence The Congregation of Divine Providence (or Sisters of Divine Providence) is the name of two Roman Catholic religious institutes of women which have developed from the work of the Blessed Jean-Martin Moye (1730-1793), a French Catholic priest ...

from

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

taught the female students. By 1965, the school had become entirely coeducational. By 1982, the Sisters of Divine Providence had been reassigned to other ministries. As of the end of the school year 2020–2021, the Christian Brothers no longer have a presence on the campus. The original school building was designed by architect Robert Lawton Jones, a Tulsa Catholic who had been a protege of

Mies van der Rohe Ludwig Mies van der Rohe ( ; ; born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies; March 27, 1886August 17, 1969) was a German-American architect. He was commonly referred to as Mies, his surname. Along with Alvar Aalto, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Frank Lloyd ...

Activities

Co-curricular opportunities include Academic Bowl, Christian Service, Class Board, Comet Ambassadors, Competitive One-Act, Drama, Drumline, Environmental Club, FCA, Foreign Language Clubs,3 on 3, Jazz Choir, Kairos, Kelley Krazies (a spirit organization), Link Crew (dedicated to mentoring freshmen), Lasallian Youth, Mission Trips, National Forensic League, Performing Arts, Play Production/Theater Tech, Photography Club, ProLife Club, Retreats, Robotics, and Student Council. The school is a frequent winner of state championships in speech and debate, academic bowl, and robotics competitions.

Athletics

Bishop Kelley has won more state championships than any other school of its size in Oklahoma, including state championships in baseball, football, soccer, softball, volleyball, basketball, tennis, golf and cross country. Its women's volleyball and women's soccer teams have been nationally ranked. Bishop Kelley was the first Tulsa high school to support a lacrosse team. NCAA head coach Barry Hinson (currently coaching at

Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of Tr ...

) coached the men's basketball team at Bishop Kelley. Bishop Kelley is also the site for

Russell Westbrook Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and ...

's "Why Not" Basketball camp.

Battle of the Bishops Rivalry

In football, Bishop Kelley shares a tradition with cross-state rival Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School. The winner of the contest obtains possession of the "

Shillelagh A shillelagh ( ; ga, sail éille or , "thonged willow") is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty blackthorn stick with a large knob at the top. It is associated with Ireland and Irish folklore. Other ...

Trophy" for the upcoming year. The schools also compete annually in boys and girls basketball.

State Championships

Academic Bowl – 1993, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2005*, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021 Baseball – 1976, 1978, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2018 Boys Basketball – 1995 Boys Cross Country – 1967, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 2005, 2008 Girls Cross Country – 1985, 1986, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Fast Pitch Softball – 1977, 1991, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2001 Football – 1981 Boys Golf – 1986, 1988, 1993, 2002, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2021 Girls Golf – 1996, 2000, 2001, 2006 Boys Soccer – 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 Girls Soccer – 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2021 Speech and Debate – 1993, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013 Boys Tennis – 1995, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2019 Girls Tennis – 1985, 1987, 1995, 1997, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2019, 2021 Volleyball – 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2020 Boys Swimming – 2019, 2020, 2021 Wrestling – 1974, 1975, 1984, 1985 Spirit Squad – 2016, 2017, 2018 Total : 132 *The 2005 Bishop Kelley Academic Bowl team defeated the national champion academic bowl team in a scrimmage, but did not compete against them during the regular season because they were in a different athletic class.

Notable Bishop Kelley people

Bishop Kelley alumni

Arts, entertainment, media and letters

* Robert Bryce – journalist, commentator and author (books include '' Pipe Dreams: Greed, Ego, and the Death of Enron'') * Chris Combs – avante-garde jazz composer and musician; guitarist for Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey * Samantha Isler – film and television actress best known for her role in '' Captain Fantastic'' and

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

series '' Supernatural'' *

Olivia Jordan Olivia Jordan Thomas (born September 28, 1988) is an American actress, model, television host, and beauty pageant titleholder, who was crowned Miss USA 2015. She represented the United States at Miss Universe 2015, where she placed as a second ...

– actress, pageant winner (

Miss USA 2015 Miss USA 2015 was the 64th Miss USA pageant, held at the Raising Cane's River Center Arena in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on July 12, 2015. All fifty states and the District of Columbia competed. Nia Sanchez of Nevada crowned her successor Olivia ...

and

Miss World America Miss (pronounced ) is an English language honorific typically used for a girl, for an unmarried woman (when not using another title such as "Doctor" or "Dame"), or for a married woman retaining her maiden name. Originating in the 17th century, it ...

2013) * Frank Main – reporter at the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago ...

'' and winner of 2011 Pulitzer Prize * Matt Villines (1995) – film director (''

Funny or Die Funny or Die is a comedy video website and film/television production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a re ...

'', ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...

'') *

Alfre Woodard Alfre Woodard (; born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including four Primetime Emmy Awards (tying the record for the most acting Emmys won by an African-American performer, along with Regina King ...

– film and television actress (

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-nominee; four-time Emmy Award winner; Grammy nominee)

Business, politics and civic life

* Dewey F. Bartlett Jr. – businessman and 39th Mayor of Tulsa * John E. Dowdell –

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...

of the

United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma The United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma (in case citations, N.D. Okla.) is a federal court in the Tenth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are a ...

. *

Robert Kerr Goodwin Robert "Bob" Kerr Goodwin is an American non-profit executive, political appointee, and publisher known for serving as CEO of Points of Light. Early life and education Goodwin was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1948 to E.L. Goodwin, an attorney and a n ...

– CEO of

Points of Light Points of Light is an international nonprofit, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Georgia, United States dedicated to engaging more people and resources in solving serious social problems through voluntary service. Each year, Points ...

; former Publisher of ''Oklahoma Eagle'' (one of America's most influential black-owned newspapers) * John M. O'Connor – nominee to be a

of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the

, and the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma * Geoffrey Standing Bear – Principal Chief of Osage Nation * John A. Sullivan – former

United States congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

( R- Oklahoma)

Sports

* Inky Ajanaku – Professional volleyball player (Gold medalist at

2015 Pan American Games Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music * Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak al ...

) *

Patrick Callan Kevin Patrick Callan (born October 6, 1999) is a retired United States, American competitive swimming (sport), swimmer. In 2017, he won a silver medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the 2017 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, 2017 ...

– Olympic swimmer"Team USA: Patrick Callan"
''TeamUSA.org''. Retrieved July 24, 2021. *

Dale Cook Dale Cook (born November 24, 1958) is an American former kickboxer who competed in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions. With a background in karate and taekwondo, Cook debuted professionally in 1 ...

– WKA world champion in kickboxing, boxer and martial artist *

Rick Dickson Rick Dickson (born June 14, 1954) is in his 2nd stint as the athletic director at University of Tulsa, Tulsa. He previously served as the AD at Tulane University from 2000 through 2015. After taking over in 2000, Tulane Green Wave, Tulane teams h ...

– Athletic Director at University of Tulsa,

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pub ...

and

Washington State University Washington State University (Washington State, WSU, or informally Wazzu) is a public land-grant research university with its flagship, and oldest, campus in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant uni ...

Matt Gogel } Matthew John Gogel (born February 9, 1971) is an American professional golfer and golf commentator who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He previously played on the PGA Tour and the Nike Tour. Gogel was born in Denver, Colorado and gre ...

– PGA golfer and golf commentator for

CBS Sports CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W ...

* Randy Heckenkemper –

golf course architect A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...

Dallas Keuchel Dallas Keuchel (, ; born January 1, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Texas Ran ...

–

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

pitcher, winner of 2015 Cy Young Award * Chip McCaw – Olympic athlete and volleyball coach at

Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California. Pepperdine's main campus consists of 830 acres (340 ha) overlooking the Pacific Ocean and th ...

* Charlie O'Brien –

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...

* Matt Reynolds –

infielder *

Jason Staurovsky Jason Charles Staurovsky (born March 23, 1963 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is a former American football placekicker from 1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Ze ...

– NFL placekicker *

Donnie Walton Donovan Robert Walton (born May 25, 1994) is an American professional baseball infielder in the San Francisco Giants organization. He played college baseball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Walton was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 5th ...

–

infielder * Rick Wrona –

catcher

Notable former faculty and staff

* Barry Hinson- American college coach for Oral Roberts (1997–1999), Missouri State (1999–2008) & Southern Illinois Salukis (2012–2019) men's basketball teams *

Daniel Henry Mueggenborg Daniel Henry Mueggenborg (born April 15, 1962) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as bishop for the Diocese of Reno in Nevada since 2021. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle in W ...

– auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Seattle, former Vice Rector Pontifical North American College at the Vatican. On July 20, 2021, he was appointed bishop of Reno. * Peter Bryan Wells – Catholic archbishop and diplomat (currently serving as Apostolic Nuncio to South Africa; formerly Assessor for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State)

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa Catholic secondary schools in Oklahoma Private high schools in Oklahoma Lasallian schools in the United States Educational institutions established in 1960 Schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma 1960 establishments in Oklahoma