St. John's College High School (SJC, SJCHS, or St. John's) is a Catholic high school in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Established in 1851, it is the third oldest Christian Brothers school in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, and was one of the oldest Army

JROTC The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) is a Federal government of the United States, federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools across the United States and at US mil ...

schools until the program was abolished in 2019 in pursuit of a private "leadership academy" program with no relationship to the United States Armed Forces.

History

In 1878, the Brothers purchased the property at 1225 Vermont Avenue NW from the estate of

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Montgomery C. Meigs Montgomery Cunningham Meigs (; May 3, 1816 – January 2, 1892) was a career United States Army officer and military and civil engineer, who served as Quartermaster General of the U.S. Army during and after the American Civil War. Although a Sou ...

as the site for a new school building. In August of that year, the construction of the building began. At first, it was known as St. John's Collegiate Institute, and in 1887, it assumed the title of St. John's College. That same year, the college was incorporated under the

District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

statutes with the power to confer the

academic degree An academic degree is a qualification awarded to a student upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions often offer degrees at various levels, usually divided into und ...

s of

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

and

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

. At the commencement of June 26, 1888 two Bachelor of Arts, four Bachelor of Science, and three Master of Arts degrees were conferred on graduates. As the undergraduate departments of

The Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is one of two pontifical universities of the Catholic Church in the United States – the only one that is not primarily ...

and

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

expanded, it was decided in 1921 by the Board of Trustees of St. John's to discontinue the college department and devote the school facilities to secondary education alone.

Military program

A military cadet company was established at the school in 1915 after an inspection by the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet ...

, which detailed Major John Augustus Dapray, retired, to the school on December 30, 1915 as the first professor of military science and tactics. The school later established a

Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) is a federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools across the United States and at US military bases across the world. The progr ...

program which was one of 100 original U.S. Army JROTC programs established by the U.S. Congress under the

National Defense Act of 1916 The National Defense Act of 1916, , was a United States federal law that updated the Militia Act of 1903, which related to the organization of the military, particularly the National Guard. The principal change of the act was to supersede provi ...

. In addition to regular classroom instruction, cadets participate in regional and national competitions as members of the Raiders (called the Rangers until 1994), the

drill team A drill team can be one of four different entities: # A military drill team is a marching unit that performs routines based on military foot drill, foot or exhibition drills. Military drill teams perform either armed or unarmed. # A dance squad ...

(called the "McGovern Rifles";the rifle team (marksmanship club), and

color guard In Military, military organizations, a colour guard (or color guard) is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of Colours, standards and guidons, regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is highly prestigious, and the mil ...

. The regiment participates in many events each year, such as the annual Cherry Blossom Parade and Presidential inaugurations (including the 2005 Inauguration of

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

). Originally mandatory, the program became optional in 1991. By 2005, 50 percent of the students participated in the JROTC program, and participation fell less than one-fifth of the student body. In 2019 the military program ended and was replaced with a Cadet Corps program with no relationship to the formal JROTC Program but it still produces students who decide to attend one of the service academies. Current participation estimates have almost a quarter of the school in the cadet corps program, or almost 300 of the 1200 total students.

Athletics

St. John's teams play in the

Washington Catholic Athletic Conference The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) is a major high school athletic league for boys, girls, and co-ed Catholic high schools of the Archdiocese of Washington & Diocese of Arlington located in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Th ...

Football

The 2008 St. John's vs.

Gonzaga College High School Gonzaga College High School is a private Catholic college-preparatory high school for boys in Washington, D.C. Founded by the Jesuits in 1821 as the Washington Seminary, Gonzaga is named in honor of Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the ...

football game was recognized as one of the top 25 rivalries in the United States by inclusion in the Great American Rivalry Series. In 2013 the varsity football team defeated their historical rival Gonzaga in the WCAC semi-finals, advancing to the championship game for the first time in over 20 years, which they lost to the Dematha Stags.Coach Joe Patterson enters his fifth season at the helm
St. John's official website; retrieved November 25, 2007. On November 18, 2017, St. John’s varsity football team defeated Gonzaga 30-7 to win the 2017 WCAC championship. They finished the season being undefeated in the WCAC for the first time since 1976 and winning the school’s first football conference championship since 1989. The 2017 team is also the only St. John's football team to ever defeat both DeMatha (first win since 1994) and Gonzaga twice in the same season. In 2017 the St. John's varsity football team finished their season ranked 17th and 19th in the United States, after starting the pre-season ranked No. 21.

Soccer

In 2007, the St. John's girls' soccer team was ranked #1 in the United States.

Baseball

St. John's varsity baseball team won the 2018 WCAC baseball championship, the fifth consecutive title for the school, and the sixth title since 2010.

Athletic facilities

The campus features three multi-sport turf surfaces used for field hockey, football, lacrosse, rugby, soccer and softball. Baseball plays at Gibbs Field. Gallagher Gymnasium is the home of the basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams. The school also used to have tennis courts on site but they were removed when Gallagher gym was expanded.

Notable alumni

* Lindsay Allen (class of 2013), basketball player * William A. Wimsatt (class of 1935), professor of Zoology, Chairman of the Department of Zoology at

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

. * John H. Dimond (class of 1936), Alaska Supreme Court justice. * Azzi Fudd (class of 2021), college basketball player for the

Connecticut Huskies The UConn Huskies (or Connecticut Huskies) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Connecticut, with its main campus located in Storrs, Connecticut. The school is a member of the NCAA's Division I and the Big Eas ...

* Rakim Jarrett (class of 2020),

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

player with the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

* Quinten Johnson (class of 2019), college football defensive back for the

Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except wo ...

* James "Jim" Kimsey (class of 1957), first chairman and CEO of

AOL AOL (formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City, and a brand marketed by Yahoo! Inc. The service traces its history to an online ...

* Joseph Siravo (class of 1973), actor, director, teacher and producer. * Malik Mack (class of 2023), basketball player * James J. Malloy (class of 1981), retired

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

. * Makenna Morris (class of 2020), soccer player * Nolan Williams, Jr. (class of 1986), American composer, musicologist, and producer. *

Kevin Plank Kevin Audette Plank (born August 13, 1972) is an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. Plank is the founder and executive chairman of Under Armour, a manufacturer of sportswear, footwear and accessories, based in Baltimore, Maryla ...

(class of 1990), founder and brand chief and executive chairman of

Under Armour Under Armour, Inc. is an American sportswear company that manufactures footwear and clothing, apparel headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. History 20th century Under Armour was founded on September 25, 1996, by Kevin Plank, a ...

, a performance apparel company. * Keilan Robinson (class of 2019),

running back and return specialist with the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

; played college football for the

Texas Longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and ...

* Princess Ariana Austin Makonnen of Ethiopia (class of 2001), member of the Ethiopian Imperial House of Solomon; wife of Prince Joel Dawit Makonnen *

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (born 1984) is an American playwright. His play ''Purpose'' won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, for which his works '' Gloria'' and '' Everybody'' were finalists in 2016 and 2018, respectively. His play '' Appropriate'' ...

(class of 2002), Tony-winning playwright of Appropriate. * L.J. Hoes (class of 2008), former

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

player. * Jeff Dowtin Jr. (class of 2015), professional basketball player. * Terrell Lewis (class of 2016), professional football player for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

Kasim Hill Kasim Ajani Hill (born December 9, 1997) is an American former college football quarterback. He played for Maryland, Tennessee, and Rhode Island. In Hill's first season with the Rams in 2020, he led the team to back-to-back upset wins against r ...

(class of 2017), college football player * Tre'Mon Morris-Brash (class of 2019), professional football player for the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...

Philip Hannan Philip Matthew Hannan (May 20, 1913 – September 29, 2011) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church. He served as auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, Archdiocese of Washington from ...

(class of 1931), 11th archbishop of

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

. *

John Geisse John Francis Geisse (September 1, 1920 – February 21, 1992) was an American businessman. He founded three successful retail chains: Target Discount Stores, Venture Stores, and The Wholesale Club (which merged in 1991 with Sam's Club). Early ...

(class of 1937), founder of

Target Target may refer to: Warfare and shooting * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artille ...

and served in the

. * Robert M. McGovern (class of 1946), Received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for his sacrifice in the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. *

Stanley McChrystal Stanley Allen McChrystal (born 14 August 1954) is a retired United States Army General (United States), general best known for his command of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) from 2003 to 2008 during which his organization was credited w ...

(class of 1972), retired

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

who served as Director of Joint Staff. * Savohn Hunt (class of 2016), CEO Ave Rides and Ave Maria University Athletic Hall of Fame Awarded to those who have outstanding Athletic Accomplishments during their time at Ave Maria University

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint John's College High School Chevy Chase (Washington, D.C.) Educational institutions established in 1851 Lasallian schools in the United States Catholic secondary schools in Washington, D.C. 1851 establishments in Washington, D.C.