Austin Catholic Preparatory School was a boys, non–residential, college preparatory

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

school in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. Austin was "one of the city's most widely respected schools."Austin Prep School to Close Next Year ("Widely Respected")

''Detroit Free Press'', p. 4-A, 1 November 1977. The school was founded in 1951 and operated by the

Augustinians Augustinians are members of several religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written about 400 A.D. by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...

. Its first class graduated in 1956. Austin was closed in 1978 due to declining enrollment and a desire by the Augustinians to sell the school's property. Throughout its existence, Austin functioned in an unremarkable, austere, cinder block and brick building on an eleven-acre site at the corner of East Warren Avenue and Canyon Street on the far east side of Detroit, adjacent to the

Grosse Pointe Grosse Pointe is a group of five adjacent suburbs in the Metro Detroit, Detroit metropolitan area on the shore of Lake St. Clair. From southwest to northeast, they are: *Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, Grosse Pointe Park *Grosse Pointe, Michiga ...

s. Its spartan facilities included a gymnasium, library, and chapel, but no auditorium, swimming pool, track, or football stadium. Drawing most of its students from Detroit and the eastern suburbs, by its closing Austin had graduated 3,212 young men.

Insignia and Motto

Austin's insignia displays a bishop's mitre at the top, referring to the episcopal status of St.

Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...

, patron of the Augustinians. Below the mitre are the words TOLLE LEGE ("take and read"), from an incident described by Augustine in his ''Confessions'' leading to his conversion to Christianity. The middle of the shield is divided into two halves: the right half showing a lily and the year 388 A.D., and the left half a pelican and the year 1250 A.D. The lily and pelican are perhaps borrowed from the crest of

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Corpus Christi College (full name: "The College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary", often shortened to "Corpus") is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. From the late 14th c ...

, which stands on the site of the 13th-Century

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...

of the Austin Friars.England: Cambridge.
Retrieved 21 October 2015. A

pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before ...

, which in medieval legend fed her young with her own blood and so came to represent the

Holy Eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by J ...

, also appears in the crest of the Augustinian saint,

Thomas of Villanova Thomas of Villanova, OSA (1488 – September 8, 1555), born Tomás García y Martínez, was a Spanish friar of the Order of Saint Augustine who was a noted preacher, ascetic and religious writer of his day. He became an archbishop who was famou ...

.pageid=St. Thomas of Villanova.
Retrieved 23 October 2015. As to the years in the insignia, St. Augustine arranged a community of prayer at his North African estate in 388,Thagaste community.
Retrieved 21 October 2015. and 1250 is the approximate year that the Austin Friars were established in England, and thus in the English-speaking world.England: London.
Retrieved 21 October 2015.

Academics

According to a study by the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, Austin sent more than 90 percent of its graduates on to college.Austin Prep to Cease Operation.
''The Grosse Pointe News'', p.1, 3 November 1977. Retrieved 21 October 2015. Austin was accredited by the

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), also known as the North Central Association, was a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states engaged in educational accreditation. It ...

,Lovejoy, Clarence E., Lovejoy's prep school guide: independent, private, nonpublic institutions, boarding and day

New York: Simon and Schuster, 1968, 3d rev. ed., p. 130. and had chapters of the National Honors Society and

Quill and Scroll Quill and Scroll is an international high school journalism honor society that recognizes and encourages both individual and group achievements in scholastic journalism. According to the Quill and Scroll website, over 14,611 high schools in all ...

Yearbook

Austin's Yearbook, ''Magistro'', shared a title with one of St. Augustine's treatises, ''De Magistro'' ("On the Teacher"); a dialogue between Augustine and his teenage son, Adeodatus.On the Teacher.
Retrieved 25 October 2015.

Athletics

Rival Schools

Austin's teams played in the Central Division of the

Catholic High School League The Catholic High School League (CHSL) is a school athletic conference based in Detroit, Michigan, led by director Victor Michaels. Most member schools are also members of the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), the governing body fo ...

, along with five other all-boys schools: Brother Rice, De La Salle, Catholic Central, University of Detroit High School, and Notre Dame High School (Harper Woods, Michigan). Its main rival was De La Salle, which was the Catholic League Detroit school closest to it in size and location. League rivals from the 50s and 60s included Detroit's St. Joseph's High School, Detroit Cathedral High School, and Salesian High School.

Varsity Sports

Austin offered a range of varsity sports, including cross country, football, basketball,

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

, and

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

Tennis Championships

The Friars won the state of Michigan boys tennis championship in 1966 and 1974 in Class A, and in 1976 in Class B.

Football

Austin did not have its own

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

stadium but played home games at the capacious and well-kept field of nearby Grosse Pointe South High School. Fielding football teams between 1954 and 1977 (with the exception of 1965), Austin's all-time record was 66–105–6.All Time Michigan High School Football Scores.
Retrieved 21 October 2015. Austin was barred from fielding any level of football for the 1965 season, after a number of players and coaches were caught in an illegal pre-season practice in

Sarnia, Ontario Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes, ...

, in violation of Catholic High School League rules.Austin High Barred from Grid Leagu

''Detroit Free Press'', p. 1-A, 24 August 1965. The head coach was dismissed, and a lawsuit brought by a number of parents to save the season was unsuccessful.Banning of Austin Upheld

''Detroit Free Press'', p. 33, 3 September 1965. Austin's varsity football team enjoyed an 8–1 record in 1976, its best year.

Basketball

Austin's

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

program was highly successful, resulting in eight league championships, and a statewide Class-A championship in 1958.In a long-awaited clash of titans Dave DeBusschere and Chet Walker, the supporting casts for Detroit Austin and Benton Harbor played prominent roles in the 1958 Final act.
Retrieved 21 October 2015. Led by

Dave DeBusschere David Albert DeBusschere (October 16, 1940 – May 14, 2003) was an American professional basketball player and coach, and professional baseball player. He played for the Chicago White Sox of MLB in 1962 and 1963 and in the NBA for the Detroit Pi ...

, later a professional basketball player, Austin's 1958 record was 10–0. DeBusschere may have started the "White Shirted Legion" at Austin: the tradition of wearing white shirts to the school's games, so as to make fans more visible. From 1955 to 1978 Austin's all-time basketball record was 146–76.Detroit Austin Friars.
Retrieved 21 October 2015.

Fight Song and Victory Song

Austin's fight song was ''The Glory of the Black and White.'' Published in 1954, it was composed by H. O'Reilly Clint,The Glory of the Black and White.
Retrieved 19 October 2015. who also wrote the music to the official state anthem

My Michigan "My Michigan" is an official song of the state of Michigan. History It was written by Giles Kavanagh (lyrics) and H. O'Reilly Clint (music) in 1933. It was published by Clint's own music publishing company in Detroit. It was formally adopted a ...

. The lyrics of Austin's song were: :Let's root for dear old Austin, :to ev'ry Friar let our hearts be true. :Three cheers and then, :three cheers again. :Victory belongs to you. :Rah! Rah! Rah! :Give all you have for Austin. :Hold that line with all your might. :Let ev'ry rafter ring as united we sing :of THE GLORY OF THE BLACK AND WHITE. Austin also had ''The Victory Song!'' by Robert ver HaegheThe Victory Song!
Retrieved 19 October 2015. :Austin fight with all your might: :Lead us on to victory Black and White, :we'll win tonight; :Keep our Alma Mater free. :We shall be loyal to you :Our light will shine thru and thru. :So Austinites, let's fight with all our might: :lead us on to victory!

Closing

Decline of student pool

Detroit's loss of population accelerated after the city's 1967 race riots. This lessened the demographic pool of Catholic boys in a large segment of Austin's east-side

catchment area A catchment area in human geography, is the area from which a location, such as a city, service or institution, attracts a population that uses its services and economic opportunities. Catchment areas may be defined based on from where people are ...

. Excellent public high schools in the neighboring Grosse Pointe communities also siphoned away boys who would otherwise have attended Austin.

Augustinians respond

As late as July 1977, Austin was advertising in a metropolitan-Detroit-wide newspaper for applicants for grades 9–12, touting its college prep curriculum and art and music programs, among other attractions.Advertisement for Applicants

''Detroit Free Press'', p. 6-B, 27 July 1977. At the start of the 1977–78

academic year An academic year, or school year, is a period that schools, colleges and university, universities use to measure the duration of studies for a given educational level. Academic years are often divided into academic terms. Students attend classe ...

, Austin had an enrollment of 427 boys and charged tuition of approximately $900 per year.Austin Prep School to Close Next Year (Enrollment and Tuition)

''Detroit Free Press'', p. 4-A, 1 November 1977. In late October 1977, however, the faculty and students were surprised by a letter from the Midwest Province of the Augustinians, announcing that the school would be closed the following year. The letter cited declining enrollment and the availability of fewer teachers from within the Augustinian Order. Besides Austin, the Midwest Province operated four other high schools in the central part of the United States:

Cascia Hall Preparatory School Cascia Hall Preparatory School is an Augustinian coeducational college preparatory day school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is a member of the Augustinian Secondary Education Association. It is one of Tulsa's three Catholic high schools, with Bishop K ...

in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Mendel Catholic High School and St. Rita of Cascia High School in Chicago, Illinois, and

Providence Catholic High School Providence Catholic High School (often referred to as Providence, Provi, or abbreviated PCHS) is a Roman Catholic secondary school located in New Lenox, Illinois. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Providence Catholic is a private ...

in New Lenox, Illinois. The Order decided that one of the four high schools needed to be closed, and chose Austin due to declining enrollment and its being located in an area that—at the time—was served by other Catholic high schools. The letter stated that to survive Austin would need to double its enrollment in the coming years, an outcome the Order did not think realistic.Austin Prep School to Close Next Year (Details of Closing)

''Detroit Free Press'', p. 4-A, 1 November 1977.

Efforts to keep Austin open

Before the end of November, a group of parents formed a committee to attempt to keep the school open. The committee met with representatives of the Augustinians, and reportedly came away with a promise that the parents could lease the school if they committed to keeping their sons enrolled. A spokesman for the parents committee said after the meeting: "We're all charged. We think we can do it. We think we can cut it."Pupils with a Promise

''Detroit Free Press'', p. 3-A, 22 November 1977. In March 1978, however, the Augustinian Provincial Council in Chicago rejected the promise of a lease, instead demanding that the property be purchased at market value, estimated to be over two million dollars. Neither the parents nor the

Archdiocese of Detroit The Archdiocese of Detroit () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church covering the south-east portion of Michigan in the United States. The archdiocese consists counties of Lapeer County, Michigan, Lap ...

were capable of making such a purchase. Speaking for the Archdiocese, John Cardinal Dearden, the archbishop of Detroit, said "We deeply regret the outcome of the discussions ith the Augustinian Provincial Council We supported the initiative taken by the group of concerned parents . . . up to this time we had been hopeful that those efforts would be successful."Austin to close in June

''Detroit Free Press'', p. 3-A, 13 March 1978.

Final class

Austin closed during the summer of 1978 and most of its remaining students dispersed to other high schools. Ten upperclassmen, however, competed their studies in connection with Austin under accelerated courses, and are considered Austin's final class, of 1979.

Actions by Austin's rival schools

By 2005, Austin's brother-institution Notre Dame High School (Harper Woods, Michigan), Notre Dame high school had also closed due to declining enrollment from its east-side catchment area. De La Salle and Catholic Central high schools had long-before vacated Detroit for suburban locations. Among Austin's brother-schools, only the

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

-operated University of Detroit High School chose to continue its educational mission within the city.

Disposition of property

The Augustinians sold Austin's property for other uses. The renovated former Austin building now houses Riverview Health & Rehab Center North, which offers short-term rehabilitation and long-term skilled nursing care.Riverview North
Retrieved 21 October 2015.

Austin Catholic High School

In 2011, a new

coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

institution called Austin Catholic High School opened in Ray Township, 18 miles north of Detroit in

Macomb County Macomb County ( ) is a county on the eastern shore of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, bordering Detroit to the north and containing many of its northern suburbs. Its seat of government is Mt. Clemens, a ...

, where a significant growth of Catholic population had occurred within the

Detroit Metropolitan Area Metro Detroit is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and over 200 municipalities in the surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the official statistical areas ...

.Austin Catholic High School
Retrieved 21 October 2015.

Records of Austin Catholic Preparatory School

Records of Austin Catholic Preparatory School are held at the archives of the Archdiocese of Detroit; replacement transcripts and diplomas can be requested from the Archdiocese.

Gallery

Male cheerleaders, ca. 1965, Austin Catholic Preparatory School, Detroit, Michigan.JPG, Male cheerleaders, ca. 1965 5161NO4PWHL. SX258 BO1,204,203,200.jpg, Cover of 1972 Magistro Yearbook

Notable alumni

Academia

*Eugene J. Fisher, Distinguished Professor of Catholic-Jewish Studies at St. Leo University, and Executive Secretary for Catholic-Jewish Relations at the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 2001 after the merger of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic C ...

. He "holds the distinction of playing a central role in every turning point in Catholic-Jewish relations for the last three decades."2007 Bernardin Awar

Retrieved 29 October 2015. * Kevin Boyle (historian), Kevin Boyle, historian, William Smith Mason Professor of American History at Northwestern University. His 2004 book, Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age, won the National Book Award. * Richard Messmann, physician. Medical lead for the VISION study whose positive findings led to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medical Authority (EMA) registration of 177Lu-PSMA-617 (Pluvicto) and 68Ga-PSMA-617 (Locametz) radio-therapeutic pair for the identification and treatment of men with advanced, metastatic, castrate-resistant prostate cancer. Lutetium-177–PSMA-617 for Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Published June 23, 2021. N Engl J Med 2021;385:1091-1103 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2107322 VOL. 385 NO. 12

Athletics

, member of the

Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...

, player in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

for the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

and

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

, and in

Major League Baseball 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 ...

for the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

. *Mark O'Brien, 1980 US Olympic Men's Rowing Team * Mike Varty, former linebacker in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, 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 ...

for the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

and

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...

Music

* James Tocco, internationally known concert pianist.

Politics

*William B. Fitzgerald Jr., Majority Leader of the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Michigan Legislature The Michigan Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of the Senate (the upper chamber) and the House of Representatives (the lower chamber). Article IV of the Michigan Con ...

. The youngest Senate majority leader in state history, and the only Senate majority leader to have been selected for the post while still a member of the State

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

; before he was officially sworn in as a senator.William B. Fitzgerald Jr. Obituar

"The Grosse Pointe News" Retrieved 25 October 2015.

References

External links

Alumni and Memorabilia

Austin Catholic Prep Class of 1961Ray Township: Detroit memorabilia returned to high school in RayRay Township: Trophy Returned to Austin

Augustinians

Midwest AugustiniansOrder of St. Augustine

Dave DeBusschere

American basketball player Dave DeBusschere (1940–2003) jumps for a shot during a game for his high school team, Austin Catholic High School in Detroit, Michigan, 1957Dave DeBusschere Obituary
{{authority control Boys' schools in Michigan Educational institutions established in 1951 Defunct schools in Michigan 1951 establishments in Michigan 1978 disestablishments in Michigan Educational institutions disestablished in 1978 Defunct Catholic secondary schools in Michigan High schools in Detroit

Insignia and Motto

Academics

Yearbook

Athletics

Rival Schools

Varsity Sports

Tennis Championships

Football

Basketball

Fight Song and Victory Song

Closing

Decline of student pool

Augustinians respond

Efforts to keep Austin open

Final class

Actions by Austin's rival schools

Disposition of property

Austin Catholic High School

Records of Austin Catholic Preparatory School

Gallery

Notable alumni

Academia

Athletics

Music

Politics

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Alumni and Memorabilia

Augustinians

Dave DeBusschere