St. Thomas Academy
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Saint Thomas Academy (abbr. STA), originally known as St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary and formerly known as St. Thomas Military Academy, is an all-male, Catholic
military high school Military high school is a type of high school that includes military cadet education and so are a form of military academy. They are found in several countries and offer a regular high school education but with an extra military training curricul ...
in
Mendota Heights, Minnesota Mendota Heights ( ) is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. It is a first-ring southern suburb of the Twin Cities. The population was 11,744 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Ce ...
. The academy has a middle school (grades 6–8) and a high school (grades 9–12). The high school students are required to participate in military leadership classes, as the school was previously part of 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 ...
. Its sister school,
Convent of the Visitation Visitation School, also known as Visitation or Vis, is an independent, all-girls, Roman Catholic, college-preparatory, school in Minnesota. It is located in Mendota Heights near Saint Paul. Visitation is a coeducational school for grades Montes ...
, is located across the street. Many classes and after-school activities involve both schools. It is located within the
Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis 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 associated ...
.


History

Saint Thomas Academy was first founded as Saint Thomas Seminary by Archbishop John Ireland on September 8, 1885. STA became a
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary 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 the United Stat ...
school in 1905, and, in 1916, part of the
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 ...
(JROTC). In 1922, the Seminary's Academic Department separated into
College of St. Thomas The University of St. Thomas (also known as UST or simply St. Thomas) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university with campuses in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Fo ...
and St. Thomas Military Academy. Later, in 1965, the school moved to its current campus in Mendota Heights (though in a smaller iteration). A middle school was added in 1971, composing of seventh and eighth grades. STA closed its boarding school program in 1974. In 2015, the school separated from the JROTC, though it retained its military curriculum and required courses. The inaugural sixth grade class joined the academy in 2017.


Traditions

Each year, on the Wednesday preceding Thanksgiving, one senior is awarded the rank of Cadet Colonel, the brigade commander, and is presented with the Fleming Saber, in honor of Richard E. Fleming. The Corps of Cadets, as the high school students are sometimes referred to, is inspected by representatives from the
National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...
in the springtime. This day is called the Brigade Formal Inspection, or BFI. In addition to checking their formal uniforms, the representative asks a few questions, most of which concern the school, its history, or U.S. Army. A score out of 600 is given to the school. If the score is high enough, the students get to remove their ties for the remainder of the year. Usually, this announcement is accompanied by a celebratory throwing-of-ties during the formation time. In the spring, the high school student body dons their formal uniforms (Class A1) for the Archbishop's Review, in which the students march around the school's track while being watched by the Archbishop of Minneapolis and St. Paul.


Sports and activities

Saint Thomas Academy was a member of the
Classic Suburban Conference A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...
(now Metro East). They participate in all 14
Minnesota State High School League The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) is a voluntary, non-profit association for the support and governance of interscholastic activities at high schools in Minnesota, United States. The association supports interscholastic athletics a ...
sports as well as
orienteering Orienteering is a group of sports that involve using a map and compass to navigation, navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specia ...
. Saint Thomas Academy also has various co-curricular activities such as
band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary * Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania * Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, ...
, a chess team, a debate team, VISTA Theater Company, a math team,
Quiz Bowl Quiz bowl (quizbowl, scholars' bowl, scholastic bowl, academic bowl, academic team, academic challenge, etc.) is a family of quiz-based competitions that test players on Outline of academic disciplines, a wide variety of academic subjects. Stand ...
,
Knowledge Bowl Knowledge Bowl is the name for several interdisciplinary academic quiz bowl-like competitions across the United States and the world. The questions for many Knowledge Bowl competitions are supplied by the Academic Hallmarks company of Durango, ...
, Table Tennis Club, Experimental Vehicle Team (2005
Dell-Winston School Solar Car Challenge The Solar Car Challenge is an annual solar-powered car race for high school students. The event attracts teams from around the world, but mostly from American high schools. The race was first held in 1995. Each event is the end product of a t ...
Champions, 2006 Solar Bike Race champions, and two-time Shell Eco-marathon champions),
Mock Trial A mock trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisti ...
, and rifle and drill teams. 83% of students participate in at least one sport.


Notable alumni

* Joseph K. Bratton '44, lieutenant general * Javiar Collins '96, football player *
Christopher Cox Charles Christopher Cox (born October 16, 1952) is an American attorney and politician who served as chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, a 17-year Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the United States House ...
'70, former chairman of SEC; former United States House Representative (R-CA) and Committee Chairman *
Pat Eilers Patrick Christopher Eilers (born September 3, 1966) is an American former professional football safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, and Chicago Bears. He played college football at the Un ...
'85, football player * Congressman Tom Emmer '79,
US representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
for Minnesota's 6th congressional district *
Vince Flynn Vincent Joseph Flynn (April 6, 1966 – June 19, 2013) was an American author of political thriller novels featuring the fictional assassin Mitch Rapp. He was a story consultant for the fifth season of the television series ''24 (television), 24'' ...
'84, author *
Tommy Gibbons Thomas Joseph Gibbons (March 22, 1891 – November 19, 1960) was an American professional heavyweight boxer. Life and career He was born on March 22, 1891, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to Thomas John Gibbons and Mary ( Burke) Gibbons. He had a br ...
'09, *
Thomas F. Gallagher Thomas Francis Gallagher (November 24, 1897 in Faribault, Minnesota – March 3, 1985) was a justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court from 1943 until his retirement in 1967. Early life and education Gallagher attended Saint Thomas Academy, then ...
, judge *
Alfred Gruenther General (United States), General Alfred Maximilian Gruenther (3 March 1899 – 30 May 1983) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer, American Red Cross, Red Cross president, and Bridge (game), bridge player. After be ...
'19, general * Fallon Kelly, judge"Biographies of the Justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court"
. Minnesota State Library. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
* Angelo John Giuliani '30, baseball player * Richard E. Fleming '35, World War II
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 ...
recipient * Leo Richard Hamilton, member of
Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...
* Matt Hanousek '82, football player * John Horan '51, basketball player * Edward Leo Krumpelmann, Catholic priest *
Jim Lange James John Lange (; August 15, 1932 – February 25, 2014) was an American game show host and disc jockey. He was known to listeners in the San Francisco and Los Angeles radio markets with stints at several stations in both markets, racking up ...
, TV game show host * Tom Malchow '95, swimmer *
Joseph T. O'Neill Joseph Thomas O'Neill (November 11, 1931 – January 25, 2022) was an American politician and lawyer. O'Neill was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on November 11, 1931. He graduated from Saint Thomas Academy, in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, in 194 ...
'49, lawyer and legislator * James O'Shaughnessy '78, financial consultant *
Tim O'Shaughnessy Graham Holdings Company (formerly The Washington Post Company) is a diversified American conglomerate holding company. Headquartered in Arlington County, Virginia, and incorporated in Delaware, it was formerly the owner of ''The Washington Pos ...
'00, president and CEO at
Graham Holdings Graham Holdings Company (formerly The Washington Post Company) is a diversified American conglomerate holding company. Headquartered in Arlington County, Virginia, and incorporated in Delaware, it was formerly the owner of ''The Washington Po ...
Company * David Raih '99, football player * Isaac Rosefelt '03, basketball player * Patrick J. Ryan '19, Catholic priest * Matt Schnobrich '97, rowing athlete *
Jordan Schroeder Jordan John Schroeder (born September 29, 1990) is an American professional ice hockey center who currently plays for Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). Born and raised in Minnesota, Schroeder spent two seasons with the U.S. Nation ...
, hockey player *
Ali Selim Ali Selim (born 1960/1961) is an American film and television director. Over the past fifteen years he has directed over 850 television commercials, five half-hour documentaries and several music videos. Early life Selim was born in Saint Paul, ...
'79, director * James P. Shannon '39, bishop * Ben Tracy '94, journalist *
Chris Thome Chris Thome (born January 15, 1969) is an American former professional football center. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 1991 NFL draft. He played for the Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a profess ...
'87, football player * Michael W. Wright '56, businessman


References


External links

* {{authority control Boys' schools in the United States Schools in Dakota County, Minnesota Military high schools in the United States Private middle schools in Minnesota Catholic secondary schools in Minnesota Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Educational institutions established in 1885 1885 establishments in Minnesota