St. Louis University High School

History

SLUH was founded in 1818 by the bishop of St. Louis, Bishop Dubourg, as a Latin school for boys known as St. Louis Academy. Classes were held in a one-story house owned by Madame Alvarez on the northwest corner of Third and Market Street. It quickly grew to include a college division, and the college was granted university status in 1832. The high school retained the identity of St. Louis Academy on the university campus until 1924 when it moved to its own facilities and incorporated separately under the name of St. Louis University High School. The school's new home, on Oakland Avenue, was a gift of Anna Backer in memory of her late husband and alumnus George Backer. That facility, also known as Backer Memorial, has grown considerably over the years and remains the school's home. SLUH remained in an urban setting while many other private high schools have followed demographic shifts to the western suburbs.

In 1984 Paul Owens became the school's first lay principal, and in 2005 David J. Laughlin was hired as the school's first lay president.

From 2013 to 2016, in each year, SLUH has been ranked as among the top-scoring organizations in the mid-size employer category of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's survey of Top Workplaces.

Academics

Since the school is part of the Jesuit network that consists of 61 high schools and 28 colleges and universities in the United States, SLUH provides an education infused with the tradition and philosophy of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Theology and philosophy classes are conducted daily.

According to figures released on SLUH's website in 2011, the median ACT score for SLUH students is over 30. By composite score, it ranks among the top seven per cent of schools in the United States. Over 50% of SLUH's class of 2011 achieved a score of 30 or higher on the ACT. Among St. Louis and St. Louis area high schools with a total enrollment of over 600, it had the highest scores in 2012. Since 2005 a total of 31 students have received a 36, the highest score possible. Four members of the class of 2012 achieved this score, along with five members of the class of 2013, and two members of the class of 2014.

In September 2010, 23 students from SLUH were named National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists, exceeding the number of semifinalists at any other school in Missouri. In 2011, 17 students were named National Merit Semifinalists, while 28 were named National Merit Commended Scholars. In 2012, SLUH surpassed its 2010 performance: 25 students were named National Merit Semifinalists, while 29 were named National Merit Commended Scholars.

Advanced Placement (AP) courses have been offered through SLUH for half a century. AP courses are now offered for 22 disciplines. In 2010, 345 students took 790 AP exams. Eighty-seven percent scored a 3, 4 or 5, grades that qualify them for college credit.

SLUH has also performed well in the Presidential Scholars Program. In 2007, for example, three of Missouri's ten semifinalists were from SLUH, with one, Daniel Viox, receiving one of the two scholarships awarded. In 2012 one of Missouri's ten semifinalists was from SLUH.

The humanities receive a strong emphasis within SLUH's curriculum, as evidenced in the language department that has offered four-year programs in Russian and Chinese since 1964. In 1997 a student exchange program with the Nanjing Foreign Language School was established. Since 2011 SLUH has sponsored a Confucius Classroom which is a subdivision of Webster University's Confucius Institute. In 1999 educational exchange programs for the study of Russian language and culture were established with schools in St. Petersburgh. In keeping with its strong Jesuit Catholic heritage, courses in Latin and Greek are offered, as are the popular choices of French and Spanish. SLUH also has strong programs in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, social sciences, fine arts, and literature.

Virtually all SLUH students immediately enter colleges or universities upon graduation. Members of the Class of 2011 were accepted at 203 different colleges and universities and attended 72 of them. These students accepted over 300 scholarships totaling nearly $2 million.

In The Washington Post's 2015 ranking of America's Most Challenging High Schools, SLUH was identified as among the top three in Missouri and the top 1.5% nationwide. In the Post's 2016 ranking, SLUH was identified as among the top 1.2% nationwide. The United States Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognized SLUH as an Exemplary High Performing National Blue Ribbon School for 2015. In 2016 Niche (company) ranked SLUH as the 19th best All-Boys high school in the US.

Facilities

In the late 1990s, a large capital campaign to fund growth and expansion projects began under Fr. Paul Sheridan, S.J. Called Vision 2000 (V2K), the $32 million plan included reducing class sizes, better integrating technology into the curriculum, and increasing class options.

The early phases of the program included the addition of new teaching and counseling positions in order to reduce class size and teaching loads and to expand the curriculum. Over a period of eight years, 18 new teaching and counseling positions were added.

The physical improvements began in 2004 when the football stadium was upgraded with the installation of artificial turf to extend its usability. That same year, a new entry boulevard to the west of the campus was constructed jointly with the adjacent St. Louis Science Center. The construction continued with the addition of a 17-acre soccer–track complex and Sheridan Stadium, a new baseball field.

In 2009 SLUH completed the new Danis Field House, a free-standing field house which contains two gymnasium spaces, offices and meeting space for the athletic staff, and locker facilities.

Activities

SLUH is competitive in many academic events such as math contests, Math League, Speech Team, Mock Trial and Quizbowl (Academic Team). SLUH has placed as the top scoring high school in the Missouri chapter of Math League for five years running. The Quizbowl team of 2006-07 won the district title and second place at the state competition along with the individual second place medal.

Sports and rivalries

SLUH's athletic teams are known as the Junior Billikens, or Jr. Bills. They compete in the Metro Catholic Conference. In Missouri state competition (MSHSAA) they compete at the large school level and have won several state championships, including the following: water polo 17 times, basketball four times (1946,1952,1958, 1961), soccer three times (1972,1990,2003), tennis three times (1970,1981,2006), swimming and diving twice (1956,2003), cross country twice (1961,1999), golf once, track and field once (2006), football once (1970).

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