St. Thomas High School Archives

1900

On September 4, St. Thomas College is founded in the Old Catholic Building at Franklin and Caroline Streets with 44 students.
Rev. Nicholas Roche, C.S.B. serves as principal.

1902

While a permanent building for St. Thomas College is under construction, the school moves to the Mason Building at Main and Rusk Streets.

1904

The new school opens its doors in September; it is located at Austin and Hadley Streets until 1940.
The lot cost $13,000 and the new building was $34,311 to construct.

1906

Rev. Thomas F. Guinac, C.S.B. succeeds Rev. Roche as principal.

1907

Rev. Francis J. Powell, C.S.B. is named principal.

1910

Rev. John E. Pageau, C.S.B. becomes principal.

1911

The 4th grade is eliminated in the fall.

1914

Rev. Vincent I. Donnelly, C.S.B. becomes principal.

1916

Rev. John C. Plomer, C.S.B. becomes principal.

1917

The 5th grade is discontinued.

1919

Rev. Daniel L. Dillon, C.S.B. becomes principal.

1922

The 6th grade eliminated.
Rev. Thomas McGuire, C.S.B. replaces Rev. Dillon as principal.

1925

St. Thomas College gets electricity.

1927

Rev. T.P. O’Rourke, C.S.B. is appointed principal.
The first bazaar is held.

1928

The first school paper, The Tom-Tom Semi-Monthly, is published on February 25.

1929

In January, Fr. O’Rourke files the deed purchasing over 31 acres of land at Memorial & Shepherd Drives, an action otherwise known as “O’Rourke’s Folly,” given its great distance (at the time) from downtown.
Preparatory and commercial departments are dropped due to limited staff and facility space; St. Thomas College retained only high school or college preparatory courses.

1930

Building on the new land is postponed due to the Great Depression.

1931

Rev. John O’Loane, C.S.B. is named principal.

1932

The first Mothers Club is organized in February.

1934

Hockey added to the athletic department, under the guidance of Rev. Robert Lowrey, C.S.B.

1935

Rev. James Wilson, C.S.B. becomes baseball coach.
Soccer is established as a team sport.
The first lay teacher is hired.

1936

In the fall, the first school band is organized under Lynn "Pappy" James.

1937

Rev. A. Leland Higgins, C.S.B. becomes principal.

1938

Construction of the new football stadium on the new Memorial Drive land is completed.
The school paper stops publication because of lack of interest from the student body.

1939

The first bowling league was formed in January.

1940

Groundbreaking for the new classroom and Basilian residence buildings at Memorial & Shepherd is held on January 8; the cornerstone is laid March 24; and the doors open for class in September under the new name “St. Thomas High School.”

1943

Rev. James V. Burke, C.S.B. becomes principal.
The first issue of the new student newspaper, The Eagle, is published on September 10.

1945

The first St. Thomas High School Yearbook is published.
Rev. James W. Embser, C.S.B. is named principal.

1946

The 8th grade is discontinued in the fall.
The Booster Club is formed in December.

1948

Rev. Ernest P. Magee, C.S.B. ‘27 becomes the first school alumnus to serve as principal.
The First Mothers Club Style Show is held.
St. Thomas High School receives an airplane hangar to use as a gymnasium.

1949

The first Father-Son Banquet is held in January.
Boxing is added as a school sport.
Letterjackets are first given out to exemplary athletic academics and the Lettermans Club is founded.
Houston announces plans to extend Memorial Drive in front of the school.

1950

A school cafeteria is built.

1953

The first annual Bat n’ Ball Variety Show is put on in February, raising money for the baseball team.

1954

The city of Houston purchases the 15 acres of land closest to the bayou for the extension of Memorial Drive.

1955

Rev. William J. Duggan, C.S.B. is named principal.

1956

The statue of St. Thomas Aquinas is donated by the Mattingly family.

1958

A fiberglass Tom Eagle is built and paid for by the class of 1958 at a total cost of $125.
In the photo, he is held up by Tommy and Marty Green, both in the class of 1959.
Memorial Drive is extended and the Shepherd Drive overpass is built.

1959

A state-of-the-art, 36-booth language lab is built – the first of its kind in Houston. It was run by Rev. James Wilson, C.S.B., who taught English and Spanish at St. Thomas from 1938 to 1991, with the exception of one year, 1971-1972.
Rev. Carl M. Allnoch, C.S.B. ’27 becomes the second alumnus to serve as school principal.

1960

The school auditorium is constructed between the cafeteria and gymnasium.

1963

The priests’ residence is updated with air conditioning, a retrofitted heating system and a new intercom/phone system.

1965

Rev. Walter Scott, C.S.B. becomes principal.

1968

Rev. Donald Cooper, C.S.B. ’40 is the third alumnus to become principal.
The first female teacher, Cathy O’Dell, is hired. Property on the east side of campus is sold to pay for air conditioning the school building; the Foundation Board is established to manage said funds.

1969

The air-conditioning system is installed in the school building over summer break.
The rotunda entrance to the school is converted to administrative offices.
The gymnasium is remodeled a second time and a new track and "new" small stadium are built.
The Allnoch Award is established in honor of Rev. Carl M. Allnoch, C.S.B. ’27, who passes away in January.

1970

The school celebrates its 70th anniversary in September and is presented with a Texas State Historical Marker.

1971

The Mothers Club Style Show features designs by alumnus Victor Costa ’54 for the first time in March.

1972

An independent study program, Momentum, begins, moderated by Rev. Les Schaefer.

1974

The groundbreaking for the Learning Resource Center is held January 30.

1976

Rev. James J. Gaunt, C.S.B. becomes principal.
After two years of construction, the Learning Resource Center opens in January.
The St. Thomas High School mosaic signs now at the Memorial Drive entrances are donated by the Patronella family.
The Hall of Honor inducts its first members in February, followed by the creation of the Gallery of Founders in June.
Modular scheduling is introduced in the fall.

1977

The auditorium renamed after Rev. Carl M. Allnoch, C.S.B. ‘27 in June.
The first auction is held in conjunction with Round-Up.

1979

Portraits of the school's past principals are hung in the Learning Resource Center.

1980

A formal campus ministry department is established.

1982

The baseball field is dedicated to Fr. James Wilson, CSB, on April 18.
The 1st mother/son mass is held in December.

1984

The first 3-on-3 alumni basketball tournament is held over Christmas Break.

1985

The gymnasium is remodeled for a third time; in the meantime the groundbreaking for the Science, Health and Physical Education building is on June 4.

1986

On April 13, the dedication of Science, Health and Physical Education building is held.

1987

Toms Moms is founded in February.
Rev. Albert Gaelens, C.S.B. becomes principal.

1989

The renovated gymnasium is dedicated in the name of the Reckling family.

1991

The Alumni Association is established.

1994

Rev. Michael Cerretto, C.S.B. succeeds Rev. Gaelens as principal.

1995

Granger Stadium opens after two years of construction.

1996

The last Mothers Club Style Show featuring Victor Costa '54 is held.

1997

The first non-Basilian Co-Principals are Mike McConnell and Christine Westman.

1998

Rev. Ronald Schwenzer, C.S.B. becomes principal.

2000

St. Thomas High School celebrates its 100th birthday on September 4, 2000.
STHS joins TAPPS.

2001

The Sports Hall of Fame inducts its first members and is installed in the lobby of the Reckling Gymnasium in January.
The groundbreaking for Moran Fine Arts Center is held in September, replacing Allnoch Auditorium.

2003

The Moran Fine Arts Center is dedicated on April 24.

2004

In the fall, the rotunda reopens as the main entrance of school after a summer of restoration.

2006

The school adopts a new principal/president structure, with Rev. John Huber, C.S.B. as the 25th principal and Rev. Ronald Schwenzer, C.S.B. as the first president.