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Saint Thomas Academy
Saint Thomas Academy
Address
	949 Mendota Heights Road; Mendota Heights, Minnesota 55120; United States
Coordinates	44°52′5″N 93°8′14″W / 44.86806°N 93.13722°W
Information
Type	Private military high school
Motto	Ex Umbris In Veritatem; (Out of Darkness into Truth)
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic
Patron saint(s)	Saint Thomas Aquinas
Established	September 8, 1885; 139 years ago
Founder	John Ireland
Sister school	Convent of the Visitation
Oversight	Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Headmaster	Brian Ragatz
Faculty	108
Grades	6–12
Gender	Boys
Enrollment	624 (2016)
Campus size	88 acres (360,000 m2)
Color(s)	Royal Blue and White
Fight song	"Kaydet Rouser"
Athletics conference	MSHSL Metro East; (formerly Classic Suburban);
Sports	15 sports
Team name	Cadets
Rival	Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders; Two Rivers Warriors;
Accreditation	North Central Association of Colleges and Schools,; Independent Schools Association of the Central States;
Publication	Cadence
Newspaper	Citation
Yearbook	Kaydet
Tuition	$24,200 (grades 9-12); $21,500 (grades 7-8); $18,500 (grade 6);
Website	cadets.com

Saint Thomas Academy (abbr. STA), originally known as St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary and formerly known as St. Thomas Military Academy, is the only all-male, Catholic, college-preparatory, military high school in Minnesota. It is located in Mendota Heights near Saint Paul. 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. Its sister school, Convent of the Visitation, 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.

History

Saint Thomas Academy was first founded as Saint Thomas Seminary by Archbishop John Ireland on September 8, 1885.^[6] STA became a U.S. Army school in 1905, and, in 1916, part of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC). In 1922, the Seminary's Academic Department separated into College of St. Thomas 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.^{[citation needed]}

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 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 (now Metro East). They participate in all 14 Minnesota State High School League sports as well as orienteering. Saint Thomas Academy also has various co-curricular activities such as band, a chess team, a debate team, VISTA Theater Company, a math team, Quiz Bowl, Knowledge Bowl, Table Tennis Club, Experimental Vehicle Team (2005 Dell-Winston School Solar Car Challenge Champions, 2006 Solar Bike Race champions, and two-time Shell Eco-marathon champions), Mock Trial, and rifle and drill teams. 83% of students participate in at least one sport.^[2]

State Championships
Season	Sport	Number of Championships	Year
Fall	Football	3	1969, 1971, 1975
Fall	Soccer	1	2016
Winter	Alpine skiing, Boys	7	1993, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011
Winter	Hockey, Boys	8	1926, 1951, 1955, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013
Winter	Swimming and Diving, Boys	26	1951, 1952, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Winter	Basketball, Boys	11	1923, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1960, 1967, 1970, 1998, 2007
Winter	Rifle team, Boys	5	2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Spring	Baseball, Boys	3	1952, 1960, 1969, 2019
Spring	Golf, Boys	5	1957, 1958, 1959, 1969, 2014
Spring	Tennis, Boys	4	1922, 1961, 1963, 1972
Spring	Track and field, Boys	2	1958, 1972

Notable alumni

Joseph K. Bratton '44, lieutenant general
Javiar Collins '96, football player
Christopher Cox '70, former chairman of SEC; former United States House Representative (R-CA) and Committee Chairman
Pat Eilers '85, football player
Congressman Tom Emmer '79, US representative for Minnesota's 6th congressional district
Vince Flynn '84, author
Tommy Gibbons '09,
Thomas F. Gallagher, judge^[7]
Alfred Gruenther '19, general
Fallon Kelly, judge^[8]
Angelo John Giuliani '30, baseball player
Richard E. Fleming '35, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
Leo Richard Hamilton, member of Wisconsin State Assembly
Matt Hanousek '82, football player
John Horan '51, basketball player
Edward Leo Krumpelmann, Catholic priest
Jim Lange, TV game show host
Tom Malchow '95, swimmer
Joseph T. O'Neill '49, lawyer and legislator
James O'Shaughnessy '78, financial consultant
Tim O'Shaughnessy '00, president and CEO at Graham Holdings Company
David Raih '99, football player
Isaac Rosefelt '03, basketball player
Patrick J. Ryan '19, Catholic priest
Matt Schnobrich '97, rowing athlete
Jordan Schroeder, hockey player
Ali Selim '79, director
James P. Shannon '39, bishop
Ben Tracy '94, journalist
Chris Thome '87, football player^[9]
Michael W. Wright '56, businessman

References

^ "Headmaster Welcome". Saint Thomas Academy. Retrieved November 23, 2022.^{[self-published source]}
^ ^a ^b "Athletics". Saint Thomas Academy. Retrieved November 23, 2022.^{[self-published source]}
^ NCA-CASI. "NCA-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". Archived from the original on April 29, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
^ "Membership Directory". Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS). Retrieved October 9, 2022 – via members.isacs.org.
^ "Metro East Conference". metroeastconference.org. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
^ "History". Saint Thomas Academy. Retrieved November 23, 2022.^{[self-published source]}
^ "Minnesota State Law Library: Biographies of Judges and Justices of the Minnesota Appellate Courts". 2012-02-06. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
^ "Biographies of the Justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court" Archived 2012-02-06 at the Wayback Machine. Minnesota State Library. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
^ "Chris Thome Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.

External links

Official website

Preceded by Horace Greeley High School	National Academic Quiz Tournaments \| National Academic Championship 2004 Champion	Succeeded by Holland Hall (Tulsa, Oklahoma)