Loyola College Prep

Loyola College Prep

Men and Women for Others
Address
921 Jordan Street
Shreveport, Louisiana, (Caddo Parish) 71101
United States
Coordinates 32°29′52″N 93°44′59″W / 32.49778°N 93.74972°W / 32.49778; -93.74972Coordinates: 32°29′52″N 93°44′59″W / 32.49778°N 93.74972°W / 32.49778; -93.74972
Information
Type Private
Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic
Opened 1902
Founder Rev. John Francis O'Connor, S.J.
Superintendent Sr. Carol Shively, O.S.U
President Dr. Rick Michael
Chairperson Bishop Michael Duca
Principal John LeBlanc
Head of school Phillip Rodriguez
Headteacher Mike Mawhinney
Faculty 39
Grades 9–12
Gender Coeducational
Enrollment 445
Average class size 17
Student to teacher ratio 11:1
Color(s) Navy Blue and White
Mascot Snoopy
Nickname Flyers
Team name Blue Flyers
Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools [1]
National ranking 1
Yearbook Flight
Admissions Director Mary Beth Fox
Athletic Director Alan Carter
Website www.loyolaprep.org

Loyola College Prep is a private Catholic coeducational high school in Shreveport, Louisiana operated by the Diocese of Shreveport .

History

Originally a high school for boys, St. John Berchmans College opened on November 2, 1902, by the Rev. John Francis O'Connor, S.J. (1848 - 1911), of the New Orleans Province of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). O'Connor was invited by Bishop Anthony Durier of the Diocese of Natchitoches to establish a new church and a high school for boys in Shreveport. The school was first located on the north side of the 1500 block of Texas Avenue, and moved to its present location on Jordan Street in 1938 as St. John’s High School.

St. John's was a full-time military school during the World War II years. In 1960 the school's name was changed to Jesuit High School. In 1973 the Board of Trustees hired the first lay principal, Robert Henry Ernst (1921 - 2015), who served until 1985 (12 years), which has been the longest tenure by a principal in the school's history. The Jesuits relinquished control of the school in 1982 to the Diocese of Alexandria-Shreveport, and the school took on its present name in honor of Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. Girls were admitted to Loyola for the first time in 1987. St. Vincent's Academy, a Catholic high school for girls, closed in 1988. In 2005, Loyola temporarily admitted nearly 200 displaced students from several Catholic high schools damaged by Hurricane Katrina in south Louisiana.

The current faculty member with the longest service is Mike Mawhinney, who has taught at the school since 1976. However, Gerald W. Johnson has had the longest tenure in the school's history with a notable 46 years of service before his retirement in 2009. Johnson also served as Prefect of Discipline, assistant principal and as principal from 1986 to 1989. The previous record of 45 years of teaching was held by Frank J. Cicero, who retired in 1995. Cicero also coached football for 16 years and baseball for 27 years. The current Flyer baseball field is named Frank Cicero Field in his honor.

Facilities

The major structures on the Jordan Street campus are a three level classroom building constructed in two phases - the first (western) half of the high school, including a cafeteria, was completed in 1938, and the second (eastern) half was completed in 1949 ; a four level classroom building that opened in 1929 as a residence hall for Jesuit priests; a gymnasium (built in 1952 and extensively renovated in 2011, it is the oldest school gymnasium in the city) including boys' dressing rooms; a girls' dressing room building (1987); and the single story Anderson building used for various administrative offices.

The 24-acre (97,000 m2) Loyola Athletic Complex opened in 2002. It is located on Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway and includes Messmer Stadium (football, soccer and lacrosse), Cicero Field (baseball), St. Vincent’s Field (softball) and the Flyer Field House.

Academics

Loyola announced in 2008 that eight juniors were named as National Merit Scholars, the highest number in the school's history. Ten students won awards (including three first-place awards) at the 2008 Louisiana State Rally held April 19 at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

Loyola won the Sweepstakes Award for Division III schools participating in the 2007 Northwest Louisiana High School Literary Rally, held at Northwestern State University on March 32. Eleven students won awards (including two first-place awards) at the Louisiana State Rally held April 21 at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

Loyola was named on the Acton Institute's first Catholic High School Honor Roll (2004). Membership is limited to the top 50 Catholic schools in the United States. This honor roll recognizes those schools that best maintain high academic standards, uphold their Catholic identities, and prepare students to actively engage the world.

Loyola graduation requirements include the completion of 100 hours of community service with an approved non-profit organization or project dedicated to helping individuals with special needs.

Regular student print publications are the newspaper, The Flyer, and the annual yearbook, Flight. The communications office produces the electronic E-Flyer and ParentFlyer.

Sports

The school has won state championships in the LHSAA in football, boys soccer, baseball, golf, girls basketball, cross country and tennis. In 2010-11, Loyola won the state championship in girls cross country. In 2011-12, Loyola won state championships in girls basketball, golf and tennis. Loyola has also won state titles in two club sports—lacrosse and inline hockey. Athletic teams are known as the Flyers and the mascot is Snoopy from the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. Loyola received permission in 1966 by Schulz to use Snoopy as its mascot and remains the only school so honored.

Notable alumni

Tony Sardisco 1952 Professional Football Player - San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, Boston Patriots x
Max Messmer 1963 CEO- Robert Half International x
H. Alston Johnson III 1963 Former federal judicial nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit x
Jim Wells 1978 University of Alabama head baseball coach x
Billy Thomas 1994 Professional Basketball Player - New Jersey Nets
Jon Alston 2001 Professional Football Player - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Art Carmody 2003 College Football Player - Louisville Cardinals. 2006 Lou Groza Award Winner

Historic seals

The two wolves and cauldron in the first two seals are from St. Ignatius Loyola's family crest and symbolizes generosity, having enough to give to the wolves. The pelican feeding its young with her own blood is an ancient symbol of Christianity (Christ feeding the Church with his body and blood through the Eucharist).[2]

Notes and references

  1. ↑ SACS-CASI. "SACS-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". Archived from the original on April 16, 2010. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  2. ↑ Loyola University New Orleans
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