St. Mary's Episcopal School

St. Mary's Episcopal School
Address
60 Perkins Ext
Memphis, Tennessee 38117
United States
Coordinates 35°07′48″N 89°54′28″W / 35.1300°N 89.9078°W / 35.1300; -89.9078Coordinates: 35°07′48″N 89°54′28″W / 35.1300°N 89.9078°W / 35.1300; -89.9078
Information
Type Private, Day, College-prep
Religious affiliation(s) Episcopal Church
Established 1847
CEEB code 431462
Head of School Albert L. Throckmorton[1][2]
Grades PK–12
Gender Girls
Enrollment 838 (2015-16[3])
Student to teacher ratio 10:1[4]
Athletics conference TSSAA
Mascot Turkey[5]
Accreditation SACS[3]
Affiliations SAIS[3]
Website www.stmarysschool.org

St. Mary's Episcopal School is a private, independent school for girls from age 2 through 12th grade. It is the oldest private school in Memphis, Tennessee[6] and has been described as being the oldest school for girls in the mid-south region.[7]

History

St. Mary’s Episcopal School was established in 1847 by Mary Foote Pope.[8] It is the oldest private school in Memphis. The school, founded at Calvary Episcopal Church, changed locations many times, including to Hernando, Mississippi in 1862 until the end of the Civil War.

From 1910 to 1949, Helen Loomis guided St. Mary's through the Great Depression and the two world wars. From 1949 to 1958, Gilmore Lynn directed St. Mary's through a period of growth, to 400 students. In 1953, she moved St. Mary's to its current location at the intersection of Perkins and Walnut Grove in Memphis.

Nathaniel C. Hughes was headmaster of St. Mary’s from 1962 to 1973. During his tenure, St. Mary's graduated an increasingly high percentage of National Merit Scholars, incorporated as an independent Episcopal school, and became the first independent girls’ school in Memphis to integrate its student body. Mary McClintock Davis, dean of the upper school from 1964 to 1979, "stood with Nat Hughes (the headmaster) to allow persons of all colors to be admitted" to the school. This occurred at a time when many private schools were being formed to avoid the integration in the public schools.[9] St. Mary's grew rapidly during the 1970s, with the upper school increasing from 107 to 250 students during Davis’s tenure. The school continued to have a diverse student body; in 2014, minorities represent a fifth of the student body.[10][11] The school expanded physically with several large construction projects during the 2000s.[12] In 2012 it upgraded its data, network and phone telecommunications systems to permit greater use of technology.[13]

St. Mary's Episcopal School has been supported by the Bishops of the Dioceses of Tennessee and West Tennessee. The school has been associated with the Church of the Holy Communion since 1953. It has previously been associated with Calvary Episcopal Church, St. Mary's Cathedral, and Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church.[14]

Academics

St. Mary's is a college preparatory program. Girls can also participate in many extracurricular activities, including sports, mock trial, debate, theater, robotics, recycling competitions.[15] Another project by students involved recycling efforts.[16]

Administration

The head of the school is Albert Throckmorton.[1][7]

Divisions

Athletics

St. Mary's is a member school of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. Middle and Upper School students can compete in soccer, cross country, golf, volleyball, basketball, bowling, dance, swimming, fencing, lacrosse, track and field, tennis, and trap shooting.[17]

The mascot of St. Mary's is the Turkey. In the spring semester of 2013, USA Today included the St. Mary's Turkey in the Best High School Mascot Contest. Online voting led the Turkey to win first place in the state of Tennessee,[18] followed by a first-place victory in the Southeast region.[19] The regional win advanced the Turkey to the national competition, where it placed fifth.[20]

Online School for Girls

St. Mary’s is a charter member of the Online School for Girls, an electronic setting offering advanced academic instruction for girls worldwide. The mission of OSG is to "provide an exceptional all-girls educational experience by connecting girls worldwide through relevant and engaging coursework in a dynamic online learning community."[21] The Head of School at St. Mary's, Albert Throckmorton, serves as the vice-president on the OSG Board of Trustees.[22]

Notable alumnae

References

  1. 1 2 Andy Meek, Memphis Daily News, 2014, Throckmorton Named to Independent Schools Board, Accessed June 2, 2014
  2. ↑ "School Leadership: Administration". stmarysschool.org.
  3. 1 2 3 "St. Mary's Episcopal School 2015-16 Profile" (PDF). stmarysschool.org. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  4. ↑ "St. Mary's Episcopal School: Fast Facts". stmarysschool.org.
  5. ↑ "The Mighty Turkey: The story of the St. Mary's Mascot". stmarysschool.org.
  6. ↑ "St. Mary's Episcopal School". The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  7. 1 2 Meek, Andy (October 18, 2012). "Throckmorton Takes Reins at St. Mary's". Memphis Daily News. Retrieved June 2, 2014. ...oldest girls school in the Mid-South...
  8. ↑ Harkins, John E. (2008). Dr. San Antonio, TX: Historical Publishing Network. p. 181.
  9. ↑ Harkins.
  10. ↑ St. Mary's Web Site.
  11. ↑ Note: in the 2013-2014 academic year, minorities comprised 26.4 percent of the student body.
  12. ↑ Memphis Daily News, 2006, $9.5 Million in Building Permits Filed for St. Mary's School, Accessed June 2, 2014
  13. ↑ Andy Meek, Memphis Daily News, 2014, Windstream Upgrades Tech at St. Mary’s Episcopal School, Accessed June 2, 2014
  14. ↑ Davis, Mary M. (1998). A Remarkable Journey. Little Rock: August House. p. 2. ISBN 087483547X.
  15. ↑ Memphis Daily News, VOL. 121, NO. 72, March 31, 2006, St. Mary's Places High in Mock Trial Competition, Accessed June 2, 2014
  16. ↑ Memphis Daily News, VOL. 125, NO. 131, July 08, 2010, St. Mary’s Students Collect Beauty Packages, Accessed June 2, 2014
  17. ↑ "St. Mary's Athletic Teams". St. Mary's Episcopal School website.
  18. ↑ "Best Mascot in Tennessee". USA TODAY. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  19. ↑ "Best Mascot in Region 3". USA TODAY. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  20. ↑ "Best Mascot in the Final Round". USA TODAY. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  21. ↑ "Our Profile and Mission". Online School for Girls. Retrieved 2014-04-22.
  22. ↑ "Online School for Girls Board of Trustees". Online School for Girls website. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
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