“Your memory, Mrs. Backer, will live in the beautiful school your generosity has made possible, but it will also be treasured in a nobler shrine — in the hearts of ‘Your Boys’ of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.”
TRIBUTE FROM THE SLUH CLASS OF 1936
We proudly dedicate this SLUH Magazine issue to Anna Backer, whose generosity brought forth our current campus, known as Backer Memorial, and the formation of generations of Men for Others.
ANNA BACKER
GEORGE BACKER
ENDURING LEGACY, MIRACULOUS REALITY
Dear SLUH Community,
Before I arrived at St. Louis U. High in 2018, I was confronted – often in Jesuit education circles – by the question, “What makes SLUH so special?” Since I have been at SLUH for seven years and am now the proud parent of a Jr. Bill alumnus (Archie ’24), I still deal with the same question. It comes from prospective families, fellow administrators locally and at Jesuit schools across North America, and many places in between.
My answer has never felt entirely complete. It’s like trying to answer, “How does the human body work?”
My response so often comprises a series of lists or facts, yet the true meaning and understanding doesn’t seem to come across in these expressions.
SLUH and the foundational institutions that are part of its origin story date back to 1818. That in itself is a remarkable reality considering the Church and numerous Catholic nations and empires sought to fully suppress the Jesuits right up to the Council of Vienna in 1814. It took nothing short of a small miracle in 1818 to conceive of the establishment of St. Louis Academy, a Latin school for boys in a onestory home on the muddy banks of the Mississippi River. The Jesuits assumed management of the school in 1824, when the renowned infrastructure and operations of the Society of Jesus were just beginning a substantial rebuilding process.
One century later, our current SLUH campus, known as Backer Memorial, was built on a “spirit of generosity” by Anna Backer. Her generosity – literally and figuratively – laid the cornerstone for our school. Anna’s belief in the Jesuit formation of “her boys” was inspired by her own strong faith and the love of her dearly departed husband George, an 1869
graduate of the school. This origin story is engrained in the SLUH DNA. Origin stories, as historians know, help to create important values and social norms.
Although the “small miracle” of our founding and the “spirit of generosity” that built our current campus provide some context, the question remains: “What makes SLUH so special?” Like a tapestry, our school history is composed of individual threads, which when considered as a whole, create a vivid formational story and a strong legacy of worldly impact. Every student’s experience and each teacher’s influence – including innumerable acts of generosity and moments of mentoring, coaching, learning, failure and triumph – coalesce in a legacy of love, faith and the pursuit of excellence For the Greater Glory of God.
In the following pages, we proudly highlight some of the people who have made, and continue to make, SLUH what it is today. Like them, you are part of our school tapestry with the personal thread you represent, contributing to our legacy today and well into the future.
AMDG,
Alan Carruthers President
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
On January 14, 2025, Alan Carruthers announced he will complete his term as SLUH president at the end of the 2025-26 school year. Read his official announcement and a letter from Darryl Jones ’73, chairman of the board of trustees, at sluh.org/president
ABOUT
SLUH Magazine is a publication for alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, benefactors and friends of St. Louis University High School. If you do not receive correspondence from SLUH but wish to, please send a note to alumni@sluh.org with your name, email and mailing address.
CONTACT
SLUH Magazine
St. Louis University High School 4970 Oakland Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110 magazine@sluh.org
EDITOR
Ben DuMont '92 Director of Communications
DESIGN
Stephanie Howe Klink Creative
SUBMISSIONS
Story ideas and submissions are welcome. Send a note to magazine@sluh.org.
IN GRATITUDE
We thank Jr. Bills in the photography club for their dedication and commitment to capturing life at SLUH and contributing to this publication – and to Prep News, Sisyphus, Gadfly and On Oakland TV for enriching the SLUH experience through their coverage, perspectives and creativity.
ON THE COVER: Luis Llanos ’10, a native of Colombia who currently serves as a senior manager at Cisco, has been recognized as a SLUH Alumni Trailblazer. Learn about his inspiring story, Proudly Latino: Luis Llanos '10 Blazes Trails on Path to Self Discovery and Professional Impact , on page 48.
Home(s) in Kings Oak Reconciling the Competing Interests of School and Neighbors
The Jewel of Oakland Avenue SLUH Continues to Serve as a Steadfast Anchor in the Heart of St. Louis
Arching into the Future A Backer Memorial Centennial Reflection
Louis U. High:
SLUH TODAY
AROUND THE HALLS
PLATINUM HONOR
The College Board Advanced Placement Program named SLUH to the 2024 AP School Honor Roll, earning PLATINUM distinction, its second award since the program launched in 2023. The AP School Honor Roll recognizes commitment to academic excellence and emphasis on college readiness in the areas of college culture, college credit and college optimization.
CRUZBILLS GONE VIRAL
The SLUH football team, led by coach Adam Cruz ’10, garnered national exposure on NBC Nightly News for supporting the sister of teammate Pat Laffey '26, Nora, who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain cancer last spring.
A social media video featuring SLUH football quarterback Kyren Eleby ’26 racked up more than two million views. Although he is built more like a lineman, at 6-foot-2 and 285 pounds, he is very good and extremely difficult to tackle.
FOR THE COMMON GOOD
A group of Jr. Bills and teachers traveled to Washington, D.C. for the Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice, the largest Catholic justice gathering in the country. There they met with political leaders, participated in breakout sessions and advocated for policies that reflect Catholic principles.
ACADEMIC MERIT
Congratulations to nine seniors who were named National Merit Semifinalists. Pictured with SLUH Principal Fr. Matt Stewart, SJ ’98 (middle), they include (from left): Izu Obialo, Luca Rogan, Charles Doherty, Andrew Moritz, Jacob Grijalva, Jack Kelly, Andrew Hunt, Nate Piney and Henry Benson.
YOUTH & GOVERNMENT
SLUH students learned what it’s like to be a legislator, judge and reporter at the Missouri Youth & Government Conference in Jefferson City. The program was led by Jr. Bills Isaac Basi ’25 (Speaker of the House) and Stephen Niklawski ’25 (Lt. Gov.).
SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Several Jr. Bills took a new summer course called Ignatian Leadership in Integral Ecology (ILIE) to explore sustainable initiatives at SLUH. One of the class highlights featured a strategic task force meeting that focused on the first sustainable strategic plan at the school.
MELLIFLUOUS EXCELLENCE
Six Jr. Bills performed exceptionally well at All-State Band & Orchestra: Edmund Reske ’27 (1st place, trombone), Evan Mullins ’25 (4th place, jazz alto saxophone), Gabe Altier ’27 (4th place, jazz drum set), Klaus Jostlein ’26 (7th place, violin), Maceo Malkus ’28 (Top 6, jazz guitar) and John Comerford ’27 (honorable mention, flute).
HISTORIC GENEROSITY
During their 50th Reunion, the Class of 1974 presented SLUH President Alan Carruthers with a check for more than $472,000, supporting their efforts to fully endow their class scholarship with more than $500,000 – a record sum for a 50th reunion year contribution.
ENCORE ENCORE ENCORE
The Dauphin Players dazzled audiences with four stunning theatrical performances of Fiddler on the Roof November 14-17, 2024. Led by director and longtime Fine Arts faculty member Kathy Whitaker, it earned high praise in every area, from acting and choreography, to set design and music. What does it take for a high school to put on a professional-grade performance? Take a behind-thescenes peek in a recent episode from On Oakland TV.
SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS
BY CHRIS MUSKOPF ‘91 Athletic Director
The following updates are as of January 24, 2025. Please check @SLUHAthletics on X and sluh.org/athletics for current news, scores and updates.
MCC ALL-SPORTS TROPHY
FALL SPORTS CROSS COUNTRY
After landing at the top of the Metro Catholic Conference all-sports rankings for the previous three years, the Jr. Bills sit atop the AllSports Trophy standings at the conclusion of the MCC fall sports regular season and two of the three winter sports regular seasons.
Claimed its 21st consecutive MCC Championship, with Jackson Miller ’27 finishing as the individual champion (the first time a sophomore has ever won the MCC varsity race).
Qualified as a team for the MSHSAA Cross Country Championships for the 32nd consecutive season
Landed in 2nd place as a team at the MSHSAA Class 5 Championships, claiming the top finish for a St. Louis school for the 7th consecutive Championships.
The 84 team points at the MSHSAA Championships was the 2nd-best total at that event in program history.
All-State runners were Miller (7th place, All-State) Alex Bendaña ‘25 (9th Place, All-State) and Gus Talleur ‘25 (14th place, All-State).
Miller's time of 15:16.1 at the MSHSAA Championships set the school record in a 5K race, eclipsing the record Jackson established at the 2023 MSHSAA Championships.
ESPORTS
Three members of the varsity Super Smash Brothers Ultimate (SSBU) squad – Colton Re ’27, Ben Schneider ‘26 and Gideon Taylor ‘26 – advanced to the final eight of regional playoffs in the recent MOSEF solo SSBU competition.
Taylor advanced to the semifinals of the MOSEF solo SSBU state championships and finished in 3rd place.
The Varsity Blue Rocket League 2v2 team of Andrew Vehige ‘26 and Thomas Skouby ‘25 placed second in the High School eSports League (HSEL) Regional Finals.
Vehige and Skouby were joined by Luca Rogan ‘25 in the 3x3 HSEL Rocket League postseason and journeyed to the Central Region semifinal round.
FOOTBALL
Seven wins tied the program mark for the most wins in a season since 2015.
Junior running back Jordan Taylor eclipsed the 1,000yard mark, becoming the first Jr. Bill running back to do so since Derrick Baker in 2021.
Wins over Hazelwood Central and Ritenour in the postseason equal the most number of postseason wins for the program since the 2011 postseason.
In overcoming a 27-7 deficit in the 2nd quarter to defeat Ritenour, 43-40, in the district semifinal contest, the 2024 varsity football team established the program’s mark for the largest deficit overcome to win a contest.
Competed in the District Championship contest for the third time in the last four seasons (equivalent to a Class 6 quarterfinal contest in 2022 and a Class 6 round of 16 contest in 2024 and 2025).
Back-to-back district final appearances in 2023 and 2024 mark the first time since the current postseason format began in 2012 that the Jr. Bills have competed in consecutive district finals.
SOCCER
Claimed the top spot in the Jr. Billiken Classic.
Rallied from a 2-goal deficit with 9 minutes remaining in the game to tie the District Championship contest versus John Burroughs (Will Journagan ‘28 and James Barry ‘26) and win in penalty kicks.
The District Championship is the program’s first since 2016.
Overcame a 1-goal deficit midway through the 2nd half to score two goals in regulation (Gabe Khazen ‘27 and Javi Vigil ‘27) and defeat Liberty (Wentzville) in the MSHSAA Class 4 quarterfinal round contest.
The victory in the quarterfinal earned the first program berth in the MSHSAA Boys Soccer Final Four since 2013.
Scored a first half goal against Liberty North (Henry Sanders ‘26) and held on for a 1-0 victory in the MSHSAA Class 4 semifinal to earn the first program appearance in a MSHSAA Championship contest since 2009.
Defeated De Smet Jesuit in penalty kicks in the MSHSAA Class 4 Championship to earn the first program state title since 2003 and the fourth MSHSAA Championship in school history.
SWIMMING & DIVING
Coach Ehret was recognized in October as the 2023 Missouri Boys Swimming Coach of the Year.
Earned an undefeated record in 2024 in dual and tri-meets
Won the program’s 14th consecutive MCC Championship.
Claimed the 5th MSHSAA State Championship in program history and 3rd in Coach Lindsey Ehret’s tenure
Swimmers garnered All-State honors by finishing in the top eight in each of the three relays and seven individual events at the MSHSAA Championships
Claimed event state championships in the 200 Medley Relay – the firstever in this event in program history (Ben Chumley, Nick Zimmerman, Andrew Hopkins, Evan Zimmerman), the 200 Freestyle (Connor Dunker), and the 400 Freestyle Relay (Connor Dunker, Jaden Yarbrough, Andrew Hopkins, Charlie Hill).
The time of 1:32.18 for the 200 Medley Relay team in the MSHSAA Class 2 championship heat set a new overall MSHSAA record.
The time of 1:39.45 for Connor Dunker in the MSHSAA Class 2 championship heat of the 200 freestyle established a new school record.
The time of 4:33.66 for Connor Dunker in his MSHSAA Class 2 prelim heat of the 500 freestyle set a new school record.
BASKETBALL
The varsity BasketBills claimed 3rd place in the Lutheran St. Charles tournament, recording an opening round win over Whitfield and a victory over Ft. Zumwalt West in the 3rd place contest; Junior Keenan Harris and senior Dylan Humphrey were named to the All-Tournament team.
The Jr. Bills continue to be a tough road team, as evidenced by a 62-61 loss in three overtimes at CBC on Friday, January 17.
This year’s varsity team has also demonstrated the grit and tenacity to overcome adversity, which was demonstrated on MLK Day as they overcame a 14-point deficit in the 2nd quarter to defeat Hazelwood Central, 55-52.
SLUH will serve as the host for the MSHSAA Class 6, District 1 boys tournament with contests in the Danis Field House on Wednesday, March 5, and Friday, March 7, and Monday, March 10.
BOWLING
Through 14 weeks of the regular season, the Jr. Bills bowling team sits in 2nd place in the Central Division of the Missouri High School Bowling League, with a composite record of 102-38.
Juniors Nick Detweiler and Brian Loretta sit in the league’s top 10 in the category of average score with respective 178 and 180 weekly averages.
Loretta – courtesy of the league’s only perfect score of 300 in the third game on November 17, including an unreal 18 consecutive strikes in the second and third games – has registered the second best scratch series (726) in the Central Division this season.
ICE HOCKEY
The Jr. Bills finished the regular season with a 10-6-4 record and 24 points in the Mid States Municipal Division.
Within the MCC Conference, the varsity ice hockey team landed in 3rd place with a 5-4-3 record.
From December 20 through January 24, the Jr. Bills earned a win or a tie in five of six contests against MCC foes.
The Jr. Bills offense was led by seniors Kai Duncan (13 goals, 5 assists) and Gavin Simon (4 goals, 16 assists).
Netminders senior Andrew Bely (1.55 goals against average, 94.4 save percentage) and junior Brian Cooke (2.38 goals against average, 92.5 save percentage) spearheaded the stingy Jr. Bill defense, which allowed just 38 goals in their 20 regular season contests.
RACQUETBALL
Through seven regular season contests, the varsity racquetball team sits in the midst of a four team battle for second place.
At the Missouri High School Racquetball Association (MOHSRA) Doubles Tournament in January, the team of Max Kalish ‘26 and Marshall Prost ‘25 captured third place in the Boys #1 Doubles bracket.
At the MOHSRA Winter Rollout in December, three Jr. Bills earned runner-up status in their respective brackets: Patrick Blase ‘26 (#3 singles), Marshall Prost ‘25 (#4 singles) and Layton Pfeuffer ‘27 (#5 singles).
RIFLE
Claimed two of the top three team positions and three of the top eight at the Ozark Tiger Rifle Classic
• Precision Blue (1st place, 2326): Colin Dickinson (‘26, 579), Jacob Litzler (‘25, 582), Liam Miller (‘25, 586), and Nathaniel Shaw (‘26, 579)
• Precision White (3rd place, 2261): Clayton Garozzo (‘26, 577), Griffin Grabowski (‘26, 558), Colton Re (‘27, 571), and Andrew Roth (‘26, 555)
• Precision Silver (8th place, 2104): Nathaniel Kleiner (‘27, 475), Mac O’Connell (‘27, 555), Luke Payton (‘27, 555) and Jack Stubblefield (‘25, 519)
Claimed five of the top six individual spots in the Ozark Tiger Rifle Classic: Miller (1st), Litzler (3rd), Dickinson (4th), Shaw (5th) and Garozzo (6th)
The Precision Blue team score of 2326 is the 3rd highest team score in the history of the SLUH rifle program!
Liam Miller’s total of 586 ties his career best and Jacob Litzler’s total of 582 sets a new career best for him.
WRESTLING
Of the nine wrestlers who competed in the Eric Lewis Invitational at MICDS, five earned medals: Ben Hejlek (‘27, 2nd place), Tommy Onder (‘26, 3rd place), Mike Williams (‘26, 4th place), Albert Reinberg (‘26, 4th place) and Jackson Moeser (‘27, 6th place).
The freshmen from the wrestling program competed at the Matzker Tournament at O’Fallon Township HS and landed in 3rd place as a team behind Edwardsville and Lafayette.
At the MCC Wrestling Championships, the Jr. Bills earned 3rd place in the varsity team competition.
The program had three weight class winners at the varsity level at the MCC Championships: Onder (138 lbs), Williams (175 lbs) and Reinberg (285 lbs).
The WrestleBills have earned impressive victories in several dual events this season, notably a comeback win over Parkway South – the team victory was earned by individual victories in the last three matches –and the first dual win in over a decade over Pattonville.
Leading by Example
Varsity Soccer and Swim & Dive Coaches Show What It Takes to Earn
State Titles
What was your biggest team challenge this season, and how did you overcome it?
Ehret: In contrast to the 2023 season – when our home pool at the St. Louis Community College (STLCC) at Forest Park was undergoing renovations – this season went much more smoothly. I credit our positive relationship with the administration at STLCC and the efforts of our president, Alan Carruthers, in improving the pool.
Our main challenge this season was illness. We had a pneumonia epidemic hit the team about mid-way through the season. Disruptions to training for an aerobic sport are always hard to navigate, but thankfully everyone recovered in time for the state meet.
O’Connell: This year we began with a lot of unknowns,
graduating a number of key players. It took time to figure out our shape, the players and their roles. All season we consistently worked on the pieces we needed to be successful and win games. We worked hard on finishing and creating scoring opportunities. We improved as the season went on, and thankfully everything came together at the championship game.
Aside from the state championship, what was your favorite moment this season? Ehret: I enjoyed our team participating in the Swim Across America fundraiser, a 2-mile open water swim at Innsbrook that supports the Siteman Cancer Center. We do this every summer and it’s fun to get out of the pool and use our talents to help others.
Another highlight was competing in the mid-season meet at the
University of Missouri-Columbia (COMO). The event is like a state meet and includes teams from both classes in the state. Plus, the pool is fast and I always get to say Michael Phelps swam in this water! Winning the COMO Invitational this year gave our athletes confidence in what they could do at the end of the season.
O’Connell: Beating John Burroughs to win the district championship was very special. We had lost our previous three seasons in this particular match – twice to John Burroughs. We were down 2-0 with less than 10 minutes left. Our players executed two corner kicks, the last one with only one minute to go to send the game to overtime. Ultimately, we prevailed in penalty kicks. The rain, the atmosphere and the emotion will be with me forever.
What is your coaching philosophy or the secret to your success?
Ehret: Our program emphasizes grit and brotherhood. Swimming can be a monotonous sport when it comes to practices. Being able to accept and embrace the fact that practice will be tough helps our guys achieve optimal performance throughout the season. We've had a quote on the board at the pool about grit since I started. Swimming is also a very individual sport, yet we emphasize how individual performances and actions contribute to team successes. I still use a mission statement written by my first set of captains from 2015 that reinforces this culture of team and brotherhood every season.
O’Connell: I have a quote in my classroom from legendary basketball coach Pat Summitt that reads, “Winning is fun... Sure. But winning is not the point. Wanting to win is the point. Not giving up is the point. Never letting up is the point. Never being satisfied with what you have done is the point.”
Culturally this is a big part of how I think about anything,
and it carries over to our soccer players. We are about execution. We are about improvement. We absolutely want to get better everyday and at the end of the season we want to be the best possible version of ourselves.
What do you enjoy most about coaching?
Ehret: It’s very rewarding to witness our athletes pass on the team culture – as a brotherhood and a family – each year; to see the boys high-five encouragement to one another during a hard set, or make each other laugh with their whale breaches during water aerobics; to see a freshman start out as the slowest on the varsity team and then become a Division 1 recruit; and to see the culmination of hard work, teamwork and love that results in the success we had this year, while also helping athletes deal with tough losses that can happen.
O’Connell: Our Jr. Bills are extremely coachable. They care so much for one another. They want to improve and they do. They have so much fight and are very resilient. Each team is always a special group of young men.
Lindsey Ehret, a member of the SLUH social studies faculty, began coaching the Jr. Bills swim & dive team in 2015. Since then, she has led the program to three state titles (2018, 2019 and 2024). In addition, she was honored as the MSHSAA Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2023, as well as the MISCA (Missouri Interscholastic Coaches Association) Coach of the Year in 2017. Prior to SLUH, she earned teaching and coaching experience in Nanjing, China, and locally at Parkway North and Fort Zumwalt West. As a student at Truman State, she was a four year women's swim team member.
Bob O’Connell has served on the SLUH social studies faculty since 2003. A graduate of De Smet Jesuit, O’Connell played on the Spartans state championship team in 1997 before his college career at Saint Louis University from 1998-2001. Prior to becoming the SLUH varsity head soccer coach in 2018, he served as coach for 10 years on the SLUH B-team, three years at Kennedy High School (three-time conference champions, and two-time AAA Coach of the Year) and one year at Parkway North.
Photo by Jack Auer '26.
SLUH
Celebrates 100 Years on Oakland with Community-wide Festival
SLUH commemorated 100 years on its Oakland Avenue campus with a family-friendly centennial celebration on Saturday, September 28, 2024. The event featured a Mass of Thanksgiving, followed by a festival with a variety of fun activities, a “Taste of SLUH” with food for purchase from restaurants owned by alumni and SLUH families, as well as live music from the Mighty Pines, historical campus tours, and much more.
The centennial weekend also featured alumni reunions and the annual Admissions Open House. Although Open House is typically held in early November, the event provided prospective families the opportunity to not only explore SLUH, but also to participate in the festival and celebrate the longstanding school legacy.
“We
celebrated our Backer Memorial Centennial with a spirit of tremendous gratitude. We are grateful to Anna Backer, our campus foundress, and all of our benefactors and community partners who support our Jesuit school mission of promoting the common good. We remain committed to our location in the city of St. Louis as we approach our next 100 years from a position of strength and vitality.”
– SLUH PRESIDENT ALAN CARRUTHERS
CONRADS ’65 MAKES $10 MILLION GIFT TO ADVANCE STEM PROGRAMMING
SLUH made a surprise announcement at the Backer Memorial Centennial celebration. Immediately following Mass, SLUH President Alan Carruthers introduced special guests Bob Conrads ’65 and his wife Sherry. Mr. Conrads revealed the couple’s commitment to strengthen the school program in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with a historic gift of $10 million. Their transformational gift represents the largest donation to a specific program in the school history and will further distinguish a STEM program previously recognized in the top 500 nationally.
Following SLUH, Conrads earned a B.S. and M.S. in Atomic Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as an MBA from Harvard
University. Throughout his career, he has held leadership positions in multiple industries at several different businesses, including: Co-Founder and CEO/ CIO of Colchis Capital; Senior Partner at McKinsey & Co. as part of their global strategy consulting group; Managing Director and Global Head of Technology, non-Japan Asia and Israel Investment Banking with Credit Suisse First Boston; CEO of Indigo America; CFO of Indigo NV; and founder and Chairman of Marlette Funding.
Conrads, a member of the SLUH Endowment Investment Committee, has served as an active business and financial advisor on boards of private and public companies throughout the world. Read the Prep News story.
From left: Vice PresidentAdvancement Sean Agniel ’96, Principal Fr. Matt Stewart, SJ ’98, Sherry Conrads, Bob Conrads ’65 and Alan Carruthers.
OUR CULTURE
In the following section, we proudly celebrate some of the Jesuits, teachers, coaches and administrators who have enriched the school culture and furthered the Jesuit mission on Oakland Avenue in key student life areas. The individuals featured are intended to be a representative portrayal – not a comprehensive list – of the many Backer Memorial legends. With gratitude, we thank everybody who has served – and continues to serve – SLUH to make it what it is: a spirited, faith-filled, welcoming community bonded by Ignatian values and the pursuit of excellence For the Greater Glory of God.
INTELLECTUAL GROWTH & DISCOVERY
Generations of alumni credit SLUH for teaching them how to think critically. Today the school continues a strong legacy of academic rigor and growth, forming the next generation of Men for Others.
Did you know?
More than 95% of SLUH faculty have advanced degrees
SLUH offers Advanced Placement courses in 21 different disciplines, as well as 32 classes that qualify for 1818 credit with Saint Louis University
In 2024, SLUH had 100 AP Scholars, 68 AP Scholars with Honors and 84 APScholars with Distinction
Jr. Bills take Theology all four years
The new Conrads Scholars Program provides students the opportunity to learn and thrive in one of four distinct tracks: Engineering Innovation, Data Science and the AI Revolution, Computer Science Frontiers, and Environmental Science with Microelectronics
LEGENDARY LEGACY
CARL MILLER Miller was a popular chemistry teacher who was hired two months after SLUH opened in 1924. He helped to set up the school chemistry lab and founded the Science Club, which became a popular and active student organization. Miller had taught more than 4,000 students by 1950, when the Prep News noted, “with each passing year, the familiar figure of the ever-smiling Mr. Miller has become even more loved and respected by his fellow associates and students.” He served as the science department chair and taught at SLUH until 1966.
FR. GERALD SHEAHAN, SJ As principal from 1955-67, Sheahan led SLUH during the crucial era when the school transitioned from a Jesuit-dominated faculty to one of primarily lay teachers. Furthermore, instead of expanding the student body of SLUH (his fear was that it would lose its academic reputability), he favored the building of a new Jesuit school in St. Louis: De Smet. Of Sheahan, Fr. Ralph Houlihan, SJ ’52 said, “He’s absolutely the architect of our school as we know it today.”
FR. PHIL KELLETT, SJ
With a pointer stick in one hand and a cigarette in the other, Fr. Kellett, in the words of French teacher Richard Keefe, “gave everything he had to SLUH.” Aside from directing the athletic program, Kellett also taught Latin where he famously kept students’ attention with his pointer stick, which he often broke on desks, chalkboards and elsewhere. His generous spirit lives on with the free, on-campus clothing store, Fr. Kellett’s Closet.
FR. WILLIAM BRENNAN, SJ Fr. Brennan created the middle school educational outreach program Upward Bound, which still thrives today. From a Prep News article in 1971: “Last summer, a special five week tutoring program for eighth grade boys from low-income families was sponsored by St. Louis U. High… There were three basic goals set up for the program. The first goal was to teach the kids English, Math, Reading, and Writing; secondly, to develop good study habits in the students, and finally to develop a good human community among the participants.”
CHARLIE CONWAY ’41
Within a 46-year career at SLUH, Conway headed both the math and science departments, taught Theology and was assistant principal for student welfare and discipline.
“He represented the best of what SLUH has to offer in terms of academic accomplishments, teaching and a commitment to spirituality,” former student and colleague Steve Aylward ’64 said.
DR. JAMES ROBINSON ’32
A longtime dedicated teacher of social studies, Robinson is also responsible for bringing the 1818 college credit program to SLUH. In 1981, Robinson won the Illinois lottery for $124,019 and donated the majority of it to SLUH, which used it to establish five student scholarships. In May 1971, construction began on the school library, eventually named in his honor.
RICHARD KEEFE Over a 43-year career at SLUH, the multi-hyphenate Keefe embodied the very Ignatian principle of cura personalis, or care for the individual. In addition to teaching French, he also coached soccer, moderated the yearbook, and held the important positions of dean of students and assistant principal for academics, where his office became a sanctuary for students in need of a friendly ear or moral support.
MARY LEE “MAGISTRA” McCONAGHY
A legendary presence on the SLUH faculty, McConaghy taught Latin to freshmen and juniors for 30 years. In 1991, she brought Classical Greek back to the curriculum. Her strong legacy continues today with the McConaghy Award, which is given annually to a senior who displays the “invaluable qualities of integrity, dedication and enthusiasm.”
TOM
BECVAR
Becvar is among many iconic SLUH faculty who made their mark in the latter half of Backer Memorial history. Hired as a math teacher in 1973, he served at the school until 2021. Prior to becoming the assistant principal for academics for the last 16 years of his career, he was the math department chair for 23 years. Understated yet always upbeat, Becvar will long be known for establishing a strong rapport with his students.
EILENE MARTINI
Martini holds the trailblazing honor of being the first female lay faculty member at SLUH. Fr. Bailey hired her in 1968 to teach French.
CentennialBills
PAUL RAU 1925
At just 15 years old, Rau was the youngest member of his class at SLUH. He gained local attention in 1921 when he became the youngest-ever graduate of Adams Public School in St. Louis. At SLUH, he was a member of the orchestra and Acolythical Society. His senior year quote: “Duty first and last – duty always.” Rau was killed in action on April 20, 1944 when the ship he was serving on, the USS Paul Hamilton, was torpedoed.
MAKING MAKERS
Listen to a SLUH Insignis podcast episode that explores the innovative ways students, teachers and alumni are “making” things in the classroom and beyond.
HENRY BIRKMEIER 2025
Henry has been actively involved in a variety of clubs, serving as a senior leader in SLUH Sports Network, Russian Club, Missouri Youth and Government (MOYAG) and Mock Trial, while also serving as both an Innovation Lab Ambassador and a President’s Ambassador. His favorite class at SLUH was Oral Interpretation with Mrs. Whitaker, and the teacher who had the greatest impact over him is Mr. See, whose humility and guidance has been continually formative. After graduation, he plans to study international relations with a minor in Russian and to pursue his passion for travel and global service by joining the Peace Corps.
“I have found a true sense of belonging in the Costigan Innovation Lab, the heart of the SLUH STEM program. This space encourages creativity and empowers students like me to transform ideas into ambitious projects using the best tools and technology, all under the expert guidance of our STEM faculty. Our outstanding STEM teachers challenge students to think critically and creatively, solve complex problems, and step outside our comfort zones, ultimately preparing us for success in college and our future careers.”
Above: St. Louis PostDispatch, June 15, 1921
FAITH & SERVICE
Jr. Bills have long been united by the Jesuit school mission to pursue excellence and further the common good Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam – For the Greater Glory of God – through a comprehensive program of liturgy, prayer, retreats and service.
Did you know?
All SLUH seniors perform 120 hours of community service each January for Senior Project.
SLUH is a top feeder school for the Jesuits USA Central & Southern Province, as well as Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis.
All Jr. Bills participate in Freshman Service, Sophomore Service and Senior Project, and they have the opportunity to partake in the
Community Service Program as well as service immersion trips.
Students attend at least four retreats during their four years at SLUH.
During their four years at SLUH, each Jr. Bill attends 16 class Masses and 22 all-school Masses; in addition, daily morning Mass is offered for those who wish to attend.
LEGENDARY LEGACY
BRO. THOMAS THORNTON, SJ The longestserving Jesuit in SLUH history, Bro. Thornton spent nearly his entire career as a Jesuit at the school. He was sacristan for the Jesuit community, maintaining the items needed for the celebration of Masses at SLUH. Perhaps best known for managing the SLUH bookstore in the rec room for many years, Bro. Thornton gave away books to students who lacked the money to buy them. Infamously, the bookstore typically lost money under his watch.
CLASS OF '71
The tradition of Senior Project, the program in which all SLUH seniors immerse themselves in service to the marginalized every January, began with an idea proposed by the Class of ’70. By January 1971, according to the Prep News, the project had solidified itself: “The proposal for this year’s project was more limited in scope. It restricted projects to those of social nature, and had three main objectives: to implement the Christian ideals taught at St. Louis U. High, to break up the closed self-centered atmosphere at SLUH to some degree, and to enable students to become aware of different social strata.”
Above: Jack Enright ’71
FR. RALPH HOULIHAN, SJ ’52 Perhaps no other Jesuit in the modern era is more synonymous with SLUH than Fr. Houlihan. His remarkable career includes extensive service at SLUH (Latin and Theology teacher, principal, and assistant to the president for mission) as well as De Smet Jesuit (Theology teacher and principal) and Regis Jesuit in Denver (president). Known for his calm yet effective demeanor in leadership and proclivity for sports and storytelling, “Houli” established a strong legacy in the promotion of vocations – both religious and married life, as well as his mentoring of many younger Jesuits.
pictured with children in Honduras during the first year for Senior Project at SLUH.
CLASS OF '96 In October 1995, seniors from the Class of ’96 successfully launched the first Kairos Retreat at SLUH. Since then, this retreat has grown in popularity and continues to be available to upperclassmen. Brian Gilmore ’02, SLUH director of campus ministry, offers this description: “Each retreat is numbered, as each iteration can safely claim to have a life of its own. Such a life is animated by the beautifully vulnerable and courageous talks that students and adults present, honest small groups led by well-trained student leaders who first attended the retreat as a retreatant, and the lowering of masks and pretension that can periodically mark the way of proceeding for adolescents in a competitive college-preparatory school.”
DAVID LAUGHLIN Described by some as being “as Jesuit as any Jesuit,” Laughlin served as the first lay president at SLUH from 2005-18. He is known for strengthening the Jesuit charism at the school and emphasizing the Ignatian ideal of cura personalis, or care for the individual. Under his leadership, SLUH bolstered the service and retreat programs while instituting the daily examen of consciousness, among many other achievements.
SJ @ SLUH
Check out a worthy bicentennial school tribute to our Jesuit identity in conversations with Fr. Joseph Hill, SJ, James Page, SJ, and Fr. Ralph Houlihan, SJ '52.
Watch the Backer Memorial Centennial video: 100 Years on Oakland - Faith & Service.
Above: Jr. Bills on the 98th SLUH Kairos Retreat in 2021.
WILL DIEBOLD 1925
At SLUH Diebold participated in the Acolythical Society. His senior year quote: “A wise man never loses anything if he has himself.” Ordained a Jesuit on June 22, 1938, Diebold taught Theology and English at SLUH in 1934 and from 1945-53. He also taught at Saint Louis University and Rockhurst College, in addition to writing three books with Fr. Michael P. Kammer, SJ.
PATRICK McGROARTY 2025
Patrick McGroarty is student leader of SLUH4GE, an active member of ACES and the DEI representative on StuCo. His favorite class is AP Psychology with Mr. Sam Herbig '12 and he plans on pursuing social work in college and beyond.
“Last semester I talked to the Board of Trustees about my experiences on the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice, the largest annual Catholic social justice conference in the U.S. I was glad to be able to share the many powerful moments I’ve had on that trip over the years and connect them with the SLUH mission statement. It really did make me feel important and acknowledged in a way that no other achievement has.”
ATHLETICS
Athletic excellence at SLUH has long transcended championships and achievements. It is embodied in the development of discipline, leadership and drive, as well as growth in mind, body and spirit. And, it is modeled by our coaches and manifested in how our student-athletes conduct themselves — with sportsmanship and humility — on and off the field.
LEGENDARY LEGACY
Did you know?
SLUH now offers 21 sports; Esports and bowling are the most recent additions.
In the history of MSHSAA, SLUH has won 25 team championships, finished 2nd place 34 times, 3rd place 28 times and 4th place 22 times; that is a total of 109 MSHSAA final four appearances in our school history.
Water polo is the winningest program in SLUH history with 23 state championships; racquetball is a close second with 22, yet it has also earned a staggering 15 national championships.
A founding member of the Metro Catholic Conference (MCC), SLUH routinely captures the MCC All-Sports Trophy, awarded to the school with the best conference finish in all sports. In 2023-24, the Jr. Bills earned the trophy for the third consecutive year.
Cross country has won 21 consecutive MCC championships and has qualified as a team for the MSHSAA cross country championships for 32 consecutive years, finishing as the highest St. Louis area school in their class for the last seven years.
Swimming and diving has won 14 consecutive MCC championships.
Lacrosse has won the MCC championship in the first two years that lacrosse has been an MCC sport.
Track & field has won 12 consecutive MCC championships.
EMMET HANICK Hanick was a legendary basketball coach and led the Jr. Bills to two state championships over 23 seasons. He often said he considered himself a teacher first and foremost, however, and that educating and guiding his students to be Men for Others was his primary vocation. He taught math and science at SLUH for 38 years.
EDWARD "EBBIE" DUNN
During his illustrious 40-year career at SLUH, Dunn’s influence as a math teacher was matched only by his success as a soccer and football coach, where he led both teams to state championships. He left SLUH with a staggering 592 wins in soccer (at one time the most by any U.S. high school coach) and was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame and the U.S. Soccer Coaches Fall of Fame.
GARY KORNFELD Kornfeld remains the winningest football coach in SLUH history, with 212 victories in 29 years. He also led the team to 14 district titles and a trip to the state finals in 1991. “Not only did he look at the guys as football players,” said longtime Athletic Director Dick Wehner, “but as human beings and individuals, and he tried to help them grow from little boyhood into young manhood.”
PAUL MARTEL
Martel left an enduring legacy on SLUH football, and his career record of 20079-8 includes the only state championship in program history in 1970. Of his philosophy on coaching, Martel said, “You know, coaches don't get rich. Our wealth comes from having a part in so many lives. We're touched by it. I wouldn't have traded it for all the gold in Fort Knox.”
JIM LINHARES
Linhares built the cross country program from a small running club into a powerhouse dynasty, winning three state championships and forming thousands of student-athletes in a supportive community along the way. He also spent 25 years in the classroom as a Theology teacher and currently serves as assistant principal for faculty and staff. Linhares will retire after this school year.
STEVE NICOLLERAT
Computer science teacher
Steve Nicollerat began coaching SLUH baseball in 1979, eventually leading his teams to more than 600 wins over 39 years. A member of the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, he always emphasized “getting the kids to grow personally” more than winning or losing.
DICK WEHNER
In Wehner’s 31-year tenure as athletic director, SLUH won 35 state titles and more than 140 district and sectional championships. More important to Wehner than the wins and losses, however, was the meaning of the experiences for Jr. Bills. He continues to form Men for Others at SLUH as a longtime Theology teacher, while embodying the slogan he popularized: “Tradition Never Graduates.”
CHARLIE BUSENHART In addition to teaching chemistry full-time for 45 years, Busenhart coached hockey for 41 years, earning him a spot in the St. Louis Amatur Hockey Hall of Fame. Remarkably, he also won nine state championships as the water polo coach and is a member of the Missouri Water Polo Hall of Fame.
CentennialBills
JEWELL BROWNING 1925
Browning played football at St. Louis U. High. His senior year quote: “This was the noblest Roman of them all.” He coached the football team at Saint Louis University during his time as a student there. After graduating in 1930, Browning married and opened a tavern in Laclede's Landing called Levee’s House Bar.
LANDON PACE 2025
The multi-hyphenate Landon Pace is involved in football, basketball and Ignatius Business Leaders. He is also a senior advisor and a member of Blue Crew (when he’s not playing on the field). Pace has committed to play as a tight end at Wyoming in the fall.
“I am most proud of being a captain of the football and basketball teams. After SLUH, I hope to have a successful college career and hopefully play in the NFL.”
SPIRIT IN SPORT
Insignis celebrates one of the most important influences on young people: athletics. Listen to this engaging episode, including conversations with Ben Rosario ’98, Murphy Troy ’07 and Steve Nicollerat.
Watch the Backer Memorial Centennial video: 100 Years on Oakland - Athletics.
Above: St. Louis Globe-Democrat , November 6, 1929
VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS
A strong SLUH arts program and wide range of co-curricular activities allows budding artists to pursue their interests, develop their creative talent and maximize their potential. Did you know?
Jr. Bill musicians consistently earn local, regional and national recognition, and their ensembles have performed in China, Boston, New York and Rome, where they played for Pope Francis.
Many alumni have leveraged the foundation and passion for the arts they built at SLUH as a springboard for successful careers in music, acting, directing, writing and much more.
The SLUH arts program boasts dozens of student concerts, performances, art fairs and showcases throughout the year, including the lauded Dauphin Players productions in the Joseph Schulte Theater.
LEGENDARY LEGACY
FR. WILLIAM DOYLE, SJ Since founding the fine arts department in 1963 and teaching for several years, Fr. Doyle is well known for creating numerous iconic works that adorn the SLUH campus, including the statue of St. Ignatius that presides over the main school entrance.
JOE SCHULTE ‘54
For more than 50 years, Schulte was a fixture in the SLUH arts culture, teaching performing arts, directing plays and inspiring creativity in his students. Synonymous with the Dauphin Players – and juggling – he built a strong legacy of exceptional theatrical productions that continues today. Schulte, whose name graces the school theater, once said, “My dream…is that if a young Catholic boy wants to go into the arts, then SLUH will be the place he can get not only a good education to support the arts, but a great education in the arts.”
JOHN MUELLER A longtime, beloved visual arts teacher, Mueller was famous for his love of the color purple, cheesy pancakes and instructing his students about the “vanishing point.” Of Mueller, Third Degree Glass Factory founder Doug Auer ‘95 said, “his passion and sense of humor, coupled with his ability to engage students of all interest and skill levels, has stuck with me. I wouldn't be where I am today without my time with him at SLUH.”
KATHY WHITAKER As director of the Dauphin Players, performing arts teacher Whitaker has overseen some of the most acclaimed high school productions in the region. To Whitaker’s brilliance, talented Dauphin Player Paul Thibodeau ’25 testified: “This has been the best foundation I could have ever asked for. To have this standard for theater just makes me want to pursue it and make every endeavor I have be like this: passionate and beautiful.” Whitaker has served at SLUH since 1996.
JOAN BUGNITZ Over her 34-year career as a visual arts teacher, Bugnitz has taught Jr. Bills how to create art and love the arts with her creativity, skill, kindness, hard work and collegiality. According to current colleague and former student Matty Kleinberg ’98, her classroom offers an air of “quiet reflection,” in friendly juxtaposition to Mr. Mueller’s, which was “kind of like the lunchroom, except for making art.” Bugnitz will retire after this school year.
JOE KOESTNER
From 1984-2015, choral director Koestner grew the choral program from 9 students to 155, transforming it into a robust, competitive and talented culture that thrives today. Choir, however, is not the only legacy Koestner built for SLUH: he led the Jr. Bills racquetball team to an incredible 16 state and 9 national titles, eventually becoming a Missouri Hall of Fame Coach.
JEFF POTTINGER
Pottinger, director of the SLUH band and orchestra, has strengthened the caliber of the musical arts program, marked today by passion, talent, reputability and achievement. In 2018 and 2023, he led student musicians on a trip to Rome that featured a personal audience with Pope Francis.
GOOD SHOW!
Listen to Insignis episode “Good Show!” where we explore a realm where the star of the SLUH legacy of excellence burns brightly: the performing arts.
Watch the Backer Memorial Centennial video: 100 Years on Oakland - Visual & Performing Arts.
ROBERT BALDWIN 1925
Baldwin studied science at SLUH. His senior year quote: “His very foot has music in it as he comes up the stairs.” After graduation, he became an actor on Broadway before moving to California and signing a contract with 20th Century-Fox. His most notable roles were in Meet Dr. Christian (1939), They Meet Again (1941), and Remedy for Riches (1940). After 20 years with Fox, he left the movie business and became a realtor. He was a realtor in Ventura, Calif. from 1946 until he retired in 1989.
PAUL THIBODEAU 2025
Aside from playing the lead in multiple Dauphin Players productions (most recently, as Anatevka in Fiddler on the Roof ), Paul also loves to read and write, crediting the English classes he’s taken at SLUH with nurturing this passion. He plans to study musical theater in college.
“I’ve grown so much as a person through my experience in the arts here at SLUH. I started as a
timid, nervous freshman
who
had a hard time raising his voice,
but
theater helped push me out of my shell. More than that, I’ve met so many incredible people. Through my castmates and my directors, I’ve been offered new perspectives on the importance of the arts. Expanding my point of view, growing in my understanding of who I am and what I love to do, has meant the world to me.”
CLUBS & SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
Life outside the classroom has changed and evolved at Backer Memorial to allow students to maximize their potential and cultivate their social, spiritual, physical, emotional and intellectual growth – and more opportunities are available today than ever before.
LEGENDARY LEGACY
CLASS OF '45 The first class to put on a production of one of the wittiest SLUH traditions: Senior Follies. From the desk of the Prep News in 1945: “Something new in the line of Senior Activities was inaugurated on March 16 when a group of 22S seniors produced a musical follies entitled ‘School Daze.’ The skits, parodies of events and teachers in an average day at school, were well received by the 125 seniors and faculty members present.”
Did you know?
About 80% of Jr. Bills participate in at least one of the 75+ clubs offered, including:
ACES (Association for Cultural Enrichment at SLUH)
Anti-Racist Coalition
Arabic Language and Culture
Art & Design Club
Asian Student Alliance
Badminton Club
Berchman's Society
BeyBills
Bocce Club
Bushwhack Bills
Car Club
Chess Club
Circus Club
Coffee Club
Dauphine Players
Disc Golf Club
Energy Team
Farm to Table
Film Club
Fishing Club
French Club
Global Education
Greek Club
Hispanos y Latinos Unidos
Ignatian Business Leaders
Latin Club
Lion Dance Club
Liturgical Music
Math Club
Medical Careers Club
Men for Life
Mock Trial Team
Model UN
DR. H. ERIC CLARK ’83 Clark, who served as dean of students and moderator of ACES (Association for Cultural Enrichment at SLUH), did much to bolster diversity and black student community at SLUH. A recipient of the Backer Award, Clark is currently the president of Loyola Academy of St. Louis and also serves on the SLUH board of trustees.
MOYAG (Missouri Youth & Government)
National Honor Society
Neurophysiology Club
On Oakland TV
One World Club
Ongoing Conversations
Outdoor Adventure Club
Pastoral Teams
Photography Club
Pickleball
Poetry Out Loud
Prep News
Racquetball
Robotics/Stem Club
Rock Climbing Club
Scholar Bowl
Sisyphus
SLUH Audio Engineers
SLUH Beekeeping Club
SLUH Bowling
SLUH Esports
SLUH Historical Society
SLUH Mindfulness
SLUH Mock
SportsCenter
SLUH Rugby
SLUH Sand
Volleyball Club
SLUH Sports Network
SLUH Student Media
SLUH Waste Team
SLUH Water Polo
SLUH4GE
SMASH Club
The Sodality of Our Lady
Speech Team
Strategic Board Game
Strategy Board
Game Club
SUB Club
VR Club
Wash. U. Biomedical
Engineering Contest
Weightlifting Club
Woodworking Club
Yearbook
Young Urban Planners
FR. JOHN J. DIVINE, SJ
During his time at SLUH from 1938-61, Fr. Divine revitalized the student newspaper University Prep News, moderated the Dauphin yearbook and formed the beginnings of student government with the creation of Senior Council. As alumni chaplain, he maintained communication between SLUH and alumni serving in World War II, eventually leading to the formation of the Alumni Association (now the Alumni Board). His is the namesake for the John J. Divine, SJ, Alumni Service Award, initiated in 1974 and presented to an outstanding alumnus (or group of alumni) in recognition of their dedicated service to SLUH.
FR. RICHARD BAILEY, SJ
During his impactful SLUH presidency from 1968-73, Fr. Bailey instituted the CASHBAH dinner auction, the premiere fundraising event that typically raises more than $1 million each year for need-based financial assistance. Later in his career, he taught at SLUH and also served as president at De Smet Jesuit.
JIM RATERMAN A passionate and revered English teacher, Raterman established the modern day Prep News as a weekly publication and oversaw the adoption of its enigmatic motto in 1991: “If Nothing Else, Value the Truth.”
DEACON JAMES MURPHY,
PH.D. “Doc” Murphy taught, coached and counseled SLUH students for over 40 years, yet his most enduring legacy may be something less academic: he is known for starting the beloved and uniquely-SLUH intramural sport of bashball.
VALUE THE TRUTH
Listen to the Insignis episode “Value the Truth” featuring Steve Missey ’88, the longest serving moderator of the Prep News . He shares his story of being mentored by legendary moderator Jim Raterman and challenging a new generation of aspiring young journalists to “value the truth.”
Watch the Backer Memorial Centennial video: 100 Years on Oakland - Clubs & Social Engagement.
CentennialBills
J. FREDERICK SCHLAFLY 1925
At SLUH Schlafly participated in the Acolythical Society. His senior year quote: “Above the vulgar flight of vulgar souls.” After graduation, he became a prominent lawyer in the Alton, Ill. area. He is perhaps best known for being married to the famous activist and attorney Phyllis Schlafly. Together, they combated communism and other high-profile issues.
JAMES UNWIN 2025
Unwin is a 4-year Jr. Bill varsity baseball player and has also been involved in the Association for Cultural Enrichment at SLUH (ACES) and served as a co-president of the Anti-Racist Coalition. He will attend Denison University, where he plans to play baseball and pursue a health, exercise and sports studies major. He hopes to earn a doctorate of physical therapy so he can start his own practice and help athletes achieve their goals.
“My favorite teacher at SLUH has been Mr. Wehner in my sophomore year theology class. He has a very unique teaching style and truly cares about each and every student in his class. Through his wisdom and stories, I was able to grow in my faith and learn much more about the Church.”
Above: John in the 1960s
CULTIVATING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
SLUH recently opened a new CoLab space dedicated for students to work together, whether it is working on a group project, studying for a test, or organizing a co-curricular activity. Centrally located in the previous campus ministry center, it features a large collaboration space and five meeting rooms. Megan Menne (pictured below), director of student activities and science faculty member, offers her perspective on the CoLab and clubs at SLUH.
How does the CoLab benefit student social involvement and co-curricular engagement?
The CoLab is structured like a coworking space, allowing students to problem solve and think creatively together. Each of the rooms has a TV to project materials and a white board to brainstorm, diagram or map out projects, and the main space is designed for students to collaborate. What is unique about our school culture relative to co-curriculars?
Co-curriculars allow students to pursue their passions beyond the classroom. For example, the Medical Careers Club often hosts speakers and encourages students to expand in research beyond SLUH; the Car Club organizes and promotes a spring Car Show; and the Space Club is bringing the director of the Vatican Observatory (Br. Guy Consolmagno, SJ) on campus this spring for a speaking event.
Unique to our school culture is the relationship between faculty and students. The faculty are truly passionate about cocurriculars and often go above and beyond to give our students an incredible experience, whether it's finding guest speakers or coming to SLUH in their spare time to organize a special event.
What are some of the more enduring clubs at SLUH?
SLUH is such a historical institution that it's hard to define enduring, yet some of our clubs are "institutionalized" and are more adult-driven – for example, Youth and Government, Dauphin Players, Men for Life, Prep News, Sisyphus and Robotics.
What are some new, unique clubs?
Some of the "newer" clubs that have organized large scale events include: Hispanos y Latinos Unidos, which oversaw Hispanic Heritage Month; Asian Student Alliance, which organized an Asian Awareness Week; and the Coffee Club, which meets for a weekly Friday morning coffee social gathering. We also have the Young Urban Planners Club that recently toured Energizer Park, home of St. Louis CITY SC, looking at the sustainable practices of the stadium.
Left to right: Hispanos Y Latinos Unidos, Young Urban Planners Club at Energizer Park, Asian Student Alliance, Medical Careers Club blood drive, Car Club spring Car Show and Dauphin Players.
GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT
Since its infancy, St. Louis U. High has embraced a globally conscious education that illuminates the vision of St. Ignatius. Today students are blessed with abundant opportunities to connect with, learn from and serve others throughout the world.
LEGENDARY LEGACY
GEORGE MORRIS
George Morris pioneered the SLUH Russian program and facilitated the exchange program between SLUH and Moscow School 1253 students. For Brendan O’Malley ’94, Morris left an impact that “lasted deep into [his] adulthood and in truly incalculable ways.”
Read Brendan O'Malley's eulogy
CHARLIE “PROFE” MERRIOTT For more than 20 years, Spanish teacher Charlie Merriott built a relationship with San Yves, a nutrition center for children in Yoro, Honduras, that still thrives. Each year Jr. Bills serve at the center during spring break and Senior Project.
CHING-LING TAI
For more than 30 years, Dr. Tai led the Chinese program at SLUH. In 2006, she created an endowed fund to support studies in China, and facilitated a relationship with Nanjing Foreign Language school in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. Noah Arthur Weber ’14 remembered her, as the Chinese saying goes, as having a “mouth like a knife but a heart as soft as tofu.” Dr. Tai made a generous bequest to continue her legacy of Advanced Chinese Language and Culture Studies at SLUH.
Read Noah Weber’s tribute
ROB CHURA A longtime Russian teacher, Chura became the first Director of Global Education at SLUH in 2018. Under his leadership, the program has expanded and become central to the SLUH experience. Every Jr. Bill must now participate in the Global Education Curriculum, inspired by the Ignatian value of global citizenship, as a graduation requirement.
LANCER LI
’17
Li was the first Chinese exchange student to graduate as a Jr. Bill. In 2015, he entered SLUH during his sophomore year as part of a 22-year-old exchange program with Nanjing Foreign Language School, one of the top schools in China. Li continued his studies at Duke and has worked in the U.S., China and Hong Kong.
Did you know?
Think Globally. Act Locally. SLUH requires all Jr. Bills to participate in at least one approved Global Education program during their four years. Experiences range from local, in-house projects during school hours to long-term, international travel programs during school breaks.
In January, all members of the Class of 2025 served those in need for Senior Project at dozens of local sites, in addition to international organizations in France, Guatemala, Honduras, Jordan, Poland and Taiwan.
This year four Jr. Bills received the highly selective National Security Language Immersion for Youth Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, to study strategic languages this summer.
GLOBAL EDUCATION BY THE NUMBERS
159
SLUH students who traveled abroad for an outbound program.
22
78
International students who visited SLUH for an inbound program.
Outbound programs visiting 16 countries (China, Chile, Colombia, France, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, South Africa, Spain and Taiwan). The programs include:
• Chartres, France Exchange
• Chile Language Immersion
• Choral Program
• Colombia Language Immersion
• Greece Classics
• Honduras Service
• Ignatian Pilgrimage
• Ireland Exchange
• Kino Border Initiative
• Lithuania/Latvia Russian Language Immersion
• Morocco Language Immersion
• Nanjing Exchange
• Poland Exchange
• Rambouillet France Language Immersion
• Senior Project France
• Senior Project Guatemala
• Senior Project Mexico
• Senior Project Poland
• Senior Project Taiwan
• South Africa Rhino Rescue
• Spain Language Immersion
• Taiwan Language Immersion
31
Faculty members who joined students in an outbound program.
14
Inbound programs in which SLUH hosted international students:
• Chartres, France Exchange
• Chile Jesuit Exchange
• Colombia Jesuit Exchange
• France St. Louis Summer Service
• Mexico St. Louis Spring Service
• Nanjing Exchange
• Poland Jesuit Exchange
• Poland St. Louis Winter Service
• Ireland Exchange
• Rambouillet France Exchange
• Taiwan Jesuit Exchange
• Taiwan St. Louis Summer Service
• Ukraine Jesuit Exchange
• Ukraine St. Louis Winter Service
WORLD LEARNING
The first episode of the Insignis podcast is a three-part dive into the SLUH global education curriculum and features interviews with alumni, faculty and current students.
Watch the Backer Memorial Centennial video: 100 Years on Oakland - Global Engagement.
CentennialBills
LEON WEYERICH 1925
Weyerich was a member of theater and the Acolythical Society during his time at SLUH. His senior year quote: “He possesses a peculiar talent.” Weyerich served in the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1944, he was awarded the Silver Star for his bravery during the Normandy Invasion. He was a battalion surgeon in the first assault battalion to be deployed on Normandy Beach. Once Weyerich arrived at the beach, he ran through heavy gunfire to set up an aid station 150 yards from the beach in a safe location. He became a doctor after the war.
ANDREW HUNT 2025
Hunt is a news editor for Prep News, a leader of the One World Club, co-president of Model United Nations, varsity choir member, and videographer for SLUH athletics. He is also a layout editor for Sisyphus and has contributed writing and photography to the publication. If that was not enough, Hunt was also on the volleyball, water polo, and swim/dive teams, and performed in two musicals with the Dauphin Players: The Addams Family (2022) and Godspell (2023).
“Discovering the mysteries of the universe has always been exciting to me, and science classes at SLUH have brought me closer to God by revealing the perfection of His design. It has made me more confident in how much you can discover scientifically while holding firm to the belief that the universe ‘makes sense.’”
SPIRIT & BROTHERHOOD
Bonded by Ignatian values and the pursuit of excellence in all endeavors, Jr. Bills have long comprised a strong, welcoming community at Backer Memorial – one that endures in the form of school spirit and lifelong brotherhood.
LAWRENCE MORRISSEY 1925
Morrissey was in theater at SLUH. His senior year quote: “I am not only witty in myself, but the cause that wit is in other men.” After high school, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and saved a man while serving.
ALEX ROSE 2025
Alex is a spirit leader on student council, an admissions and a presidential ambassador, an avid member in Ignatius Business Leaders, a participator in Future Business Leaders of America, and a member of the Anti-Racist Coalition. He will be attending Indiana University next year to major in finance with a minor in business analytics.
“The soccer state championship game had the largest, loudest and most fun student section that I have ever been a part of – and I was in charge of it. Given that we had around 500 students ruthlessly and wildly cheering and chanting throughout the game, players told me afterward that the student section helped in their win at state. This was something that I was incredibly proud to hear and now something that motivates me to be the best version of myself at SLUH events.”
CHEERLEADING CHEERS THROUGH THE YEARS
Compiled by Dick Wehner, Theology teacher and former athletic director
When the Bills Go Marching In Hoop Time-Hoop Time - Hoops Hoops
SLUH get ready to roll
SLUH get ready to roll
There was a bird
Hey hey, ho ho let’s get that ball and score
Defense Defense
We want two/six gotta have two/six O-lay - O-lay Olay, Olay we are the Billikens O-lay Where, Where, Where, Where?
Everywhere we go people want to know who we are so we tell them.
WE ARE THE BILLIKENS-MIGHTY MIGHTY BILLIKENS FROM ST. LOUIE GOTTA GET DOWN TO THE REAL NITTY GRITTY
Dee-Dee-Dee DEFENSE
Let's Go Big Blue Let's Go (Clap-Clap)
We are Jr. Bills - We are Jr. Bills
They got the ball so let’s take it away
We got the ball so let’s go all the way
Hi dee - hi dee - hi dee - hi dee hoWin win win win win win - woo
Raise your voices to the sky - As the Jr. Bills go marchin’ by - a little louder
Pork chop-Pork chop - greasy-greasy - we're gonna beat you easy easy
We got the Bills in the House
– WOOF - WOOF
We got the Bills in the House
– WOOF - WOOF
U High, U. High, Womp, Womp
Five Minutes of Fury (yell for the last 5 minutes of a game)
Hey, Hey, Baby – I want to know if you’ll be my girl
Roller Coaster Ride
Banana Cheer
BraveHeart Cheer – Rufio
SPIRIT AMPLIFIED
Running of the Bills has become a rite of passage for SLUH freshmen. While there is no clear account of when it began – some alumni say it loosely began during the football team’s run for the state title in 1991 (SLUH narrowly lost in the championship game), while others report it began years later when Jr. Bills ran from Oakland Avenue to the old CBC campus on Clayton Road for the rivalry football game – there is consensus on its value in engendering spirit and brotherhood.
The event typically occurs at the first home football game. Following a lineup of fun activities after school, freshmen slather themselves with blue paint and run wildly into the stadium, where they cheer on the football team. Well-prepared freshman parents bring towels and blankets for the car ride home.
1944
PROGRESS & INTEGRATION MOMENTS IN TIME
1946
Fr. Claude Heithaus, SJ, a 1916 graduate of Loyola Hall (a branch campus of SLUH) and professor at Saint Louis University, delivered an impassioned sermon at St. Francis Xavier (College) Church, denouncing racism and urging the integration of the university. Although Heithaus was removed from his post at the university as a consequence of this controversial public statement, the university did admit five African Americans the following semester.
1991 2019-21
SLUH admitted its first black student, John Carter, as a sophomore in 1946. The previous year, Carter had attended St. Thomas Military Academy in St. Paul. According to Dauphin yearbooks and alumni records, Carter was enrolled at SLUH in his sophomore and junior years, but he did not graduate from SLUH. The first African-American to graduate from SLUH was Alphonsus Thomas who entered SLUH as a sophomore in 1947-1948 and graduated in 1950. The first African-American to graduate after spending all four high school years at SLUH was Eldridge Morgan, who also entered SLUH in 1947, but he started as a freshman and was therefore one year behind Thomas, and did not graduate until 1951.
The SLUH Board of Trustees adopted a Minority Action Plan that specifically affirmed the school commitment to the African American community of St. Louis. The plan called for increased recruitment of minority students and faculty, with a particular emphasis on African Americans, given their demographic prominence in the St. Louis region. The plan also championed programs to support minority students at SLUH, including the Organization for Black Achievement as well as the eventual creation of a Director of Diversity position.
SLUH expands its student diversity group ACES to include a number of affinity groups, including the Black Student Union, Asian Student Alliance, Hispanos y Latinos Unidos, Anti Racist Coalition and SLUH Students for Gender Equality; in addition to creating a parent group, PACES, to provide a space for parents to help guide the school by sharing their perspectives.
The Board of Trustees creates a subcommittee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
One of the first actions of this committee was to create and pass a new vision for DEI at SLUH, updating and expanding the Minority Action Plan. This vision outlines goals related to school culture, student and faculty representation, academics, discipline and engagement with students, families and alumni.
Above: John Carter; Right Top: Al Thomas; Below: Eldrige Morgan
ALUMNI TRAILBLAZERS
Celebrating the achievements of graduates of color whose legacy of faith, generosity and success serves as a model for future generations
Proudly Latino
Luis Llanos '10 Blazes Trails on Path to Self Discovery and Professional Impact
BY FRANK KOVARIK ‘94
Luis Llanos ’10 has blazed trails in a variety of contexts, from being the first in his family to graduate from college in the U.S. to being the only person of color on a team providing answers to a Fortune 50 CEO. He has earned degrees at Notre Dame and Northwestern and plans to earn more. He has led conversations in boardrooms about some of the most transformative technologies of our time. He doubts, however, that he would be where he is today without St. Louis University High School. “I am the man I am today because of SLUH,” Llanos says. “It shaped me into a Man for Others. I could not be more thankful.”
Llanos grew up in Cali, Colombia, where both of his parents were successful engineers. When he was nine, however, his family was forced to flee to the U.S. because of political unrest and the very real threat of violence. They ended up settling in south St. Louis, in a neighborhood dense with immigrants from around the world. Llanos’s engineer parents had to take minimum-wage jobs. After attending Mass one Sunday at St. Cecilia’s parish, Llanos’s family learned of a scholarship opportunity that would allow them to provide for Luis and his sister a Catholic education, which they had thought would be beyond their reach.
“It was the perfect place for us,” Llanos remembers. “St. Cecilia really understood so well how to help kids who didn’t know English get up to speed.”
Above: Luis with his father, Luis Fernando, and his mother, Luz Adriana, in 2024.
Llanos learned about SLUH because of a visit to St. Cecilia by then-President David Laughlin and then-Director of Diversity Rob Evans. Both urged him to come to SLUH and told him that he could succeed there. “I didn’t believe them, but it was the best decision I have made,” says Llanos.
SLUH was a challenge. Llanos had to take a remedial course in English before his freshman year. He felt underprepared compared to classmates who, as he perceived it, had already taken lots of advanced courses. Nonetheless, Llanos enthusiastically embraced his new school and found a climate that was nurturing and caring.
“The culture, and the way that teachers and students helped a student like myself have confidence, was just incredible. I only felt support from everyone around me.”
Llanos thrived at SLUH, discovering a particular affinity for English and math; playing rugby; and finding a home in ACES (Association for Cultural Enrichment at SLUH).
Evans recalls, “At SLUH, Luis was deeply involved in program development for ACES and was instrumental in mentoring younger students. He took part in diversity presentations to peers in Jesuit schools around the country, always approaching his work with great empathy and thoughtfulness. I remember being so impressed with him that I introduced him to the founding executive director of a nonprofit focused on boys’ education—a connection that seemed fitting given his passion for equity and mentorship.”
As Llanos looked ahead to the next phase of his education, not understanding much about the college selection process in his adopted country, a parish priest mentioned to him that he “looked like a Notre Dame man.” Llanos remembers thinking, “Yeah, that sounds good.”
Llanos brought to Notre Dame not only the academic skills but also the spiritual values he had honed at SLUH.
“I think the most transformative years of my life were probably at SLUH, and I tell that to everyone. I live by the Man for Others mandate. Be a better person for those around you. Be the best of yourself. At Notre Dame I was able to put those into practice. My values were cemented, and my worldview was expanded.”
Majoring in mechanical engineering, Llanos got involved with Notre Dame Students Empowering through Engineering Development (NDSEED).
Through this initiative, he spent an entire summer living in rural Nicaragua and building a bridge with residents of a small village. This immersive service experience was the culmination of a year’s worth of study and fundraising.
From top: Luis as a SLUH sophomore attending the Jesuit Diversity Conference with his ACES classmates and moderator; Luis at University of Notre Dame, meeting Father Theodore Hesburgh, in 2012; Luis with his family outside of his hometown of Cali, Colombia, in 2023.
“It taught me that I don’t have to wait till I graduate to make a difference in people’s lives,” Llanos says in a video about the program.
As Llanos completed his degree, he began to feel a calling to a slightly different career path. He realized that “the things that brought me joy were not as technical. I wasn’t the type to sit in a room and do calculations all day.” He found himself drawn to management consulting, and he spent four years working as an analyst, consultant, and manager at Accenture, a global professional services company.
At Accenture, Llanos had experiences that helped him see what the next step in his journey should be.
“I figured out that if I wanted to go up in my career, I needed to be in the room where decisions were made: the ‘seat at the table’ mentality, and also understanding your voice at the table. I realized early in my career that I didn’t have that seat and I also couldn’t speak the language that folks were speaking at that table—and that was finance and strategy.”
Llanos earned an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. After completing his degree, he began working for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), advising top 500 companies, with a particular passion for technology as well as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy. ESG, Llanos says, is “shorthand for how you prioritize environmental and social issues and create a governance to make sure you’re actually following through with that. How do you make
“How do you make sure a company is doing good for the world while still furthering its mission and being profitable? How do you ingrain that in the culture?”
Children running across the bridge that Luis and his Notre Dame engineering classmates built in San Francisco, Esteli, Nicaragua, in 2012.
sure a company is doing good for the world while still furthering its mission and being profitable? How do you ingrain that in the culture?”
At BCG Llanos honed his strategy, finance, and creative problem-solving skills, working on projects that ranged from creating a sell-side pitchbook for a COVID testing company during the pandemic to setting the ESG strategy for a Fortune 100 heavy equipment manufacturer. It was the latter project that would turn out to be one of Llanos’s most exciting experiences in his time at BCG.
“For six months we worked with them to create an approach for this client’s ESG strategy. It was the hardest problem I ever worked on. How do we continue to drive profit while prioritizing the environment and the social climate? We came up with a very tailored approach for them that allowed them to focus on both simultaneously. The client loved it and implemented it after we left.”
After three years at BCG, where he worked on over 20 cases, Llanos moved to the West Coast and took a position with Cisco as Senior Manager in their Strategy and Operations team, working on Cisco’s transformation to optimize recurring revenue by focusing on licensing simplification. This move was driven by Llanos’ belief that technologies such as AI/AGI and machine learning will be crucial for solving the most vexing problems that humanity faces today. He also wanted day-to-day experience in the technology industry working on those topics.
Llanos is deeply honored to be included in the illustrious group of SLUH’s Alumni Trailblazers, though he admits to feeling “humbled” in comparison to his colleagues. Nevertheless, he proudly embraces the term trailblazer.
“My whole career, my whole life, I’ve accepted the role of being the first or the only one in the room from my background. I understood that I am creating a path that is not often followed by those from the communities that I come from,” Llanos says. “My hope is that by putting in the hard work I am able to create a path that others behind me
“My hope is that by putting in the hard work I am able to create a path that others behind me can more easily follow in the future.”
can more easily follow in the future. Reading the profiles of many of the folks that are on there, I felt like they were doing the same. I am proud to be part of a group that is allowing the next generation to see faces in leadership positions that wouldn’t have been there for us when we were in their shoes.”
Llanos notes that, although he is “white passing,” he is incredibly proud of his Latino heritage and identifies as a person of color. “For a long time, I felt like my culture was not celebrated. It was all about assimilation and not letting people know you spoke Spanish. It was about not letting the Latino part of yourself show. Now I try to celebrate my culture and lead with it so that those that are just starting out have an example of a proud Latino leader, giving them permission to bring their genuine self to the workplace.”
Along with that renewed sense of pride in his heritage, Llanos also feels a responsibility to “always have a hand backwards to help whoever wants to follow in the path I followed. I developed this mentality during my time at SLUH with Mr. Evans— where he challenged me to be a mentor for the freshman ACES members; when I was at Notre Dame, I continued by always being available to SLUH students. And now in my career—any Latino or Black or, honestly, any person that wants help, I’m always willing to pick up the phone and talk to them. I think it’s something I’ve carried throughout my whole life, and it’s nice to be able to put a term to it. And I think it’s trailblazing. If I can help anyone take even one step forward, I will do it.”
Luis and his coworkers from Boston Consulting Group at the Black and Latinx retreat in 2022.
MELVIN JONES, JR., M.D. ’69
MAN FOR OTHERS (1951-2021)
The following reflection was written by Darryl Jones ‘73, brother of Melvin and chair of the SLUH Board of Trustees.
Melvin Vernon Jones, Jr., known affectionately as “Vernon,” was born December 19, 1951. A product of public education throughout grade school, he graduated from the gifted program at Walnut Park Elementary. Melvin attended Holy Rosary Catholic Church, where he received his first communion and confirmation.
Although he was initially denied acceptance to St. Louis University High, he ultimately earned admittance with the support and urging of Monsignor Doyle and his parents. Melvin was one of three Black students to enter SLUH in the fall of 1965.
After graduating from SLUH, Melvin earned his B.S. degree in chemistry at Saint Louis University. He would often describe a conversation he had with a chemistry professor who insisted he would never graduate from SLU with a chemistry degree – yet he also talked about the lessons in perseverance, commitment and dedication that he learned at SLUH. After undergraduate
school, Melvin attended the SLU School of Medicine and graduated in 1977 with honors. He began his internship at Indiana University School of Medicine and later moved to California where he completed his residency in general surgery at Alameda County Medical Center – Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in the Los Angeles area.
At Drew, Melvin was recognized for his outstanding teaching abilities. He never forgot the Jesuit motto, Men for Others, and continued to wear this commitment on his “white coat.” Over the years he mentored hundreds of underprivileged high school students from L.A. and received thousands of letters of thanks and appreciation from those students and their parents.
Melvin would often tell me that he never wanted to go into private practice because he felt called by the Jesuit mission/motto to help those in need with his God-given gifts. He dedicated his life to only working in hospitals with
marginalized people. As a general surgeon, he specialized in laparoscopic surgery. At Highland General Hospital in Oakland, Calif., Melvin was the first in his class to be named chief resident-surgery from 1981-82. He worked in Kaiser Hospital in Northern California and later returned to L.A. where he was a surgeon at the Martin Luther King Community Hospital until he became ill.
Melvin’s proudest achievement was receiving the American Chemical Society (ACS) Fellow Award, which honors members for their outstanding achievements in and contributions to science, the profession and for their equally exemplary service to the Society. He never talked about awards and recognitions received throughout his career; rather, he emphasized and believed in carrying out the Jesuit mission instilled by his SLUH education and serving the common good, not oneself.
AMDG
DRESS WITH PURPOSE SUPPORT
TOMORROW'S LEADERS
The Jr. Bill Store is more than just a high school spirit store. We're a passionate community of alumni and parent volunteers, students, faculty and staff driven by a shared mission: to form Men for Others who will become leaders of competence, conscience, courage and compassion.
CHECK OUT OUR NEW ARRIVALS
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LEADERSHIP
The legacy of St. Louis U. High is forged by our impact on the world – in all fields and endeavors – through the leadership of our alumni, students, faculty and staff who pursue excellence For the Greater Glory of God.
In the following section, we proudly feature a current student, a former faculty member and an alumnus. Each has exhibited exceptional leadership in their own unique way, yet each shares a common love for God and a commitment to further the common good. They are among many who comprise and fortify the living SLUH legacy.
CHARTING HIS PATH
How an Immersion Experience in South Korea Inspired Otto Reitenbach '25 to Pursue Excellence BY THEO AGNIEL ’25
Resigned, a 16 year-old boy curled up on the steps of a Presbyterian church at 1 a.m. in Jeonju, South Korea, hoping to sleep a few hours before his host dad arrived for the early morning service.
After being accepted to the rigorous, fullyfunded State Department program National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y), Otto Reitenbach ’25 was commissioned to South Korea for language immersion for six weeks during the 2023 summer. The then-rising junior lived with a host family and enrolled in daily classes featuring Korean language, art, film and culture. However, on just his third day of classes, ill fate inspired one of Reitenbach’s most memorable adventures.
“It was my first night out with friends in Korea. It hit 8:30 and I knew I had to start heading back home for my curfew at 9,” said Reitenbach. “Not understanding how much internet data the program supplied me, I managed to lose my only source of communication, because I was playing Subway Surfers.”
Keeping his cool, Reitenbach tapped onto a local businesses WiFi (it’s common to have free WiFi in South Korea) and found the bus route home. Feeling confident, he started his journey searching for the bus sign that would bring him a good night’s sleep.
“I didn’t realize it until later, but some of the bus stops are just a sign stapled to a wall,” said Reitenbach. “I probably passed it without noticing it as it wasn’t as clear as some bus terminals. So, after not being able to find my stop, I panicked and started running.”
Running came second nature to Reitenbach, as his strong yet wiry frame was built to cover ground like Timothy Chalamet covering Bob Dylan. It was natural that a broad-eyed freshman would join the great tradition of St. Louis U. High Cross Country runners, and fitting that Reitenbach would be named a captain for the team in his senior year.
With the dusk giving way to darker night sky, Reitenbach journeyed until he
“It’s the Catholic duty to give back and to help those around us. That is what empowers me and helps me seek places where I can impact change.”
– OTTO REITENBACH ’25
reached the familiar Jeonjuchun River.
“I knew that if I went one direction down the river, I would end up at my host dad’s parish. So, I took a 50/50 shot and took off,” said Reitenbach. “Two to three miles later, things started looking familiar and eventually I found the church and school.”
Although he was at a familiar location, Reitenbach still had no clear way home as his host mom had picked him up from school on his first couple days.
“We were given these lanyards by the program that essentially said, ‘I’m a stupid American who is lost. Can I use your phone to call someone?’ I eventually realize I already have no self-respect at this moment and I go up to some strangers standing outside of this bar near the parish and show them my lanyard,” said Reitenbach. “They read it and they kind of laugh at me and then one of them hands me their phone and I call my host dad.”
An answering machine confirmed Reitenbach’s greatest fears: that he would not be spending the night in a bed.
“I sit there on the steps of the church and I realize that worst case scenario, I am
Left: Otto in Korea. Above: with his host mom.
sleeping here tonight,” said Reitenbach.
However, the unforgiving night seemed to have gone to sleep, as just 15 minutes after Reitenbach folded, a car drove into the church parking lot.
“This old lady gets out and she starts talking to me. She didn’t know much English, but I think she recognized me as the American host child because my host dad had introduced me to his parish,” said Reitenbach. “She calls my host dad and then decides to drive me back to my host family’s house.”
The tale of Reitenbach’s nighttime run may unfairly paint the teen in a different light than the poignant, driven and witty man whose mastering of a foreign language acted as a catalyst for future involvement in clubs and activities.
“Anytime I ever wanted to do something in Korea, I had to figure out my own way to do it whether it was hanging out with friends or getting a meal. I really loved the constant challenge because it kind of felt like a puzzle,” said Reitenbach. “When I returned to the U.S., I was looking for that challenge and those puzzles – Korea really broke me out of my old routine. I think it really showed me the benefits of putting yourself out there and doing something completely unfamiliar. It showed me how fun that was and I wanted to experience it more.”
Reitenbach became hungry when he decided on his next feat: to run for Missouri Youth and Government’s (MOYAG) Chief Justice role in fall of his junior year. Reitenbach participated in the three-day event the previous year, simulating the experience of being an attorney and arguing for a mock case. However, now as a judge, the then-junior hoped to become a presiding officer of the student-run conference.
“I wanted to be the guy that people came to with their questions and that helped shepherd people around. I remember thinking these are the values I want this conference to uphold and leadership is the way that I can
“Reach for the stars, and you will get some. Believe in the improbable, and magic can happen. But know that when the stars do not align, you are loved and cherished for more than who you’ve already become.”
get them implemented,” said Reitenbach.
On the final day of the conference, Reitenbach was announced as the next year’s Chief Justice, a role with which he would soon become more familiar.
Reitenbach continued his passion for government by participating in the Conference On National Affairs (CONA), a Naval Academy Camp and Missouri Boys State in the summer before his senior year. While at Boys State, Reitenbach managed to win Chief Justice of the entire state of Missouri and advanced all the way to the finals of Boys Nation, capturing the alternate spot. The process to advance to Boys Nation required multiple essays and interviews, meaning Reitenbach had to write around a dozen essays before the conference to be considered as a candidate. The painstaking process provided Reitenbach practice for his future Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and prestigious college admission processes he would undergo.
“Boys State taught me how to act under pressure and especially how to structure and format answers in a clear way,” said Reitenbach.
Additionally, Reitenbach applied and was accepted onto the Mayor’s Youth Council for the City of St. Louis in the 2024 summer.
“Living in the city, the problems are pretty clear.
The ability to work in direct contact with the mayor is a good experience, and I have always wanted to see the inner workings of our city,” said Reitenbach. “I do care about solving larger problems and I really care deeply about the city of St. Louis.”
In November 2024, Reitenbach was awarded the Type 1 ROTC scholarship, ensuring that whatever school he attends, he will go fully funded by the Air Force.
“I have a lot of paths I can take, and the military opens a lot of doors to things I could do in my summers and between my college years,” said Reitenbach. “I could even go back to Korea.”
Reitenbach has set his sights high with his list of college possibilities, including Ivy League schools, Notre Dame and Georgetown.
"The major I want to do itself depends on the school I would go to,” said Reitenbach. “In general, I want to major in economics. After the military, I would do economic think tanks or my dream of working for the Federal Reserve. I want to work on policies that would directly change our nation’s economy for the better.”
The lost boy in South Korea has surely found his way down a path reserved for only our nation's brightest. Through it all, Reitenbach reflects on the importance of his faith.
“It’s the Catholic duty to give back and to help those around us. That is what empowers me and helps me seek places where I can impact change,” said Reitenbach. “Knowing of the unconditional love that God and my family have for me helps me along the road to that end goal. My dad had a great, original quote that he put in a letter for me: ‘Reach for the stars, and you will get some. Believe in the improbable, and magic can happen. But know that when the stars do not align, you are loved and cherished for more than who you’ve already become.’”
Theo Agniel ’25 is the Sports Editor for the Prep News. He captains the ultimate frisbee team and has participated in the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice, SLUH Sports Network and Missouri Youth and Government at SLUH. Agniel collaborated on the virtual Backer Memorial Centennial tour at sluh.org/tour (see page 77). He plans to double major in journalism and economics or math at the University of Missouri to prepare him for a career in journalism, ideally at the New York Times or Wall Street Journal.
Left to right: Otto in Korea; judging at Missouri Youth and Government; at U.S. Naval Academy Summer Seminar.
Editor’s Note: Among all of the faculty and staff in SLUH history, few are more revered than Fr. Martin Hagan, SJ, affectionately known as “Uncle Marty.”
Fr. Hagan, who taught at SLUH for more than 50 years, mentored three generations of Jr. Bills and knew them each by name. He died on April 28, 2008, yet his longstanding legacy – marked by a kind, gentle spirit and quiet, humble leadership – endures at Backer Memorial.
Faces & Names: An Interview with Fr. Hagan
From the Archive: Re-printed from a Special Edition of the Prep News, Vol. LXII 1997-98
BORN: March 11, 1919, in Wichita, Kansas
Entered Society of Jesus: September 1, 1937
Ordained a priest: June 14, 1950
Finished Jesuit training: June 2, 1952
Came to SLUH: June 2, 1952
Celebrated 60th
Anniversary as Jesuit: September 1, 1997
September 1, 1997, marked Fr. Martin Hagan’s 60th year as a Jesuit. I sat down with him that week in his Jesuit chapel office. With his “better” ear turned toward me, he candidly answered questions about his life, St. Louis U. High and religion. In this special edition of the Prep News , we reprint the interview, with as little editing as possible.
- JEFF EBERT ’98 Co-Editor-in-Chief
PN: What did you do this week to celebrate your 60th anniversary as a Jesuit?
Hagan: Well, I got out a bunch of old pictures from the day we entered. The only classmate living in town was Fr. Vincent Dawes ... so I went down to his room and we got out a box of old pictures of our classmates from the old days and down through the years. It was Labor Day. It was during that day so we just happened to have a Jesuit party, a barbecue down at the White House retreat. So there were about a hundred guys down there and we had quite a celebration. I was outclassed because there were three guys there that were on their 70th jubilee ... It was a lot of fun.
PN: What can you tell me about your early years in Wichita, Kansas?
Hagan: Well, I went to Cathedral Grade School and Cathedral High School. My father was a doctor. We had 10 children; I was about in the middle. So I had big brothers and sisters and little brothers and sisters. We grew up and had a lot of fun together, you know 10 guys, we always played something with somebody. And of course, the neighborhood kids were our age.
The school was run by the sisters, except the Brothers of Mary, who run Chaminade – they taught the boys in high school. So I had the brothers for one
year, 1931 and '32. And then the Depression crashed us, and they had to ease the brothers out of there, and the sisters took over and ran the school. I got a pretty good education.
When I went to Creighton University in 1935, a lot of my classmates were from Creighton Prep, a Jesuit High School, and you could tell they had been better disciplined on their studies than we had been. In some areas I was stronger than they were, but in a lot of areas you could tell they had superior training because they were from a Jesuit prep high school.
PN: What kind of student were you in elementary school and high school?
Hagan: Well I was number two in my senior class, which of course was a pretty small class. We had 60 students in the class, and so I was the class historian; I didn't make valedictorian. I was number two. Played basketball. I made varsity in my senior year. And then I got cut about a month into the senior season because some kid on the B team made 23 points in a game one night, and no way I was ever gonna make 23 points. So I had to turn in my uniform. But I went to all the games after that, and I got very involved in the cheering… They had football when I was a freshman, and I went out for
it. There was only one team – it was a fairly small school. As a freshman I really didn’t have much of a shot at it. And when they moved the brothers out and the Depression hit, they dropped the football. The only sport we had was basketball. Those were Depression years. I got a job at the end of my freshman year working at a drugstore. I was paid eight cents an hour, plus tips. And a nickel tip was a big tip. I mean if you got a nickel tip that was good – very good. You might clear 25 to 30 cents a week in tips. A nickel was bigger in those days. You could buy a soda for a nickel; you could buy a candy bar for a nickel; you could buy White Castle hamburgers for six a quarter. So times were different.
PN: Why did you take a job your freshman year? Was it to support your family? Hagan: Spending money. No, my father was a doctor. No, it was something to do
and it was spending money. It was very interesting – that was a valuable experience.
I had to have a bicycle, and we delivered things on a bicycle. We’d bike around the neighborhood; it was a neighborhood drug store. And even at night we’d ride around on bikes. I even biked over in the black neighborhood which wasn’t terribly far away. At night, delivering a pint of ice cream. A white man going around on a bike. In those days, no problem; never even thought of that.
I had a friend who was a diocesan priest. He taught me how to play golf. I was never really good at it – never played enough to be good at it.
I thought I’d be a diocesan priest like he was, but a Jesuit came through and gave our retreat. And I got interested in the Jesuits and I read about them in history books and so on. I contacted the Jesuits and decided to go to them.
They told me to wait a year, because when I applied I had just turned 16 in my senior year – I graduated when I was 16. They did more of that in those days. So I went to Creighton University, a Jesuit school, for a year. And then they decided I really oughta stay another year. So I went till I was 18. Then I went to the Jesuit seminary. That was 1937.
PN: When did you first feel a call to religious life?
Hagan: Oh, I would say in 6th grade. We had a young priest. The priest used to teach the grade school – catechism classes in junior high. That’s when I first got interested. [The
priests] seemed to be such happy people – and they were.
One of the things that is hurting the Church today is there aren’t that many young priests available in many places. To work with the kids who want to be servers.
One of the big factors today as far as shortage of vocations: half, almost half of the Catholic mothers in this country don’t want their sons to be priests. That’s been going on for a long time.
PN: Explain your training to be a Jesuit.
Hagan: We took four years out at Florissant [Jesuit Seminary]. We lived in Florissant. The first two years were Novitiate: spiritual training, three hours a day of prayer, silence most of the day. We learned to speak Latin. Then after that four years, we came to St. Louis University for three years of philosophy. And then three years of teaching high school for most of us. I taught two years at Rosewood reservation – the Sioux Indians in South Dakota, St. Francis Mission. And then one year in Milwaukee at Marquette University High School.
At the end of three years of teaching high school: four years of theology, and then one year of spiritual training at the end, with a 30 day retreat. There was a 30 day retreat in the last year. The whole thing was 15 years. And I came here after that 15 years, and I’ve been here ever since.
PN: What did you learn during your training, about yourself, others, and God?
Hagan: Well, that’s a, that’s kind of a book, the answer to that question.
Self-knowledge: considerable. I think you don’t work around high school kids very long without getting a great deal of selfknowledge. You know, you can go and talk to mature audiences in churches and parishes and they’re too polite to tell you that you’re boring them. But teenagers, if you bore them in class, they have a dozen ways of letting you know that.
But basically, I had the idea from the young priest that it was a happy life. That if you worked for the Lord and the Church, the Lord would make your life happy.
And it was the trust in the Lord. The apostles asked our Lord one day, you know, what’s in it for us? And Jesus said, you will have a hundredfold in this life, an eternal joy in the life to come in the next world. By a hundredfold, he didn’t mean more money and more convenience, but a greater satisfaction. In other words, if you do what God asks you to do, He’s gonna take care of you.
And I find that is very true. I wouldn’t trade places with anybody.
RIFLE PRODIGIES
View an article featuring the SLUH national championship rifle team from the March 1964 issue of SPORT Magazine.
Left-above: Fr. Hagan instructs the Jr. Bill marksmen during rifle practice; Below: the Fr. Hagan Rec Room continues to serve as an active hub for student activity.
FROM SLUH TO SWEET SUCCESS
Jack Anton’s Hard-Fought Legacy of Leadership
BY JUSTIN SEATON ’13
“I’m working on a profile of the former owner of Ghirardelli Chocolate.” I’ve said it many times over the last couple months.
“Wow,” they respond in awe. “What’s he like?”
I think they’re envisioning Willy Wonka. I initially did. I hate to shatter the illusion, but the only former owner of a world-famous chocolate company that I’ve ever met is not much like Gene Wilder’s erratic, eccentric confectioner.
Jack Anton ’60 is genial and modest. In place of a tall top hat,
he wears rectangular spectacles and grey hair, neatly combed. In place of a “tail-coat made of beautiful plum-coloured velvet,” I see the sharply ironed collar of a blue oxford. I can’t see lower than his lapel on our video call, but I’d bet his trousers aren’t “bottle green.”
I asked Jack if he’d ever considered the comparison with Willy.
“Well…” He paused. “Our company was a pretty serious company,” reflected Anton. “But I’ll tell you a personal thing, and this is a true story,” he continued. “On Halloween,
I always sat on the front steps of our San Francisco home with cases of Ghirardelli bars. The kids would say, ‘This is the Ghirardelli house!’ And they’d all come running… I saw it as the perfect opportunity for brand extension.”
Anton was selling happiness. He knew that. But his focus was strategic. He was a dedicated leader with a clear vision. The road he walked to achieve his vision was not paved with toffee or landscaped with lollipops. Anton fought, sometimes literally, to get where he got. And we have all enjoyed the fruits (chocolates) of his labors.
Long before he brought his pragmatism to the chocolate business, Anton matter-offactly mastered more sporting matters, as cocaptain of the SLUH varsity football team that still holds every defensive record in school history. The 1959 Jr. Bills shut out their first five opponents in a row, and ended their undefeated season having outscored opponents 142-21.
The defensive unit in particular became local legends that year. They were nicknamed “The Hungry Huns” by the local press, for they were “no less fierce than their ancient namesakes,” wrote John Eschenbrenner in the October 30, 1959 edition of the Prep News
Anton played tackle on both sides of the ball. On offense, he muscled open gaps for his backs to crash through. On defense, he saw to it that “opposing linemen did not follow the golden rule”—another pithy bit of sports reporting from the Prep News. In the locker room, Anton leveraged his experience as a three-year varsity starter to
institute a culture of mental and physical toughness.
SLUH sports archivist Frank Pawloski ’63 was just a freshman in 1959. Even so, he remembers the legend of the “Huns.”
“Physically, the Huns were big and quick,” said Pawloski. “Mentally, the Huns were ‘smart’ football players and could grasp the opponents' offense with ease. Emotionally, the Huns played as a team and picked one another up in game situations.”
Anton’s ferocity drove that defense on the field. His humility drove his teammates to follow suit. Anton’s teammate Jerry McNieve ’60, recalled one practice when Jack plowed him into the ground. Jerry looked up at an apologetic Anton who hovered above him and said, “Jerry, I wouldn’t have done this, but Coach told me to.” Then he helped him up.
“Jack was a good leader and a talented football player,” said McNeive. “He was smart, humble and didn’t brag.”
Anton led in other ways, too. He was president of his homeroom and a competitor on the first-
Jack Anton ’60
ever SLUH wrestling team. “He was a very good wrestler who always had a smile on his face,” remembered McNieve. “But once he got you in a headlock, it was all over with.”
In addition to his success in homeroom, against heavyweights and as a “Hun,” Anton remembers the lasting impact of his Jesuit education.
“St. Louis U. High provided the basis for the value systems that I’ve lived by my entire life,” said Anton. “The Jesuits challenged you, but they never criticized you for thinking outside the box. And throughout everything, there was always the feeling that you were expected to do the right thing.”
In the fall of 1960, joined by SLUH teammates Jack Simon and Scott Videmschek, Anton became part of the first class of three players from the same prep school to all receive football scholarships at the University of Notre Dame.
At Notre Dame, as at SLUH, Anton juggled academic, extracurricular and athletic success. This was well before collegiate footballers trained like professional athletes. There was an off-season then. Anton made the most of it by connecting around campus, studying chemistry and competing in the heavyweight division of another storied program. In Spring 1963, Anton became heavyweight champion of the Bengal Bouts—a boxing tournament that has raised money for the Holy Cross Missions in Bangladesh since 1931.
“I felt like I was able to contribute in special ways at Notre Dame,” said Anton. In Spring 1964, he left South Bend as he had left Oakland Avenue: a champion and a leader.
After college, Anton was recruited by “the hometown favorite,” Ralston Purina— the place where he was first exposed to an entrepreneurial mindset. Ralston had just acquired Fort Halifax Poultry Co. in Waterville, Maine from Don Corbett. Anton met with Corbett when he was recruited. He asked, plainly, what he could bring to the operation. Anton had never stepped on a farm. He didn’t know the first thing about chickens.
“Corbett said, ‘you don’t need to know all that stuff,’” recalled Anton. “‘I need somebody who is committed to the growth of this business; somebody that’s dedicated.’”
Above: 1959 SLUH Football captains, including (from left) Jack Anton ’60, John Mahoney ’60 and Sam Vandover ’60; Below: St. Louis Post-Dispatch clipping from July 8, 1960.
Over time, Anton’s relationship with and respect for Corbett grew—as did his role at the Waterville plant. Anton worked through the plant as a supervisor in each of the departments and got to understand the feelings of the people. Within six months, at 23 years old, Anton was promoted to manager of the plant. As on the “Huns,” at Ralston, Anton earned the respect of his team by working hard but treating people fairly.
“You really have to understand your workforce,” said Anton, “and you don’t do that by reading reports; you need to talk to people.”
In 1965, Anton applied for deferment from the Vietnam draft so he could continue growing at Ralston. Nevertheless, in 1966 his number was called.
Anton enlisted in Officer Candidate School (OCS) and joined an infantry company of 200 men in Ft. Benning, Georgia. Within two weeks, he was elected company president by his peers. Anton’s early experience as an on-field and in-the-plant leader lent itself to the role, and as it happens, to military service.
“I give the military huge credit for managing to convert me into a reasonably good infantry officer,” said Anton. “Ft. Benning was the crucible. They were either going to give you your Lieutenant pins or wash you out. It was tough, but it was a great opportunity to manage a group that ran the gamut from Harvard guys to kids right out of high school.”
Anton graduated from OCS in June `67, earned the rank of second lieutenant, married his wife Carlin, and headed for his first assignment: a mechanized infantry battalion in Ft. Hood, Texas.
“There aren’t enough superlatives to describe Carlin,” said Anton, caught in a sweet memory. “She’s got a very infectious personality. She’s a beautiful person inside and out.”
Jack Anton met Carlin Smith when they were seniors in high school. Carlin was St. Joseph Academy’s representative for prom, and Jack was smitten. They dated on and off through college, and things got really serious when he got that first job in Maine. They have been married for 58 years now. They have two children and three grandchildren.
In Ft. Hood, the former Fighting Irish tackle endeared himself to college-football-loving Col. McKee. Anton became the colonel’s adjutant, and for a while, things went smoothly. Carlin found work as a teacher in Texas. Jack developed a good relationship with the men in his battalion. With their steady dual income, the small Anton family was able to afford a decent dinner at the officers’ club almost every night. Life was good.
In those early years of their marriage, Carlin’s outlook powered their family’s success. She worked; she taught; she saw every new challenge
as an opportunity to achieve more. With Jack’s deployment looming, Carlin’s positivity was a boon. And then he was called to action.
Newly promoted First Lieutenant Jack Anton deployed to Vietnam in 1968.
“You get two nights in Saigon to process the transition in your mind before they give you your orders,” recalled Anton. “I had some scary nights awaiting my assignment in the middle of an active warzone.”
Lt. Anton was assigned to the 5th ARVN infantry division with the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV). He replaced an outgoing Lieutenant on the front lines, and he remained with the same battalion of roughly 800 men for the next year, operating throughout “III Corps”— the region around the capital city of Saigon.
“Living with the Vietnamese opened my eyes to the whole political situation over there, but more importantly, to the type of people who live in Vietnam,” said Anton. “I made some great friends.”
Lt. Anton earned a Bronze Star for valor in battle. He left Vietnam in 1969, a medaled hero, forever changed.
“When I went back to work, I thought to myself: ‘There isn’t anything we can’t work through. People might be mad at you, but they’re not shooting bullets.’”
After the war, Anton worked for 10 years in Ralston Purina’s New Business Development Division. As VP of Sales & Marketing for the Soy Protein Division, a significant growth initiative for Ralston-Purina, he helped develop innovative new applications for soy protein ingredients. He and Carlin lived in St. Louis during those days, but he traveled often, networking throughout the food industry. Thus began the Hungry Hun’s career-making trek through the food production and distribution space.
In 1968, Anton was awarded the Bronze Star for valor in combat.
In 1979, Anton was recruited to be the president of Nabisco’s corn processing business, Clinton Corn. In 1980, he orchestrated a headquarters relocation from Clinton, Iowa to Chicago—and an Anton-family relocation from the banks of the Mississippi to the shores of Lake Michigan. Jack, Carlin and their 10-year-old son John drove up I-55 in uncomfortable silence. St. Louis had been home for so long. All their people were there. But Jack had the right partner for the adventure.
“Carlin had a genuine way of communicating with people,” said Anton. “You always know what she’s thinking, and it has strengthened all of our relationships for nearly 60 years. She made friends in Chicago, and later San Francisco. She’s capitalized on the exciting life we’ve been blessed to live.”
When Nabisco sold Clinton Corn in 1982, Anton recognized an opportunity to become the entrepreneur he had once admired. He had spent the majority of his career making the right connections with people in the food industry. In ’82, he struck out on his own, took a calculated risk and put together financial backing to purchase a portfolio of three divisions of Mallinckrodt Chemical, which became Carlin Foods.
Anton capitalized on the nationwide system of manufacturing plants he had acquired, and Carlin foods became the primary supplier of food and ingredients to major brands like Dannon and Continental Baking. The company’s worth ballooned in the early 80s, and Anton finally sold Carlin Foods to Bunge Foods in 1988.
“My experience running Carlin Foods gave me the validation that I could get things done on my own and be successful,” said Anton. “Plus, I built up an excellent record of getting returns on investors’ money.”
In 1992 Anton gathered more investors and acquired Ghirardelli Chocolate from Quaker Oats. Charlie got his chocolate factory.
As owner, chairman and CEO, Anton gave Ghiradelli the kick it needed.
He strengthened the Ghirardelli brand, making sure that the “Ghirardelli Chocolate” logo, with its majestic eagle in flight, was consistent on every package of its premium chocolates. Under his ownership, Ghirardelli opened 19 old-fashioned soda fountains and chocolate shops across the country, including a location in downtown Disney in Orlando, Florida. He established the Ghirardelli presence in the baking aisle, competing with Nestle’s and Baker’s chocolate products—including chocolate chips, baking bars and cocoas. In Ghirardelli Square, the product was happiness. In the office, Anton’s concerns
were efficiency, efficacy and company culture.
In 2001, Anton personally led negotiations with the Lindt Chocolate Company in Zurich, Switzerland— the largest premium chocolate manufacturer in the world. “I told their board, ‘These two companies are meant to be. It’s destiny,’” said Anton. “We shared a concern for culture—each company with histories approaching 150 years of continuous operations—and quality; for taking your time and doing things right.”
The chocolate giants merged in 2002, and at Anton’s behest, all of the Ghiradelli employees kept their jobs. He insisted that Lindt invest in his team.
As a footnote, Ghirardelli's U.S. headquarters is still in San Leandro, California, which Anton established after the purchase from Quaker Oats. It now houses the R&D center; corporate services; U.S. headquarters; and significant manufacturing capacity to service the demands of the U.S. market.
For the last 20 years, Anton has worked in the private equity industry, most notably and currently, as Operating Director with Paine Schwartz Partners.
“Over the time I’ve been with them, they’ve migrated into a highly focused strategy of investing in the food, beverage and agricultural categories,” said Anton. Paine Schwartz’s strategy of “Investing to feed a growing population better food with more efficient use of resources” is clearly derived from their lengthy partnership with one of the captains of the global food industry in Anton.
Outside the office, Anton is active on the Advisory Boards of Notre Dame’s College of Science and the University of San Francisco’s Business School. He has contributed significantly to scholarship funds and science facilities for Notre Dame students. For many years, Jack orchestrated fundraising efforts for the Allendale Association in Chicago, which provides services and programs for local kids in need. For 10 years, he served as a board member for the Schools of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco. Carlin and Jack currently split their time between Chicago and Scottsdale.
Back home in St. Louis, a 65-year-old football helmet sits on display in the SLUH athletic offices. On either side of that helmet, in navy blue electrical tape, someone long ago wrote the word “HUN”. Although Jack Anton moved away 45 years ago, he left an indelible mark on this town, and this school, as a leader. He is the Hungry Hun captain who fed America. The proof is spelled out in 18 pieces of tape.
“Being captain of the football team and being partially responsible for the victories we had at SLUH really bolstered my self-confidence,” said Anton. “Those experiences made me who I am.”
Class of 1925 Project
At a young age, my parents gifted me a camera, which sparked my interest in capturing my surroundings. During my earlier years in the Boy Scouts, I served as our troop historian, photographing events like summer camp and various adventures. My favorite one was visiting Shiloh National Military Park in Shiloh, Tenn. This progressed to photographing historic small towns and bridges across Missouri. Not only do I enjoy exploring small towns and seeing older bridges, I am passionate
BY DREW WALTERS ’21
about preserving them in photos for future generations to enjoy and remember, as they won't be here forever. My love for Backer Memorial came from loving its beautiful architecture and wanting to know about its century of history. The 1925 Project began in 2017 when my parents gifted me a 1924 SLUH yearbook. Inside was a well preserved signature of junior, William Allen III. This original signature motivated me to find out more about him and his classmates, since they would be the first graduating SLUH class on
Oakland Avenue. My classmate Sam Tarter and the Prep News staff wrote a wonderful article about the project on February 7, 2020 in Volume 84, Issue 18 and inspired me to keep the project alive. I researched all 153 classmates on ancestry.com to locate their descendants, so I could email them photos of their ancestors from this yearbook. Many of them were unaware their relatives attended SLUH, or had never seen these pictures before. I received many positive responses, which was very rewarding for me.
A relative of Walter Klie 1925 sent this photo to Drew Walter as part of the Class of 1925 Project. It shows Klie, a dentist, working on the teeth of Jimmy Hoffa, the famed labor leader and president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1957-71.
MEET THE SLUH CLASS OF 1925
Drew Walters ’21 (pictured left), currently studying cinema arts at Lindenwood University, for his time and effort on the Class of 1925 Project. He digitized yearbook photos of the entire class, in addition to creating several individual profiles, which are available at sluh.org/classof1925
OUR CAMPUS
The following article is featured on the historical campus tour website at sluh.org/tour. This comprehensive, interactive site was developed in commemoration of the Backer Memorial Centennial by: Abbey Metzler (SLUH Archivist), Tim O’Neil (social studies faculty), Theo Agniel ’25 and Nuri (Julian) Guneyli '25.
4970 Oakland Avenue
Backer Memorial: An Origin Story Marked by Faith, Love and Generosity
From 1900-1910, St. Louis hosted a World’s Fair and the Olympic Games, and saw its original high school split into three institutions: St. Louis Academy, Loyola Hall, and Gonzaga Hall. St. Louis Academy was still operating in the Grand Avenue building, while Loyola and Gonzaga were located on Lafayette Square and North 11th Street respectively. Unfortunately, due to dwindling enrollment numbers, Gonzaga didn’t last the decade. St. Louis Academy and Loyola Hall, on the other hand, would grow to a combined student body of 700 by the 1922-1923 school year.
Like in 1818, this flourishing high school department of Saint Louis University would need more space. In 1924, Loyola Hall merged with the Academy
“Every living SLUH alumnus has walked these same halls.”
and created St. Louis University High School. Under this new moniker, the high school moved from Grand Avenue into its own building at 4970 Oakland Avenue.
At this new location on the edge of Forest Park, the 1924 school year began with 14 priests, six scholastics and 16 lay teachers leading the instruction of 500 students. With many classrooms boarded up upon opening, there was plenty of room for future enrollment expansion. The Oakland Avenue location would be home to St. Louis University High School for the next 100 years, and counting.
As Frank Kovarik ’94 put it so succinctly in his To God, With Gratitude: 200 Years of SLUH, “Though SLUH’s Oakland campus has grown and evolved over its nearly 100-year history, it stands as a touchstone for generations of students who have studied in its classrooms, played on its fields, and built lifelong friendships within its halls. Every living SLUH alumnus has walked these same halls.”
A MAN FOR OTHERS
George Henry Backer was a 1869 graduate of Saint Louis University. George received his Bachelor of Arts, his Master of Arts, and attended one year of business college before leaving school. His career began when he inherited his father’s place in the family business: a flour milling partnership with Lou Fusz known as Fusz and Backer. Outside of his work, George played baseball and was an active parishioner of the Church of St. Francis Xavier (College Church). George was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Knights of America, and served as the secretary of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
On November 16, 1876, George Backer married Anna Fredericka Graenicher. Anna was born in Switzerland and immigrated to the U.S. as an
infant. Like George, Anna was deeply involved with College Church and based her social and charitable activities around this St. Louis Catholic community.
George Backer passed away on January 31, 1919. According to Anna’s biography of her husband, “The death of George Henry Backer…took from St. Louis and from his State one of the most useful and substantial citizens, a man who had done much for his fellowmen, and an individual of the finest qualities of character. Generous and charitable, observant of the welfare of those around him, Mr. Backer’s point of view with regard to life was broad and unprejudiced. Cultured and representative of the old school, he was a man of rare qualities and an adherent to the loftiest of principles.”
THE CENTENNIAL GIFT
After George’s death, a portion of his substantial estate was set to be donated to the Jesuits of the Missouri Province to support their educational efforts. This was an open-ended provision in George’s will, which enabled Anna, the executor of his final wishes, to use the money as she saw fit – as long as it was for pedagogical purposes. Some sources cite that Anna originally intended to give the money towards improvements of College Church.
However, according to a long held Jesuit rumor, Anna was moved by a fiery homily delivered by Rev. Michael J. O'Connor, SJ, pastor of St. Francis Xavier (College) Church, on behalf of a 1920 SLU fundraising campaign. In this address, Fr. O'Connor mentioned the desirability of moving the high school department of St. Louis University to a different location in order to relieve congestion at the Grand Avenue campus. So inspired by his address, Anna met Fr. O’Connor after Mass and offered to fund the high school project in its entirety out of the estate of her late husband.
The gift began somewhere between $300,000 and $400,000, and grew to $500,000 to cover the final construction and furnishing costs of the Oakland Avenue campus (worth approximately $9,000,000 today). Anna’s donation was at that point the largest gift ever received by St. Louis University or any Catholic institution in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
When Anna Backer made her gift, she wanted to remain an anonymous donor. In the absence of knowing her name, the St. Louis University community only knew of a generous gift from an 'Unnamed friend'. As the construction project began in 1923, the newspaper article at right provided some location and architectural details.
Work Begun on $500,000 Building for St. Louis University High School
"Construction of the high school building on Oakland Avenue, just west of Kingshighway Boulevard, for St. Louis University began last Thursday. When completed, which will be by next September, the school will represent an outlay in excess of $500,000. It was announced yesterday by William F. Robinson, SJ, president.
The new school, which is the gift of an unnamed friend of the university, has been designed by Barnett, Haynes & Barnett, architects, who also will supervise the construction, and when completed it will compare favorably with any of the great public high schools of the city. Having a length of over 484 feet from Oakland Avenue to Berthold Avenue. It will have frontage of 180 feet on both of those thoroughfares, and will be a most imposing first unit in the development of that section on the south side of Forest Park, between Kingshighway Boulevard and the Hi-Pointe residential district.
The building has been designed with particular attention to the most modern heating, lighting and ventilating facilities. It will be three stories high, and the main wing will contain a chapel 70x124 feet, locker rooms, a gymnasium 70x80 feet, with shower baths, a cafeteria 40x120 feet with accommodations for 600 boys at one time, 29 classrooms and a large reference library. The administrative offices of the school will be on the Oakland Avenue side, with the Bethold Avenue frontage will contain the physics, chemistry and biology laboratories and classrooms for the commercial courses. The school is expected to care for 1,200 students.
To the west of the building will be a large campus, with a modern athletic field, to include a running track and fields for football and baseball contests.”
1923 St. Louis Post-Dispatch article.
Anna's original proposed gift grew to accommodate building costs. These expenses included things like $88,600 for brick and $13,000 for terrazzo flooring. To fund construction, Saint Louis University initially took on debt which then would be repaid by the Backer estate.
Anna was entirely hands-on with the Backer finances. She kept her own books and wrote checks from her personal account.
GEORGE H. BACKER MEMORIAL
On September 12, 1924, the Backer Memorial inaugural school year began. The final design of the school was more modest than the initial Barnett, Haynes, and Barnett sketch. With projected costs exceeding the generosity of the Backer donation, the third floor of the building’s central corridor and the several decorative spires were cut. The layout of the building was shaped into an ‘I’ –with the Jesuit residence at the bottom, the academic building in the center, and the cap of the 'I' reserved for the library,
science labs, and cafeteria. The school address at 4970 Oakland Avenue placed the front entrance of Backer Memorial where the Jesuit residence was located.
Mrs. Anna Backer proudly described her new school as such:
"The building is of Tudor Period English Gothic design, with a frontage of one hundred and eighty feet on both Oakland and Berthold Avenues, and a depth of four hundred and eighty-four feet. The building contains twenty-nine classrooms, a large reference library, physics, biology, and
chemistry laboratories, chapel, gymnasium, with locker rooms and showers, and a cafeteria seating six hundred people. All of the equipment of this splendid building is of the most improved type, while such essentials as lighting, heating, and ventilation have been scientifically and accurately planned to safeguard the health and welfare of the students. In addition to this equipment, the school has a campus large enough for three football playing fields, with handball courts, and practically every popular form of exercise and recreation is available. Because of the exceptionally fine athletic equipment the Notre Dame system of intra-mural athletics has been introduced, realizing the modern ideal of 'athletics for all.' The faculty is composed equally of members of the Society of Jesus and lay teachers, and the school has from the first upheld high standards of scholarship. In every way it has fulfilled the hope of its founder, Mrs. Backer, and has fittingly stood, in its career of constructive service, as a memorial to him whose name it bears.”
Students, Jesuits and teachers pictured in front of Backer Memorial on September 23, 1924.
BACKER HISTORY INTERLUDE: LAYING THE CORNERSTONE
Anna Backer’s status as the St. Louis University High School benefactress was revealed to the community on April 15, 1923. At a cornerstone laying ceremony, for the first time, Mrs. Backer was given credit for her momentous gift by name.
As the first stone was set in the new building’s construction, and the school was officially named the George H. Backer Memorial, the crowd looked to Anna for her reaction. Rather than sitting on stage with a rest of the event’s dignitaries – she was found in the crowd. The woman whose generosity would create
a century of education on Oakland Avenue was seated with the students in the audience. She chose a place with 'Her boys' instead of in the spotlight. The Backer Memorial cornerstone can be found outside the original Oakland Avenue entrance.
Forming the base of the tower to the right, this stone is marked with the school motto 'AMDG' or 'Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.' From the Backer gift through 100 years of educational excellence, everything done at 4970 Oakland Avenue has been done For the Greater Glory of God.
TAKE THE TOUR
Journey through the first 100 years at Backer Memorial and see how the campus has transformed to consistently provide an optimal educational environment for students. Learn about key historical moments and significant physical improvements that have combined to form a spectacular SLUH evolution. The tour features many points of interest, including:
• Main reception area
• J. Anthony '57 and Donna M. Dill Center for Academic Success
• Robinson Library
• Claude Heithaus, SJ 1916 Media Center
• Chapel of the Beloved Disciple
• Jesuit wing
• Faculty offices
• Classrooms
• Science labs
• Si Commons
• Danis Field House
• Fr. Hagan Rec Room
• James Guth Costigan '62 Innovation Lab
• Joseph Schulte Theater
• Oakland exteriors
• Around the hallways
Take the virtual tour (or follow the tour signage displayed at each destination the next time you visit campus.
sluh.org/tour
Backer Memorial Today
The original charm of Backer Memorial remains 100 years after its opening, including the appealing architecture and terrazzo floors – yet many renovations and additions have occurred over the decades to enhance the Jr. Bill experience. The campus deftly blends old-school character with modern-day facilities.
Situated on a 32-acre footprint (this includes 12 additional acres SLUH acquired in 1993 for parking and a recreational field), Backer Memorial features exceptional, highly functional spaces and resources, including:
• 52 classrooms
• Computer/science/ foreign language labs
• James Guth Costigan '62 Innovation Lab features a fabrication workshop, classroom, general workshop, STEM competition space, group meeting and planning spaces
• Si Commons serves as the student cafeteria as well as a liturgy and multipurpose event space
• Beautifully renovated Chapel of the Beloved Disciple
• State-of-the-art, 610-seat Joseph Schulte Theater with lobby area
• Claude Heithaus, SJ 1916 Media Center provides club spaces, large collaboration area and a production studio
• J. Anthony '57 and Donna M. Dill Center for Academic
Success accommodates school administration, school counselors and college counselors
• Remodeled Library with computer lab and learning center
• Dedicated art gallery to showcase student artwork
• Global Education center
• Stephen R. Pettit Fitness Center and David Jackson Performance Room
• Fr. Hagan Rec Room with numerous pool tables and areas for ping pong and foosball
• Expanded rifle range
• Dedicated student collaboration area
• Two separate 25 KW array solar panels (200 panels total and 4 inverters), providing immediate energy for power needs
Outside of the main Backer Memorial building, some campus updates include:
• Danis Field House, featuring two full-size basketball courts, seating for more than 1,000, and a dedicated wrestling room
• North athletic stadium with new synthetic turf, surrounded by practice track
• South athletic stadium with synthetic turf, surrounded by 400-meter, 8-lane competition track
• Sheridan Stadium, home of SLUH Baseball, with natural turf and bleacher seating for 400
• Backer Community Garden beside the St. Jean de Brebeuf Jesuit Community residence
• Expansive recreational green spaces
• Second campus: Madonna Della Strada Retreat Center on 88 beautiful, sprawling acres near Troy, Mo.
In 2018, SLUH was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Green Ribbon School for its innovative efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, improve health and wellness, and ensure effective sustainability education. It was the first Jesuit high school to earn this distinction.
Looking ahead, SLUH continues to be sustainably focused in maintaining and enhancing its campus. Inspired by a key Apostolic Preference of the Society of Jesus to “care for our common home,” the school engages students with an active Sustainability Club, featuring Waste, Energy, and Farm to Table teams. In addition, the Sustainable Facilities Committee informs the Board of Trustees in making important decisions.
Good stewardship of Anna Backer’s gift will ensure Backer Memorial continues to provide an ideal setting for future Jr. Bills to learn and thrive.
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Join us for the biggest SLUH party of the year and help raise more than $1.5 million for financial assistance to meet 100% of the demonstrated needs of all families.
EVERYONE CAN PARTICIPATE!
Even if you missed out on tickets, you can still claim your free access to bid on our terrific silent auction items, purchase CASHBAH favorites like grab bags, buy President’s Raffle or other raffle tickets and make a Fund A Jr. Bill donation.
Visit sluh.org/cashbah.
OUR COMMUNITY
With a resounding commitment to its city location, SLUH elected years ago to remain on Oakland Avenue and contribute to the revitalization of the city of St. Louis. In doing so, it has provided an ideal college preparatory setting to form Men for Others while partnering with notable organizations to further the common good.
At Home(s) in Kings Oak
Reconciling the Competing Interests of School and Neighbors
BY RICH MORAN ’66
For SLUH students in the mid-sixties, the neighborhood around the school was defined by four low-lustered stars that drew us away from the small campus for afterschool vittles. At Pagliacci’s, the warmly lit pizza restaurant on the southeastern corner of Kingshighway and Manchester (now graced by a Jiffy Lube), chefs inside their glass booth of a kitchen flipped and flew their doughy saucers. On the southwestern corner of that intersection, Meletio’s Sea Pass offered crispily fried fish and displayed open cases of gaping monkfish and unclothed octopuses, both perfect for slowposting to a friend, say, at the Naval Academy. A much more modest shop bordering the Kingshighway alley at Wise was a shadowy, nearly unmarked confectionery, where we bought Twinkies and Suzy Q’s to fortify our evening activities at school. The least reputable and most frequented place was the tiny white-tiled diner by the northbound Kingshighway bus stop at Arco, where dudes with greased-back ducktail haircuts pounded on buzzing pinball machines amidst the smell of singed burgers and onions. It was the place I imagined when Fr. Dan Campbell, SJ taught us freshmen about “near occasions of sin” and that I later recalled when I taught SLUH sophomores about “Mae’s Luncheonette” where, most days, you’d find Flick Webb, the “Ex-Basketball Player” hanging out in John Updike’s poem.
I awoke to the realization that actual humans lived in the intercostal spaces between these food corridors only when a driver, who turned out to live on Lawn Avenue, skidded her car through its icy intersection with Berthold and into senior Jim Bostick’s car, which had been steaming toward Kingshighway. I was one of the underclassmen in the backseat talking about Tim Dean and Rick Cammarata’s backcourt play for the Jr. Bills. If this event were an episode of Up to the Future, I would, six decades later, awaken from that crash into the knowledge I had been living in that once-invisible neighborhood for forty-five of the intervening years.
In fact, when I moved back to St. Louis from Boston in 1979, I gravitated toward the SLUH neighborhood because a couple of my ‘66 classmates had launched the Wichita Housing Company,
Left: Jr. Bills participated in a community day of service in commemoration of the school bicentennial in 2018. Above: Old menu cover and restaurant staff of nearby Pagliacci’s.
an unintentionally non-profit organization designed to rehab houses on the single block of Wichita Avenue, just across Kingshighway from St. Louis U. High. The SLUH fellow-travelers of the Wichita Housing Company (Phil Heagney ’66, Joe Leindecker ’66, Bob Matschiner ’69, Tom Milford ’71) had all lived in the suburbs as Jr. Bills, but perhaps the SLUH experience had made us comfortable with the city and mysteriously nostalgic for the SLUH neighborhood…even if it had been invisible to us at the time. With these buddies living about three football fields east of the school, my wife and I bought a twenty-thousand-dollar house on Kingshighway, about a year before I stopped pretending I was writing my doctoral dissertation and started teaching at SLUH.
Zooming the camera back to reveal a somewhat broader scope, I recall that when I first taught at SLUH in 1980, none of the seven other lay English teachers lived in the city. Now all but two do. Does this tiny sample suggest that SLUH has somehow
become more comfortable with its place in the city than it was forty-four years ago? Maybe.
The story of SLUH’s impact on its neighborhood is half a story of things like that—things unplanned but not quite accidental—and half a story of deliberate decisions that SLUH the institution has made, most of them since 1970.
Except for the many Jesuits living in the school building itself, I think I was the first SLUH teacher to live in the five blocks of the Kings Oak miniature neighborhood…but certainly not the last. One house on Lawn Avenue had already become an outpost for the Jesuit Program for Living and Learning, aka Boys Hope, an outreach program that Fr. Paul Sheridan, SJ had recently hatched in the neighborhood. I taught one of its residents in my first SLUH class.
It seemed odd that, except for the “boys hoping,” it would be a year or two before I taught any SLUH student who lived in the neighborhood: the first was Kirk Tomiser whose brother Kraig had preceded both Kirk and teacher-me. Kirk lived on Oakland, two doors east of Kingshighway. There’s a comic definition of “neighborhood school” implied in the slick tip that Kraig gave Kirk before his freshman year: “Wait to leave the house until you spy the Kingshighway stoplight turning red. Then you can make it to the school door in two and a half minutes.” Very convenient, but Kirk also recalls an ironic dichotomy between how the neighborhood’s
Above: Kings Oak snowfall scene, watercolor artwork by Joan Bugnitz, SLUH fine arts faculty member. Right: Kings Oak alleyway, artwork by Leo Smith ’23.
adults and kids regarded his becoming a SLUH boy. “The adults were impressed, but the kids I played basketball with were mystified at my going to this prestigious school.”
Although the six Tomiser family members crammed themselves into a small house in a marginal neighborhood, other kids regarded Kirk as “privileged.” According to Kirk, “Kids seemed to resent the opportunity I had to go to SLUH while they didn’t.” And as Kirk’s brother had warned him, Kirk’s easily attained highest honors in their Dogtown school had left him ill-prepared for the academic rigors at SLUH.
Nonetheless, it seems that with each year since that first, Kirk’s misgivings about those challenges were gradually replaced by the gratitude he still feels for the things he learned and the friends he acquired at SLUH. In fact, a decade after graduation, Kirk returned to the neighborhood, bought a home on Lawn, and occasionally walked to the upper end of the block to sit on the porch of the new Jesuit residence, sipping cocktails with Fr. Tom Cummings, SJ, the former school president. Kirk, who now lives in Sonoma, says each time he returns for another tour of the school, he marvels at its remarkable transformations. He also meets up with those friends he made inside the then-less-spiffy halls of the school.
I was late to the news that at least once (in the late nineties), the SLUH Board of Trustees had mulled over a proposal to decamp from Oakland and to move out De Smet-way. (My classmate Al Agathen speculates that, after deciding to
“St. Louis University High decided long ago to do their part in changing the perception of the city by being committed to educating young men within the city limits of St. Louis. Through core values and Ignatian ideals, SLUH is training students to be leaders in our diverse world. It is dedicated to building Christ’s Kingdom of truth, justice, love and peace, and having a student body and faculty that better represents the overall demographics of the St. Louis metropolitan region.”
DR. H. ERIC CLARK ’83 PRESIDENT, LOYOLA ACADEMY OF ST. LOUIS SLUH BOARD OF TRUSTEES
keep SLUH in the city, the Jesuits purposely named De Smet’s teams the Spartans as if to imply that SLUH’s citizens were the Athenians. It’s an analogy so mythologically sweet that I refuse to investigate it.) In any case, this story of how SLUH almost became SLUH West made the anti-De Smet cheers of “SLUH West, You Are!” echo like friendly fire. This news that SLUH nearly left the SLUH neighborhood made this neighbor (and others) less ticked about the annoyances of SLUH traffic and parking and more appreciative of what a valuable anchor St. Louis U. High has been to its neighborhood and to the city as a whole. Steve Smith ’91,the owner of The Royale and a devoted crusader for our city, long ago heard of SLUH choosing to stay in the city and still applauds the school “for not following the pattern of institutions disinvesting from the city out of fear.” Even the SLUH mission statement now makes explicit the school's commitment “to our presence in the city of St. Louis.”
Still, among Kings Oak neighbors there were ironies and misgivings about the increasingly imperial plans that SLUH had for demolishing homes in the southwestern quadrant of our neighborhood. Those same plans, once realized, would clear the way for the lavish improvements that Kirk Tomiser would later marvel at. But along the way, many eggs were cracked to make that zesty omelet. One sweet hippie couple, whose home on Wise Avenue had belonged to the wife’s grandparents, told me that they dearly wanted to remain in their home, regardless of what playing fields might soon surround them. One eager administrator expressed impatience to me about the couple’s persistence: “Don’t they understand that they are standing in the way of the welfare of a thousand
boys?” The couple did eventually capitulate. While these displaced residents may have gone on to afford newer homes, demolitions of this scale inevitably reduce the stock of solid housing available to city-dwellers. In the nineties, a planning committee of the Board had privately concluded that staying on Oakland demanded ambitious expansion—both to create a grander, more competitive campus and to broaden the security buffer around the school. As a teacher and a neighborhood resident, I found the pastoral program’s simultaneous effort to build a Habitat for Humanity house or two a mile to the southeast of campus an admirable but meager gesture for an institution that was, on the other hand, preparing to expand its playing fields by razing over two dozen houses—a drain that our Habitat for Humanity volunteers could hardly plug. A year or two later, that same eager administrator told me he envisioned replacing all the houses between SLUH and Kingshighway with a handsome greensward. “Hey,” I wanted to say, “that’s my home you’re dreaming into oblivion.” After an unruly session in Room J124 around these issues, the Kings Oak Neighborhood Association was banished from meeting at SLUH for a few years. But my house, as well as the others on Lawn and Kingshighway, remains.
Eventually, the campus tripled in size from its modest mid-century footprint, and the neighborhood has had to accept the bad with the good: the school chose to stay in the neighborhood only on the implicit condition that a swath of the neighborhood would be erased.
But over the longer span, the day-to-day relationship between SLUH and its neighborhood was far less vexed. Assistant Principals like Eric
SLUH boasts an active sustainability club that maintains the Backer Memorial Garden, located on campus in the Kings Oak neighborhood. The garden provides fresh, all-natural food items for several non-profit organizations that benefit from the SLUH community service program.
Clark ’83 and Brock Kesterson graciously fielded complaints about parking from neighbors, and presidents like David Laughlin and Alan Carruthers invited neighborhood residents to festive events and back to neighborhood meetings on campus. Perhaps also, the gleam of the school’s resplendent facilities extended to the remaining neighbors’ confidence in their own dwellings.
Moreover, the gap between school and neighborhood diminished when the school launched the Alum Service Corps, whose members lived in a couple of houses the school purchased on Lawn and Berthold. Though young people spending just a year in a neighborhood will not often hobnob with neighbors, ASC members occasionally settled in and made the school itself seem less of a stranger to neighbors and the neighborhood more of a peaceable realm to the school. Brian Dugan ’13 recalls that “I came to know Lawn only during my ASC year. Then, the following summer, my roommates on Lawn tasked me to retrieve a possum carcass from beneath a neighbor’s bush.” Ferreting out the remains of a supposedly dead possum: there’s no mission more neighborly than that.
Eventually, the Jesuits themselves moved from the school building into homes in the neighborhood. That made a subtle but significant difference. A prominent member of the Jesuit community during some of its time in the big house on Lawn at Oakland, once confessed that getting to know and to admire a couple of his unchurched neighbors had made him reconsider a notion he had once dismissed: Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner’s concept of anonymous Christians—that is, of people whose steady pursuit of goodness perhaps made them admirable vessels of Christ’s grace. It’s hard to count (but mistaken to discount) discrete moments like this—moments when the lives of neighbors and the spirituality of a school spark some sympathetic connections. This truce has held for many years, and I now seldom hear criticism of SLUH from my neighbors. For these last two or three decades, I’ve sensed no panic here about city-living, recently perhaps because of the surging vitality of the nearby Grove entertainment district—but for a longer span because St. Louis U. High has provided some stabilizing ballast for this little patch of our city.
Rich Moran ‘66 served on the English faculty from 1980-2019. A longtime (and current) co-moderator of Sisyphus, the SLUH Magazine of Literature and Art, he is a former member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee of the Board of Trustees, and chair of the English Department. A past recipient of the SLUH Faculty Appreciation Award, Independent Schools of St. Louis Teacher of Distinction, and Emerson Award Winner for Excellence in Teaching, he has won five National Endowment for the Humanities grants for Seminar Study and had several book reviews, essays and poems published. Moran earned his undergraduate degree (summa cum laude) from Notre Dame, where he served as editor-in-chief of The Scholastic , and his M.A. from Tufts. His daughter and her family have for the last seven years also lived within punting distance of SLUH.
“Our community benefits from St. Louis University High and its decision to keep the school in the city. Through its high standard of education, SLUH is raising the next generation of leaders. I encounter SLUH alumni everywhere I go in the city, and many are now part of making the city a better place to live for all of its residents. The school maintains a beautiful campus in the Kings Oak neighborhood, right across from Forest Park. It continues to be an active part of the community, setting an example for its students to be an active part of their communities.”
BROWNING ALDERMAN, 9TH WARD CITY OF ST. LOUIS
MICHAEL
THE JEWEL OF OAKLAND AVENUE
SLUH Continues to Serve as a Steadfast Anchor in the Heart of St. Louis
BY BROOKS GOEDEKER ’98
As a south city youth attending SLUH, I remember waking up early to catch the Kingshighway bus to Oakland Avenue; listening intently to Fr. Harrison in American History class as he discussed the latest St. Louis Mayor’s race; embarking on a day-long exchange with students at Cardinal Ritter College Prep; performing work study for Fr. Sheridan as he envisioned the SLUH campus expansion; and being presented with numerous volunteer opportunities in the surrounding community as we forged our lives as Men for Others. What I didn’t realize then is that these experiences would help shape within me a lifelong passion to help build a better St. Louis.
Celebrating the 2018 SLUH bicentennial as the oldest school west of the Mississippi and now commemorating its campus centennial on Oakland is something in which our students and alumni can take pride. During the 1950s through the 1970s most of the private hospital systems, high schools and other institutions left the city of St. Louis as they followed the waves of citizens to the suburbs. These departures often left empty buildings and services, but more importantly they left voids of neighborhood anchors that held communities together.
SLUH has been a steadfast anchor from which other institutions, developments and even adjacent neighborhoods have been able to build and thrive. Without the SLUH commitment and expansion on Oakland and the Kings Oak neighborhood, it is hard to imagine the Saint Louis Science Center locating next door, or the successful Highlands development being constructed at the old Arena site, or even the renaissance of the Grove district and the new Kingshighway apartments taking shape.
Research conducted by the Brookings Institute has shown that American neighborhoods that include “anchor institutions” are experiencing unprecedented growth. SLUH is undoubtedly an anchor institution and, combined with its student body and alumni network, is a gem in the city of St. Louis.
“Throughout 100 years on Oakland, SLUH has truly been the heartbeat of the neighborhood and the surrounding community.”
“... American neighborhoods that include ‘anchor institutions’ are experiencing unprecedented growth.”
While SLUH is certainly a tremendous attribute to its surrounding community, its central location provides intangible value for the school and its students. Set in the center of the St. Louis region allows the school to attract students stretching from Illinois to across the Missouri River. Located between Interstates 64 and 44, as well as Kingshighway and Hampton, SLUH is easily accessible. It’s no wonder why IKEA, City Foundry and the new Midtown Topgolf selected a similar central location near the interstates and public transportation so they could attract more customers and workers from across the region.
While the SLUH location –coupled with its robust financial assistance program – may help to attract students from more zip codes than any other high school in the region, the geographic setting is also ideal for creating a wide array of learning experiences and service outreach. One of the best urban parks in the country – containing a renowned zoo, museums, cultural events, nature reserves, and numerous sports and fitness opportunities – is just across Oakland. Also conveniently located is the Missouri Botanical Garden, the oldest functioning botanical garden in the country and one of the world’s best, as well as the Grand Center Arts district,
home to the St. Louis Symphony and a multitude of theaters and museums. Moreover, dozens of nearby nonprofits that serve the poor and most vulnerable populations provide Jr. Bills invaluable service opportunities.
Not only is SLUH surrounded by some of the most diverse neighborhoods and dining experiences in the region such as the Central West End, the Grove, Dogtown and South Grand, but it is also adjacent to some of the most advanced research and innovation centers in the world. This includes the Washington University Medical Center campus, its 26,000 employees and nearly $1 billion in research grants each year; Saint Louis University and its hospital partner SSM Health with their new SLU Hospital building and soon-to-be new Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital; the Cortex Innovation District and its campus of nearly 10,000 innovators and entrepreneurs; and the new $2 billion National Geospatial Agency campus opening later this year.
Further connecting all of these tremendous assets to SLUH will be the new $200 million Brickline Greenway. The greenway will soon link Forest Park with the Arch grounds and Fairgrounds Park with Tower Grove Park.
The 14-mile pedestrian and bicycle pathway will allow the public, including SLUH students, faculty and staff, to travel
safely throughout the area.
Looking ahead, civic initiatives from groups like Greater St. Louis Inc. are creating a streamlined and strategic push to attract more high-quality jobs and tackle tough development projects providing hope for a stronger economy and a united region.
The opportunity for me – as a south city adolescent raised by a single mother – to attain a SLUH education hinged greatly on proximity to the school. This still holds true today for many Loyola Academy and other city students. Throughout 100 years on Oakland, SLUH has truly been the heartbeat of the neighborhood and the surrounding community. Accessibility to underprivileged students has transformed many young lives and exemplifies the Jesuit school mission.
SLUH is integral to the city of St. Louis and will hopefully continue to be a St. Louis treasure on Oakland for the next 100 years and beyond.
Brooks Goedeker ’98 grew up in the Princeton Heights and Dutchtown neighborhoods in South St. Louis. After college and graduate school, he spent 15 years working to rebuild the neighborhoods surrounding SLUH and was instrumental in the rebirth of the Grove neighborhood. Goedeker, currently the Saint Louis University Executive Director of Community and Economic Development, helped to attract the new Target and Topgolf to the Midtown area. He currently has a son, Nolan ’27, attending SLUH.
From corporate R&Ds and bioscience startups to nonprofits and social change organizations, more than 5,700 employees across 574 companies make up the Cortex Innovation District.
“Long before Kevin Costner came out with his popular film Field of Dreams and the movie’s famous line, ‘Build it, and they will come,’ the Jesuits at St. Louis U. High were already ahead of the game. They did build it, paying scant attention to the real estate naysayers who yelled, ‘Location, Location, Location!’ The Jesuits always knew what they wanted, and they knew where they wanted it – in an urban setting that was most reflective of our society. One hundred years later, it’s clear things worked out well.
While most of the city's industrial smokestacks are gone, many of the church steeples stand vacant and few Catholic private schools remain, SLUH stands tall as a testament to the success of the Jesuit model of educating young men in an urban environment. Today, with more than 1,000 boys representing every zip code in the region, the school remains a melting pot of the socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds that reflect our world. Nestled beside the Saint Louis Science Center and next to the great Forest Park, SLUH continues to be a beacon of hope in the city and a shining star in the landscape.”
Mission in Action
Each year all SLUH seniors contribute about 30,000 hours serving those in need – in the St. Louis metropolitan area and beyond – through Senior Project. It is a lasting experience for them to positively impact communities, while learning and growing through their labors. Following are some of the nonprofits and countries that benefited from this comprehensive effort in 2025.
The Aging
Bethesda Dilworth | Delmar Gardens Chesterfield | Delmar Gardens South | Delmar Gardens West | Lake
St. Charles Retirement Community | Lutheran Senior Services - Laclede Groves | Lutheran Senior Services - Mason Pointe | Lutheran Senior Services - Breeze Park | Lutheran Senior Services - Richmond Terrace | St. Agnes Home
Catholic Access Academies
Loyola Academy | Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School | St. Cecilia School and Academy | St. Frances Cabrini Academy | St. Louis Catholic Academy
Crisis Care
St. Louis Crisis Nursery - St. Louis City Centene | St. Louis Crisis Nursery - North County | St. Louis Crisis Nursery - St. Charles | St. Louis Crisis Nursery - Wentzville
Early Childhood Education
Stix Early Childhood | Wilkinson Early Childhood
International Encounter France | Guatemala | Jordan | Honduras | Poland | Taiwan
Public Elementary & Middle School Education
Atlas Public Schools | Bayless Elementary School | City Garden Montessori Elementary School | Lafayette Preparatory Academy | Mann Elementary | Mullanphy Elementary | Sigel Elementary School
Special & Alternative Education
MIKE BRUNO ’62
SLUH BOARD OF TRUSTEES - CHAIR (1998-99)
Ackerman School - SSD | Affton High School - SSD | Annunziata School | Gateway-Michael SLPS Special Education | Giant Steps | KVC Missouri (Formerly Great Circle) | Miriam School | Moog Center for Deaf Education | Neuwoehner High School - SSD
Other - Student Proposed Sites
Bayless ECC | Gateway Housing First | McCluer High School | SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital | The Soulard School LLC | Delmar Gardens Creve Coeur
In addition to Senior Project, the Community Service Program contributes many more thousands of service hours to the local organizations such as Peter & Paul Community Services/Garfield Place, McCormack House, TASK, KEEN, SPENSA and St. Louis Challenger Baseball.
Arching into the Future A BACKER
MEMORIAL CENTENNIAL REFLECTION
BY FR. MATT STEWART, SJ ’98 SLUH PRINCIPAL
As a 14-year-old boy, I was part of a carpool that would head east on Highway 40 every morning to go to school in the city. As we would turn the bend that led us underneath McCausland and Clayton Avenues and across the city limits into St. Louis, the downtown skyline and the silhouette of the Gateway Arch would come into focus.
I didn’t know then that the Gateway Arch was built to commemorate the
westward expansion of the United States and the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Nor did I know that just 15 years later, in 1818, Bishop Louis Dubourg founded a school called St. Louis Academy in a small home at 3rd and Market, which is coincidentally where the Gateway Arch now stands. That school still exists today, and has stood at its current location on Oakland Avenue since 1924: St. Louis University High.
LIVING OUT A HISTORIC MISSION
Our 206-year history marks us as the oldest secondary school west of the Mississippi River. Almost as significant is the more recent context of the meaning of being a century-old campus in the heart of the city of St. Louis: Our beloved St. Louis Cardinals would not win their first World Series until the first SLUH students were juniors in 1926; Ted Drewes would not sell his first custard concrete and the Fox Theater would not show its first movie until 1929; Provel cheese wasn’t even around until the 1940s, and it wouldn’t be put on an Imo’s pizza until 1964, just in time for the first 40-year SLUH class reunion banquet. Our school and our beautiful campus are as synonymous with our city and region as toasted ravioli (not invented until the 1940s).
Whether a school — or any institution in the city — is successful depends on much more than the age of its campus. The story of the success of SLUH is primarily told by how it lives out its mission. When my Jesuit brothers laid the foundation of our Oakland Avenue campus in 1924, they did so as heirs to the mission established by the founder of the Jesuits, St. Ignatius of Loyola, when he founded the first Jesuit school in 1548 in Messina, Italy.
A Jesuit friend of mine likes to muse that the first Catholic school was on the shores of the Sea of Galilee over 2,000 years ago with Christ himself as the teacher. SLUH is proud of this lineage and our strong identity as a Catholic, Jesuit school today that values our relationship with our local archbishop, and serves as one of the largest feeder schools for the St. Louis archdiocesan seminary.
PREPARING LEADERS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS
We welcome students and families from all faith traditions as well as no faith traditions. Regardless of denomination, all SLUH students participate in robust retreat and service programs that help them cultivate compassionate hearts through developing habits of prayer and engaging in service of presence to neighbors in need.
It is because of our Catholic, Jesuit identity that we admit students based on their ability to succeed, not their ability to pay tuition. The Christian charity that inspires
our generous benefactors enables us to distribute over $5 million every year in direct need-based assistance to our students.
Our rigorous college preparatory program invites our students into a deep study of the humanities that are the backbone of Western civilization, while at the same time preparing them as leaders and innovators in STEM, as global citizens, and as practitioners and supporters of the visual and performing arts. Our long-term goal is to instill in our students a dedication to lifelong learning and an insatiable curiosity about the world around them so that they can be the transformative and selfless leaders that our world so desperately needs.
SERVING ST. LOUIS
All missions are carried out in a specific time and place. Ours is within the city of St. Louis and in service to the Greater St. Louis region. Our specific location has become one of the most thriving centers for education, research and innovation in our region. We are proud of the many civic partnerships we enjoy, and humbled to welcome so many exciting developments in our neighborhood: SLU, Cortex, The Grove, the Washington University Medical Center, Forest Park, the Science Center, the Saint Louis Zoo and exciting residential growth led by NorthPoint Development. The partnerships, cultural amenities and innovative development in this corridor can be a source of pride and inspiration for the region.
Today, three decades from when I first saw our striking skyline emerge, the Gateway Arch still stands as a powerful symbol of what our city and our school have embodied since Thomas Jefferson purchased the region from the French: expansion. From our thriving pocket of St. Louis City, SLUH looks east through the arch toward the rich and often challenging history of our first two centuries as a school. But we also look west and recognize the expansion and growth of our region. Here at SLUH, we seek to unite that rich history with an exciting future while seizing the opportunity to renew our city, region and world one teenager’s heart at a time — all For the Greater Glory of God.
THE IGNATIAN PLEDGE Giving Back and Paying Forward
Steve Klug ’70, like many SLUH alumni, credits his years at St. Louis U. High for much of the success he has found in life. Inspired by Warren Buffet’s “Giving Pledge,” Klug reached out to SLUH with a modest proposal: Doesn’t our Ignatian tradition speak of the importance of giving back? Aren’t we all on a mission to pay it forward together?
Through Klug’s encouragement and snowballing support from the Class of ‘70, SLUH is proud to announce the Ignatian Pledge. Signers to the Ignatian Pledge commit to making annual charitable gifts to SLUH of any amount for the rest of their lives and a gift from their estate that will help sustain the school mission for centuries to come.
Klug and his wife Debbie made a special pledge to what will be regarded as the Ignatian Pledge Anchor Circle. This Anchor Circle recognizes those who make a leadership commitment equivalent to the cost to educate at least one student annually and a planned gift of at least 10% of their estate.
With a keen interest in keeping a SLUH education affordable for all aspiring students, the Klugs invite others to join them in signing the Ignatian Pledge, which states:
We who sign this pledge declare that we have been given much across our lives, especially through our own education. We desire to give back in a manner that will amplify the gratitude we feel.
We desire to invest a part of our worldly gifts in the future of Jesuit education at St. Louis U. High. We commit to a planned estate gift at this time that will guarantee SLUH sustains its legacy of excellence far into the future. We also hope to continue to provide annual support to SLUH during our lifetime.
We hope the boldness of this Pledge inspires others to make similar commitments. Together, with our alumni brothers and friends, we can ensure that SLUH will remain a beacon of hope for our world ad majorem dei gloriam – for the greater glory of God.
"I am grateful for the selfless sacrifice of my parents who listened to the Holy Spirit and afforded me the opportunity to attend SLUH. The SLUH experience transformed my life in a positive way. At the U. High I learned the purpose of my life was not to be unique and great among men, but to be unified in purpose and humbled among saints.”
MARK COLEMAN ’72
In anticipation of their upcoming 55th reunion, several classmates from the Class of 1970, including John Schaefer and Steve Klug, organized a campaign encouraging classmates to make a planned gift through the Heritage Society (bequest) or the Ignatian Pledge (bequest plus lifetime annual giving).
SLUH expresses deep gratitude to these founding signatories of the Ignatian Pledge, which manifests the spirit of Jesuit education: giving back and paying forward.
• Proud SLUH alumnus *
• Mary Jo Gorman, M.D. and Mike Borts, M.D. ‘75
• Thomas M. Buchanan ’67
• In Honor of Ollie and Lee Coleman
• Donna M. and J. Anthony Dill ’57 *
• Rosemary (Voracek) Emnett and Robert Francis Emnett, Ph.D. ’60 *
• Deborah and Stephen Klug ’70 *
• Mary Jo and Mark LaBarge ’70
• Jack Lane Jr. ’59
• Joan and Mark Milburn ‘70
• Mary Pat and Tom Santel ’76 *
• Pamela Zilly and John Schaefer ’70 *
• Keith Schwab, Ph.D. ’86
• Patricia and Matthew Sciuto ’70
• Mr. and Mrs. David M. Sorrell ’70
• Joyce and Tom Walsh ’58
• Dana and Jim Whalen ’70
* Ignatian Pledge Anchor Circle
If you are interested in the Ignatian Pledge or making a planned gift, contact Linda Domeyer, Sr. Director of Leadership Giving, at (314) 269-2113 or ldomeyer@sluh.org. To learn more, visit sluh.org/pledge
Both Debbie and Steve Klug ’70 (pictured) grew up in St. Louis, where their parents – each raising seven children – instilled in them the importance of a Catholic education. This legacy of faith and learning continues to resonate with the Klugs today.
REQUIESCAT IN PACE
Since July 2024, SLUH has learned of the deaths of the following alumni. Eternal rest grant unto them, oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
Find the complete list at sluh.org/remember.
List compiled 7/1/24-1/24/25
Ron Aylward ’48
Peter Balfe ’92
Rick Bohling Jr. ’70
Bob Brangle ’51
Ralph Brown ’58
Bob Bryant III ’92
Tom Chmelir ’58
Ed Costigan Jr. ’60
Tom Dunham ’71
Bob Emnett Jr. ’85
Tom Engelhardt ’49
Dave Fraser ’68
Hal Frederick ’56
Chris Gianoulakis ’62
Dan Groteke ’50
Pat Guilfoy ’69
Art Heckle Jr. ’48
Mike Heidenry ’59
Jeff Jacobs ’65
Mike Kavanaugh ’64
Fr. James Keene, SJ ’59
Don Klein ’54
Fr. Jim Knapp, SJ ’69
Bill Linek ’46
Jim Littich ’61
Michael Logan ’83
Jack Luecke ’45
Jim Lyons Jr. ’53
Tuck McAtee ’57
Pat McBride ’61
George McCalpin Jr. ’40
Dan McDermott ’74
Jim McHugh ’49
Kevin McKearin ’55
Tom Nickel ’61
Grover Niemeier ’51
Tom O'Connor ’70
Mike O'Keefe ’55
Leon Olszewski ’53
Tom Piel ’69
Jim Pini ’62
Ed Rataj ’65
Bill Rehder ’59
Hank Reinkemeyer ’53
Charlie Ries ’49
Bob Stephens ’68
Thad Strobach ’58
Mike Venegoni ’61
Bill Voigt ’67
Vic Volland Jr. ’52
Please let us know if you learn of the death of an alumnus or friend of SLUH at alumni@sluh.org.
HELP US PRESERVE OUR LEGACY
SLUH is creating a permanent display to showcase our storied tradition on our Oakland Avenue campus, beginning in 1924. If you have any items of historical significance — in student life areas such as academics, arts, athletics, co-curriculars, faith formation, global education, service and STEM — please consider donating them to the SLUH Archive.
Send your items to: SLUH Archive
St. Louis University High 4970 Oakland Ave St. Louis, MO, 63110
Or email ametzler@sluh.org to coordinate drop-off at SLUH.
ABOVE: Anna Backer sits humbly amid the student body at the dedication of the new SLUH campus, known as Backer Memorial, in 1924.
NOTEWORTHY
Discover what your fellow alumni are up to below, then explore more class notes at sluh.org/alumni.
Thad Strobach ’59 and Taylor Twellman ’98 were inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on November 24, at the Chase Park Plaza.
Strobach was a longtime high school girls basketball coach in St. Louis, where his teams earned 565 wins from the mid1970s and into the early 1990s. Of that total, 485 came while he was at Visitation Academy, where his teams won five state championships – 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1987 – and were state runners-up in 1982, 1983, 1989 and 1991. His 1990 team placed third. Strobach’s teams had a 43-game win streak at one point and won 15 district titles, 12 league championships and 28 preseason and regular-season tournaments. Strobach began his career by serving as a manager of the SLUH basketball team 1958 run to a state title. He later graduated from Saint Louis University in 1963, and then was the assistant coach at Priory before starting the women’s basketball program at SLU – with those teams compiling a 43-11 record. Additionally, Strobach organized and directed basketball camps and clinics for more than 25 years, and served on the MSHSAA Basketball Advisory Committee for seven years.
A four-sport athlete, Twellman starred in soccer at SLUH, scoring 115 goals – including 47 in one season – and was a two-time Parade and NSCAA All-American. He followed with two seasons with the Maryland Terrapins, finishing his career 10th in career goals (28), tied for sixth in career assists (17) and tied for seventh in career points (73). He also was the 1998 Freshman of the Year by Soccer America and College Weekly, and a two-time Second Team All-American by College Soccer Weekly. After college, he played two seasons in Germany before spending 11 seasons with the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer. Twellman became the youngest – and fastest – player ever to score 100 goals in MLS in a career that saw him help the Revolution play in four MLS Cups. The 2005 Most Valuable Player of MLS, he has been a longtime TV analyst on soccer broadcasts for MLS Season Pass, ABC and ESPN – roles in which he has covered the MLS, three FIFA World Cups, U.S. national team matches and three UEFA European Football Championships. He was the lead analyst on 10 MLS Cups, 12 U.S. Open Cup finals, five FA Cup finals, three Euros and the 2014 World Cup.
James Lucas ’68 has written 25 books (and counting) that explore a wide range of topics from leadership and marital advice to theology and science fiction. Discover the many valuable lessons he learned as a Jr. Bill and later in the corporate and consulting worlds.
Learn how his efforts are making a difference for patients struggling with neurological disorders.
Chris Hoffman ’06, CEO of Deutschmann Lane Holdings, and Jimmy Sansone ’06, owner of The Normal Brand were recognized in the St. Louis Business Journal 40 UNDER 40 Awards list. This honorary list celebrates young professionals in the region who excel in a variety of industries, such as manufacturing, health care, education and nonprofit work.
Dr. Shawn Moore ’08, a vascular neurologist near Columbia, S.C., was featured in an NBC news segment for his role in helping to expand access to specialized neurological care for a rural community in need.
Nick Fandos ’11 was honored with the Sandy Hume Award for Excellence in Political Journalism at the 51st Annual National Press Club Journalism Awards Dinner. Fandos, a reporter covering New York politics and government for The New York Times, is the former editor-in-chief of the Prep News and managing editor of The Harvard Crimson Alexander Unseth ’21 has won international composing competitions in three countries since graduating from SLUH. Two of these wins have led to pieces being recorded and featured on albums. One of these albums, Advent of the Symphonina, hit #1 on the Billboard® Traditional Classical Albums chart in August 2024.
Credit: Revolution Soccer
Credit: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Fr. Ralph Houlihan, SJ ’52 pictured on both pages.
ST. LOUIS U. HIGH: A LEGACY OF INSPIRATION AND TRANSFORMATION
BY RIVER SIMPSON, SJ
As a Jesuit regent concluding my mission at SLUH this year, I often ponder what my legacy will be. How will I be remembered? What will I leave behind when I am gone? When my students smell spearmint in the future, will it trigger loving or traumatic flashbacks of my class (I always hand out mints before exams)? When they feel overwhelmed, will they remember that God does not call the equipped, but equips the called? In prayer, my mind runs rampant down this garden of forking paths until Christ reminds me of one person: my brother Jesuit, Fr. Ralph Houlihan, SJ. More than anyone else, he has taught me what it truly means to leave a legacy.
A graduate from the SLUH Class of 1952 and a former teacher and president at our school, Fr. Ralph has witnessed the growth and transformation of our campus over the past 70 years. This December, he spoke at the all-school Voices of SLUH assembly, held to commemorate the spaces that students, alumni and faculty have held sacred over generations on our
100-year-old campus. Fr. Ralph perfectly embodied each one of those diverse perspectives.
Where rowhouses and parking lots once stood, the Danis Field House, the Joseph Schulte Theater and various athletic fields now fill the landscape. Where students and faculty alike once smoked together when he was a student (… and teacher), 3D printers and buzzsaws now hum with activity.
Yet, more significant than all these changes in scenery and customs, Fr. Ralph spoke of the classmates, teachers and Jesuit regents who made SLUH feel special — who made him feel special — even the
ones who cheated at games of pickup basketball. They inspired and transformed him into a Man for Others — a man dedicated to the care of others. With his kind gaze, folksy tales and holy presence, Fr. Ralph has done the same for me and countless Jr. Bills. While the names and times have changed, the love and attention that SLUH offers the young men who grace our presence never have. SLUH makes things — makes them — feel special. We meet them where they are and yet point them to where Christ is calling. We leave the rest to love and goodwill. That is our school legacy. That is Fr. Ralph’s legacy. And, that is what I hope will become my legacy. So, here’s to 100 more years on Oakland.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: River Simpson, SJ is a Jesuit scholastic from New Richmond, Wis. He studied Psychology and Anthropology at Loyola University Chicago before entering the Jesuits. After professing vows, Simpson earned a master's in Philosophy and Theology for Ministry from Saint Louis University. At SLUH, he teaches Social Studies and Theology, chaplains the soccer and wrestling programs, and coaches rugby. In his free time, he enjoys both reading and writing short stories.
UPCOMING EVENTS
CASHBAH Dinner Auction
Saturday, April 5
sluh.org/cashbah
AMDG: Ignatian Spirituality for SLUH Parents
Wednesday, April 23
sluh.org/amdg
Fine Arts Concerts
Jazz: Tuesday, April 29
Dance & Choir: Sunday, May 4
Band & Orchestra: Tuesday, May 6
sluh.org/arts
Mass of Praise and Gratitude
Thursday, May 1 Si Commons
Graduation Weekend
Saturday-Sunday, May 24-25
sluh.org/seniors
Father-Son Golf Tournament
Saturday, June 14
Norman K. Probstein Golf Course in Forest Park
Fr. Hagan Alumni Cup Golf Tournament
Friday, June 20
Norman K. Probstein Golf Course in Forest Park
For event details, as well as a complete listing of upcoming events, visit sluh.org/calendar.
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