Saint Frances Academy (Baltimore) Explained

ST FRANCES ACADEMY ATHLETICS
Streetaddress:501 East Chase Street
Zipcode:21202
Religion:Roman Catholic
(Oblate Sisters of Providence)
Head Of School:Deacon Curtis Turner, Ed.D.
Teaching Staff:14
Ceeb:210185
Avg Class Size:18
Ratio:15:1
Fees:$0
Tuition:$12,400 (2024–25)
Campus Size:2.96acres
Campus Type:Urban
Athletics:MIAA, IAAM
Slogan:"We can. We will. We must."
Motto:Providentia Providebit
Motto Translation:Providence will provide
Accreditation:Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[1]
Rival:Everybody
Mascot:Panthers
Team Name:Panthers
Nickname:SFA
Yearbook:The Counsellor
Enrollment:260
Free Label1:NCEA School ID
Free Text1:1026047

Saint Frances Academy is an independent Catholic high school in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1828 to educate African-American children, it is the first and oldest continually operating Black Catholic school in the United States.

History

Early years

On June 13, 1828, the Oblate School for Colored Girls opened for its first year at 5 St. Mary's Court in Baltimore's Seton Hill neighborhood, northwest of downtown, near St. Mary's Seminary and College. The seminary was then located on North Paca Street; founded in 1791, it was the first Catholic seminary in the United States.[2] [3] It was established with the mission to teach "children of color to read the Bible". But teaching enslaved children was prohibited by law. [4]

The following year in 1829, the school operated from 610 George Street and then 48 Richmond Street (now West Read Street), a few blocks away.[5] In 1832 the school graduated its first class, with ceremonies.

By 1853, the school changed its name from the Oblate School for Colored Girls to the Saint Frances School for Colored Girls, named after St. Frances of Rome (1384–1440). The title was later shortened to the Saint Frances Academy.[6]

In 1871, the school moved to its current location in inner East Baltimore at 501 East Chase Street. This is now within the Johnston Square neighborhood.

Modern era

In the 20th century, the school focused on higher grades. It started admitting boys in the 1970s.[7] The school now offers a traditional, co-educational, college-preparatory curriculum for students in grades nine through twelve.

An honors program is available to select students. All students complete a community service component. Independently owned and operated by the Oblates, the school is approved by the Maryland State Department of Education and is accredited by the Commission on Secondary Schools of the regional agency of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

The student population is still predominantly African-American.

Bill and Camille Cosby donations

In 2012, Camille Cosby, an alumna of a school in Washington run by the Oblates, and her husband Bill Cosby made a donation to assist St. Frances Academy in building a community center in East Baltimore.[8] The community center was originally named after both her and her husband, but his name was removed after the revelation of multiple sexual offenses by him.[9]

Athletics

Football

The football program was founded in 2008, with one initial $60,000 contribution coming from Gilman School coach Biff Poggi.

In the late 2010s, St. Frances' football program became the subject of controversy in Maryland. After Poggi took over as head coach in 2017, he began aggressively recruiting talented players from inside and outside Maryland, to a greater degree than other private schools in the state. Within a few seasons, St. Frances became effectively unbeatable by their traditional opponents in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) (which they won in 2016 and 2017), regularly defeating them by wide margins.[10]

Before 2018 those teams told St. Frances they would no longer play them, citing safety concerns as many of St. Frances' recruits were well outside the typical height and weight range for high school players and more in line with college football teams. Some St. Frances supporters believe the opponents' real motives were racial, since there had been no complaints when predominantly white teams such as Gilman had been similarly successful in earlier seasons. The team won the MIAA championship before the season even started, as those opponents who refused to play had to forfeit their games. The school scheduled intrasquad scrimmages, opponents from as far away as Canada, and road trips to the South for the players' benefit.

Poggi departed the program in July 2021. The St. Frances team continued its winning ways, finishing the following season in the top 5 of MaxPreps' 10 national rankings.[11]

Basketball

Notable alumni

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: MSA-Commission on Secondary Schools . 2009-07-31 . MSA-CSS . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090712083151/http://www.css-msa.org/search.php/ . 2009-07-12.
  2. Banks. Willa Young. 99. 2. 132–163. A Contradiction in Antebellum Baltimore: A Competitive School for Girls of 'Color' within a Slave State. Maryland Historical Magazine. Maryland Historical Society.
  3. Book: Morrow, Diane. 2002. Person of Color and Religious at the Same Time. University of North Carolina Press.
  4. Web site: Moore. Ralph Jr.. Flowers. Willie. 2020-02-08. Mother Mary Lange's Sainthood: If Not Now When?. 2021-07-10. Afro. en-US.
  5. Web site: The Oblate Sisters of Providence and Early African American. 2019-07-18. Maryland Historical Society.
  6. Web site: The Oblate School for Colored Girls: Historical Background. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190120043248/http://www.mdhs.org/The%20Oblate%20School%20for%20Colored%20Girls--Historical%20Background.pdf. 2019-01-20. 2019-07-18. Maryland Historical Society.
  7. Web site: St. Frances Academy Historic Narrative. 2007-05-08. SFA.
  8. https://archive.today/20140827024113/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/keyword/oblate-sisters/featured/5 Hare, Mary Gail. "Baltimore school honors the Cosbys", Baltimore Sun, April 20, 2012
  9. https://archive.today/20140827024113/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/keyword/oblate-sisters/featured/5 Green, Erica L., "Baltimore Catholic school to name community center after Bill and Camille Cosby", Baltimore Sun, March 30, 2012
  10. News: Stanley. Tiffany. The Lost Season. Washington Post Magazine. January 28, 2019. February 7, 2019.
  11. Web site: 2021-11-22. High school football rankings: St. Frances Academy moves to No. 5 in MaxPreps Top 25 after 34-24 win over IMG Academy - MaxPreps. 2022-01-09. MaxPreps.com. en.
  12. Web site: MIAA A Conference Basketball Championships. 2019-07-18. Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association.
  13. Web site: IAAM A Conference Basketball Championships. 2021-03-27. Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland.
  14. Web site: As Billie Holiday biopic celebrates Golden Globe win for lead actress, a look back at the jazz legend raised in Baltimore. 3 March 2021 . 2021-03-09. Baltimore Sun.
  15. Web site: Riding the black history trail, again. 19 January 2012 . 2021-03-09. The Catholic Review.
  16. Web site: Kingsley Jonathan. cuse.com. Syracuse Orange.
  17. Web site: nia-clouden . ESPN.com.
  18. News: Defensive Player of the Year: Eyabi Anoma St. Frances. The Baltimore Sun. December 15, 2017. D7. Newspapers.com.
  19. Web site: Bean . Josh . Center of attention: Alabama signee Darrian Dalcourt made position switch in high school . AL.com . 3 January 2019 . 4 June 2024.
  20. Web site: Dunn . Kathrine . St. Frances All-Metro linebacker Shane Lee commits to Alabama . Baltimore Sun . 17 April 2018 . 16 May 2024.
  21. Web site: Adrian "Ace" Baldwin Jr. - 2022-23 - Men's Basketball . Virginia Commonwealth University . en.
  22. Web site: SamuraiFoochs . December 18, 2019 . WR Jahmal Banks Signs With Wake Forest . January 22, 2023 . Blogger So Dear . en.
  23. Web site: St. Frances defensive end Chris Braswell commits to Alabama. Baltimore Sun. November 25, 2018. October 13, 2022.
  24. News: St. Frances running back Blake Corum named Gatorade Maryland Football Player of the Year. The Baltimore Sun. December 6, 2019.
  25. Web site: Sang . Orion . Michigan football picks up 3rd commitment from St. Frances Academy for 2020 . Detroit Free Press . 23 May 2019 . 26 October 2024.
  26. Web site: Traeshon Holden - Football . Alabama Athletics . en.
  27. Web site: Angel Reese . USA Basketball . en.
  28. Web site: Page . Fletcher . UGA football lands four-star OLB Jamon Dumas-Johnson . 2022-11-01 . Online Athens . en-US.
  29. Web site: McFadden . Ryan . St. Frances senior LB Jaishawn Barham, one of nation's top recruits, commits to South Carolina . Baltimore Sun . 11 December 2021 . 20 March 2024.
  30. Web site: Derrick Moore. University of Michigan. July 24, 2022.
  31. Web site: reports . staff . 2020-01-20 . Colonial Forge football standout Elijah Sarratt transferring to St. Frances Academy . 2024-10-06 . Inside NOVA . en.
  32. Web site: Carlton 'Bub' Carrington, one year removed from St. Frances in Baltimore, becomes an NBA Lottery pick . High School On SI . 27 June 2024.
  33. Web site: Danois . Alejandro . 2023-12-12 . St. Frances quarterback Michael Van Buren picks Mississippi State . 2024-09-30 . The Baltimore Banner . en.

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