Archbishop Rummel High School
Encyclopedia
Archbishop Rummel High School is a Catholic
secondary school located in Metairie, a community in unincorporated Jefferson Parish
, Louisiana
. The school is named after Archbishop Joseph Rummel, a former Archbishop
in the Archdiocese of New Orleans
.
Archbishop Rummel High School is accredited by the Department of Education of the State of Louisiana
and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
, and is nationally recognized as a Secondary School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.
The school continues the tradition of the Christian Brothers who responded to the request of the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1962 to conduct the school. For a period of 31 years (1962–1993), the Christian Brothers provided administrators and faculty who brought into the school the 315-year tradition of St. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, the founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, who was named patron of all teachers by Pope Pius XII
on May 15, 1950.
The senior high school plant occupies one third of the campus and consists of five separate building adjoined by covered walkways. The remaining portion of the campus is structure-free for athletic programs and future development. The senior high campus is divided into the faculty office wing, the administration-library wing, and the classroom wings completing a quadrangle in the center of which is the school chapel. A senior wing was added in 1966 to accommodate the first senior class. Additionally, in 1985 the school purchased the former Stuart Prep property adjacent to the school to use for a junior high campus.
The school cafeteria and gymnasium are located on the senior high campus. In memory of the Nelson-Smyth family of Chicago, the gymnasium was dedicated in May 1963. A building program that saw the construction of the senior wing also included the music building, an athletic field house, and an addition to the faculty office wing. During the 1980-81 school year, the school enclosed the area under the senior wing to make a student mall and also added a weight room to the field house.
The Brothers of the Christian Schools (Christian Brothers) conducted Archbishop Rummel High School through June 1993, when they relinquished governance to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Two Christian Brothers currently remain on staff for the school year. They and lay men and women comprise the administration, faculty, and staff of the school.
In the upper left quadrant is the star of faith of the Christian Brothers. This star symbolizes the faith of the faculty in youth and the faith which they seek to foster in their students. Archbishop Joseph Francis Rummel is symbolized in the upper right quadrant by a hunting horn from his own coat-of-arms.
Dominating the lower left quadrant is an open book, symbolic of the knowledge provided by Archbishop Rummel High School and the basis of all the education and culture available to the students.
The seal of the State of Louisiana
completes the crest in the lower right quadrant. The pelican is the state bird of Louisiana. The bird, which legendarily gives its blood to sustain its young, symbolizes devotedness which should characterize the Archbishop Rummel student. Separating and joining the quadrant is the cross symbolizing religion, which keeps each endeavor of the school in its proper perspective and joins them all under its benevolent influence.
to sketch the then unnamed Archbishop Rummel Raider. But, in 1966, the Raiders were participants in a District Track meet when Ms. John Cressend, the mother of a senior track team member, suggested her son's name, Rufus, as an appropriate mascot name to then principal Brother John Fairfax, FSC. Brother John told Ms. Cressend that if her son won his upcoming mile race, the name of Archbishop Rummel's mascot would be "Rufus." Sporting a broken arm, senior Rufus Cressend won his race and the school's new mascot has been called "Rufus" ever since.
In 1978 the Archbishop Rummel student body had an election to name Rufus' horse. After reviewing hundreds of names, the students finally selected "Rumpus" as the name of Rufus' horse. The nickname "Super Ants" is sometimes associated with Archbishop Rummel Raider football. This nickname dates back to 1972 when a tiny group of Raiders defeated a heavily favored Chalmette
Owl team by a 3-0 score. The Owl coach said at the time that the Raider defense was so thorough that it was like stepping into an ant pile.
at ceremonies in Washington, D.C.
Created by the Secretary of Education in 1982, the Blue Ribbon Recognition Program's purpose is to identify and honor America's outstanding public and private schools. To receive recognition, Archbishop Rummel was nominated by the Council for American Private Education and then passed a rigorous screening and two-day site visit. The school was then recommended to the Secretary of Education who presented the award to Archbishop Rummel representatives.
(SACS), and the general entrance requirements of universities and colleges. The Louisiana State Board of Education, the Office of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and the Archbishop Rummel Curriculum Committee, have approved these requirements.
The primary purpose of a Catholic high school like Archbishop Rummel is the faith development of its students. With this as its goal, the gospel values and teaching of faith are integrated throughout the school curricula and programs. The religion program, classroom instruction, prayer and worship opportunities, retreats, and service projects articulate the unique Catholic identity of the school in its faith development of the students, as well as that of the total school community. Therefore, it is essential that every student participate fully in the total program.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
secondary school located in Metairie, a community in unincorporated Jefferson Parish
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States that includes most of the suburbs of New Orleans. The seat of parish government is Gretna....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The school is named after Archbishop Joseph Rummel, a former Archbishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
in the Archdiocese of New Orleans
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, officially in Latin Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church administered from New Orleans, Louisiana...
.
Tradition
Rummel is a high school dedicated to educating young men; Rummel is owned by the Archdiocese of New Orleans and administered and staffed by lay and religious personnel.Archbishop Rummel High School is accredited by the Department of Education of the State of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
, and is nationally recognized as a Secondary School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.
The school continues the tradition of the Christian Brothers who responded to the request of the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1962 to conduct the school. For a period of 31 years (1962–1993), the Christian Brothers provided administrators and faculty who brought into the school the 315-year tradition of St. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, the founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, who was named patron of all teachers by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
on May 15, 1950.
History
Opened on September 10, 1962, Archbishop Rummel High School was one of four archdiocesan Catholic high schools established for students of Jefferson Parish, a New Orleans suburb, as a result of an archdiocesan campaign. On that first day of class, 225 freshmen formed the charter class of the school. In its second year, with the admission of nine freshman classes, the school had an enrollment of almost 600 students. Additional freshman classes were added each year until the 1965-66 school year when the school was a complete high school with 1,100 students. The charter class of 222 was graduated on May 27, 1966. The school operated as a four year high school until 1981 when the Archdiocese of New Orleans gave permission for the school to begin an eighth grade program for the 1982-83 academic year.The senior high school plant occupies one third of the campus and consists of five separate building adjoined by covered walkways. The remaining portion of the campus is structure-free for athletic programs and future development. The senior high campus is divided into the faculty office wing, the administration-library wing, and the classroom wings completing a quadrangle in the center of which is the school chapel. A senior wing was added in 1966 to accommodate the first senior class. Additionally, in 1985 the school purchased the former Stuart Prep property adjacent to the school to use for a junior high campus.
The school cafeteria and gymnasium are located on the senior high campus. In memory of the Nelson-Smyth family of Chicago, the gymnasium was dedicated in May 1963. A building program that saw the construction of the senior wing also included the music building, an athletic field house, and an addition to the faculty office wing. During the 1980-81 school year, the school enclosed the area under the senior wing to make a student mall and also added a weight room to the field house.
The Brothers of the Christian Schools (Christian Brothers) conducted Archbishop Rummel High School through June 1993, when they relinquished governance to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Two Christian Brothers currently remain on staff for the school year. They and lay men and women comprise the administration, faculty, and staff of the school.
School Crest
The crest, or coat-of-arms, of Archbishop Rummel High School symbolizes the school in a fourfold manner:In the upper left quadrant is the star of faith of the Christian Brothers. This star symbolizes the faith of the faculty in youth and the faith which they seek to foster in their students. Archbishop Joseph Francis Rummel is symbolized in the upper right quadrant by a hunting horn from his own coat-of-arms.
Dominating the lower left quadrant is an open book, symbolic of the knowledge provided by Archbishop Rummel High School and the basis of all the education and culture available to the students.
The seal of the State of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
completes the crest in the lower right quadrant. The pelican is the state bird of Louisiana. The bird, which legendarily gives its blood to sustain its young, symbolizes devotedness which should characterize the Archbishop Rummel student. Separating and joining the quadrant is the cross symbolizing religion, which keeps each endeavor of the school in its proper perspective and joins them all under its benevolent influence.
Colors and mascot
After the school colors (Columbia blue, scarlet red, and white) and the Raider mascot were established, the school commissioned famed New Orleans artist John Churchill ChaseJohn Churchill Chase
John Churchill Chase was a cartoonist and writer. He was known for his editorial cartoons and his works on the history of his native New Orleans and Louisiana in the United States....
to sketch the then unnamed Archbishop Rummel Raider. But, in 1966, the Raiders were participants in a District Track meet when Ms. John Cressend, the mother of a senior track team member, suggested her son's name, Rufus, as an appropriate mascot name to then principal Brother John Fairfax, FSC. Brother John told Ms. Cressend that if her son won his upcoming mile race, the name of Archbishop Rummel's mascot would be "Rufus." Sporting a broken arm, senior Rufus Cressend won his race and the school's new mascot has been called "Rufus" ever since.
In 1978 the Archbishop Rummel student body had an election to name Rufus' horse. After reviewing hundreds of names, the students finally selected "Rumpus" as the name of Rufus' horse. The nickname "Super Ants" is sometimes associated with Archbishop Rummel Raider football. This nickname dates back to 1972 when a tiny group of Raiders defeated a heavily favored Chalmette
Chalmette High School
Chalmette High School is a high school in the Chalmette area unincorporated St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is a part of St. Bernard Parish Public Schools.Chalmette High School opened in 1954 at the current site of Chalmette Elementary School, previously known as Chalmette Middle...
Owl team by a 3-0 score. The Owl coach said at the time that the Raider defense was so thorough that it was like stepping into an ant pile.
Blue Ribbon Award
On September 28, 1989, Archbishop Rummel High School was recognized as a Secondary School of Excellence by George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
at ceremonies in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Created by the Secretary of Education in 1982, the Blue Ribbon Recognition Program's purpose is to identify and honor America's outstanding public and private schools. To receive recognition, Archbishop Rummel was nominated by the Council for American Private Education and then passed a rigorous screening and two-day site visit. The school was then recommended to the Secretary of Education who presented the award to Archbishop Rummel representatives.
Academics
The Program of Studies at Archbishop Rummel High School is the result of the continuous work of the Curriculum Committee. It complies with the requirements of the Louisiana State Board of Education, the Louisiana Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), the Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
(SACS), and the general entrance requirements of universities and colleges. The Louisiana State Board of Education, the Office of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and the Archbishop Rummel Curriculum Committee, have approved these requirements.
The primary purpose of a Catholic high school like Archbishop Rummel is the faith development of its students. With this as its goal, the gospel values and teaching of faith are integrated throughout the school curricula and programs. The religion program, classroom instruction, prayer and worship opportunities, retreats, and service projects articulate the unique Catholic identity of the school in its faith development of the students, as well as that of the total school community. Therefore, it is essential that every student participate fully in the total program.
Athletics
Archbishop Rummel participates in the New Orleans Catholic League. In 2009, Rummel competed in the LHSAA football state championship, but was defeated by West Monroe High School. Under Coach Jay Roth, the 2009 football team finished the season with a 14-1 record.Notable alumni
- O'Neil De NouxO'Neil De NouxO’Neil De Noux is a prolific US novelist and short story writer. Although most of De Noux’s fiction falls under the mystery genre, critics describe his work as character-driven crime fiction...
'68—Author - Danny MartinyDanny MartinyDaniel R. "Danny" Martiny is a politician and attorney from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. His clients include the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs office against his constituents...
'69—member of the Louisiana House of RepresentativesLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
and the Louisiana State SenateLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators... - Steve ScaliseSteve ScaliseStephen Joseph "Steve" Scalise is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2008. He is a member of the Republican Party...
'83 -- U.S. Representative from Louisiana; former member of the Louisiana House of RepresentativesLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
and the Louisiana State SenateLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
. - Craig SteltzCraig SteltzCraig Joseph Steltz is an American football safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State University....
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Safety - Roger F. Villere, Jr.Roger F. Villere, Jr.Roger Francis Villere, Jr. is a businessman from Metairie in Jefferson Parish in suburban New Orleans who on March 26, 2004, was elected state chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party by the 144-member GOP State Central Committee. He succeeded Pat Brister of St...
'67—state chairman of Louisiana Republican Party. - Eddie JemisonEddie JemisonEdward F. "Eddie" Jemison is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles in the Ocean's Eleven trilogy and the television series Hung.-Life and career:...
Actor, Director best known for rolls in the Oceans 11 series and the HBO series Hung. - Troy KropogTroy KropogTroy Michael Kropog is an American football offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Titans in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Tulane....
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Offensive Lineman.