St. Augustine High School (New Orleans)

St. Augustine High School or "St. Aug" is an all-boys parochial high school in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.

St. Augustine High School was constructed by the Archdiocese of New Orleans with funds solicited from Catholics of the Archdiocese through the Youth Progress Program. The building and the site on which it stands were purchased by the Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart (The Josephite Fathers and Brothers), to whom the operation of the school was entrusted.

The Archdiocese of New Orleans placed the school under the patronage of St. Augustine of Hippo, a preeminent Christian and scholar of Africa, and a Father of the Church. This was appropriate since from its inception the school was designated for the education of young men from Black Catholic families of New Orleans. Although St. Augustine now welcomes students of any national or ethnic background, it has remained the leading secondary school for black males in Louisiana, and is nationally recognized in educational circles for outstanding success in preparing its students for higher education.

St. Augustine High School led the way in battling segregation in New Orleans. The successful legal challenges mounted by the school (and lawyer A.P. Tureaud) resulted in the de-segregation of the high school athletics in the state of Louisiana. The famed “Marching 100” was the first African-American high school band to march in the REX parade on Mardi Gras Day. The "Marching 100" has also played for the Pope, Super Bowls, and Presidential inaugurations.

In 1971, St. Augustine underwent physical expansion with the addition of a wing to accommodate new science laboratories, a gymnasium and athletic complex, and a music complex. In 2005 the Warren and Hilda Donald Business and Technology Center was dedicated. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, this facility ensures that St. Augustine students will remain competitive in a technology-driven society.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina which devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region in August 2005, St. Augustine High School closed its doors for the first time since its inception. In January 2006, the administrations of St. Mary’s Academy, St. Augustine High School, and Xavier University Preparatory collaborated to establish the MAX School of New Orleans. This event guaranteed the post-Katrina survival of the three historically African-American Roman Catholic High Schools in New Orleans.

Throughout its history St. Augustine has maintained a tradition of strong discipline, and a program of studies which challenges each student to achieve his fullest individual potential. St. Augustine has always served a very diverse student population, seeking to enable each and every student to maximize his potential. Various methodologies have been used throughout the history of the school to achieve this, from homogeneous groupings to diversified instruction methods. St. Augustine aims to prepare students of all academic aptitudes to function successfully in his professional endeavors.

St. Augustine's students and its sports team are commonly referred to as the "Purple Knights". Its school colors are purple and gold. The School is also locally referred to as "Saint Aug." The "Purple Knights" are a class 5A team in the Catholic League of the LHSAA.

Alumni

*Sidney Barthelemy, Mayor of New Orleans, 1986-1994
*Nat Dorsey, class of 2001, Player for the Cleveland Browns
*Victor Goins musician, Wynton Marsalis Quartet, former artistic director of Juilliard’s Jazz Studies program
*Cortez Hankton Player for the Minnesota Vikings class of 1998
*Tyrone Hughes class of 1988, former New Orleans Saints kick returner
*Louis Age class of 1988, former NFL Offensive Tackle Chicago Bears
*Leroy Hoard class of 1986, former NFL running back Clevland Browns, Minnesota Vikings
*Avery Johnson, class of 1983, head coach of the New York Knicks
*Donald Royal, class of 1983, former NBA player Orlando Magic
*Kerry Kittles former NBA star
*Harold Sylvester, actor
*Carl Weathers, actor
*Stan Verrett, sportscaster, ESPN
*Mack Maine rapper, Young Money
*Derrick M.J. Francis radio personality and business owner
*Dj Black N Mild Dj, producer & radio personality

References

* [http://www.purpleknights.com/ St. Augustine High School official website]
* [http://www.purpleknights.com/MAX/max.htm The MAX School official website]
* "Clarion Herald". [http://clarionherald.org/20010830/art001.htm "St. Aug celebrates 50 years of education."] August 30, 2001.
* "Times Picayune". [http://purpleknights.com/News/Picayune.htm "Time Marches On"] January 29, 2005
* "The New York Times". [http://purpleknights.com/News/nytimes.htm "Just a Living Legacy to the Leader of the Band" (re Mr. Edwin Harrell Hampton and the "Marching 100")] September 14, 2005
* "Seattle Times". [http://purpleknights.com/News/seattletimes.htm "The faces of St. Augustine" (on Purple Knight Alumni)] December 25, 2005
* "Clarion Herald". [http://purpleknights.com/News/clair.htm "MAX Throws Out the Welcome Mat for Returning Students" (on The MAX School)] January 28, 2006
* "New Orleans Magazine". [http://purpleknights.com/News/NOMag.htm "Prepping for the Future" (on Recovering High Schools)] January 20, 2006
* "The Georgia Bulletin". [http://purpleknights.com/m100-news.html "Famed Marching Band Returns With ‘Sweet Relief’"] August 24, 2006