==Legacy==
==Legacy==
After the school’s closure, former students organized the ”’McBride Alumni Association”’, which continues to hold reunions and support scholarships within the Archdiocese.<ref>”St. Louis Review”, “Alumni Keep McBride Spirit Alive,” May 2011.</ref><ref>[https://www.mcbridealumni.com/ McBride Alumni Association website]</ref> The school’s enduring influence is documented in ”Men of McBride: Stories of Character, Commitment, and Contribution”, a collection of alumni profiles and reflections published in 2024.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nettemeyer |first1=Joe |last2=Porschen |first2=Larry |last3=Hagenhoff |first3=Mike |title=Men of McBride: Stories of Character, Commitment, and Contribution |publisher=Independently published |date=April 18, 2024 |isbn=9798323326105 |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D25SK3ZV |language=English}}</ref>
After the school’s closure, former students organized the ”’McBride Alumni Association”’, which continues to hold reunions and support scholarships within the Archdiocese.<ref>”St. Louis Review”, “Alumni Keep McBride Spirit Alive,” May 2011.</ref><ref>[https://www.mcbridealumni.com/ McBride Alumni Association website]</ref> ”Men of McBride: Stories of Character, Commitment, and Contribution”, a collection of alumni profiles and reflections.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nettemeyer |first1=Joe |last2=Porschen |first2=Larry |last3=Hagenhoff |first3=Mike |title=Men of McBride: Stories of Character, Commitment, and Contribution |publisher=Independently published |date=April 18, 2024 |isbn=9798323326105 |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D25SK3ZV |language=English}}</ref>
==References==
==References==
Where to get help
Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. This draft has been resubmitted and is currently awaiting re-review. |
 |
 |
This may take 2 months or more, since drafts are reviewed in no specific order. There are 2,798 pending submissions waiting for review.
Where to get help
Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. |
Private, college preparatory school in St. Louis, Missouri, United States
William Cullen McBride High School (commonly McBride High School) was a Catholic college preparatory school for boys in St. Louis, Missouri. Operated by the Society of Mary within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis, the school opened in 1925 and served approximately 7,500 students before closing in 1971.[1]
History
Originally founded in 1911 as Kenrick Catholic Boy’s High School, the school moved to its new (and final) location at 1909 North Kingshighway in 1925, changing its name to William Cullen McBride High School in honor of its benefactor the prominent St. Louis businessman and philanthropist.
[2]
[3]
[4]
The $250,000 limestone structure at Kingshighway and Cote Brilliante opened with public tours and a basketball exhibition in January 1925.[5] The facility became a landmark for Catholic secondary education in north St. Louis and remained in use until the school’s closure nearly five decades later.
The school was named for William Cullen McBride, founder of W. C. McBride, Inc., a St. Louis oil company established in the late nineteenth century which exists today as Orthwein Energy, headquartered in Oklahoma City.[6]
In May 1970 the Globe-Democrat reported that the Marianist order staffing McBride would be reassigned as part of a system-wide reorganization by Archbishop Carberry, foreshadowing the school’s closure the following year.[7] The decision to close was announced in January 1971 and covered extensively in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.[1][8]
Academics and student life
In 1957 McBride was one of two high schoolls selected to pilot an Archdiocesan program for gifted students introducing college-level coursework.[9] Community events such as the annual father-son banquet and a 25th-anniversary celebration in 1928 reflected the school’s close ties with St. Louis families and alumni.[10][11]
Athletics
McBride became widely recognized as a powerhouse in interscholastic sports, producing championship teams, and collegiate and professional athletes across multiple sports. Its basketball and football programs were regularly covered by city newspapers, and the school’s competitive spirit was cited as emblematic of its community identity.[8]
Notable alumni
Prominent graduates included civic leaders, clergy, and educators who went on to national and international prominence:
Legacy
After the school’s closure, former students organized the McBride Alumni Association, which continues to hold reunions and support scholarships within the Archdiocese.[13][14] In 2024, the association published Men of McBride: Stories of Character, Commitment, and Contribution, a collection of alumni profiles and reflections.[15]
References
- ^ a b Venters, Jerry W. (January 28, 1971). “Regret, Little Surprise at McBride High Closing”. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 3. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
- ^ “Kenrick Team to Change Its Name Early in January”. The St. Louis Star and Times. December 23, 1924. p. 17. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
Announces change of Kenrick High School name to McBride and move to new Kingshighway building.
- ^ “Enrollment Doubled at Kenrick School”. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. August 31, 1924. p. 22. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
- ^ “Pupils Move Today to McBride Memorial”. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. January 5, 1925. p. 14. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
- ^ “McBride High School Receives 500 Pupils”. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. January 6, 1925. p. 14. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
- ^ Orthwein Energy – Company History
- ^ “Kendrick Transfers Marianists”. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. May 26, 1970. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
- ^ a b “Fabled Athletic Era Will End With Closing of McBride High”. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. April 12, 1971. p. 68. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
Feature describing McBride’s long athletic tradition and the close of a “fabled era.”
- ^ “High School Urged to Enrich Programs”. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. August 28, 1957. p. 24. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
- ^ “McBride Fathers and Sons Dinner”. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. February 26, 1928. p. 8, 12. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
- ^ “McBride 25th Anniversary”. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. February 26, 1928. p. 70. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
- ^ “Fr. Michael J. Garanzini, S.J.” Jesuits.org. Society of Jesus. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
- ^ St. Louis Review, “Alumni Keep McBride Spirit Alive,” May 2011.
- ^ McBride Alumni Association website
- ^ Nettemeyer, Joe; Porschen, Larry; Hagenhoff, Mike (April 18, 2024). Men of McBride: Stories of Character, Commitment, and Contribution. Independently published. ISBN 9798323326105.
