St. Vincent–St. Mary High School is a four-year private, college preparatory Catholic high school in Akron, Ohio, United States. It is sponsored by the Society of Mary and is associated with the Diocese of Cleveland. As of the 2017–18 school year, the school had an enrollment of 638 students.
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History
The current St. Vincent–St. Mary High School was formed by the merger of St. Vincent and St. Mary High Schools in 1972. The newly merged school took on the athletic nickname of St. Vincent, the Fighting Irish.
St. Mary High School
In 1887, Richard Gilmour, then Bishop of Cleveland, had commissioned Rev. Dr. Thomas F. Mahar, pastor of St. Vincent Church, the oldest Catholic church in Akron, to establish a mission in south Akron. St. Mary Parish was founded by Rev. Mahar in 1896. The high school was founded a year later. St. Mary's athletic teams were formerly known as the Crusaders.
St. Vincent High School
A high school was opened in September 1906 to provide parishioners' sons with a classical education beyond grade school. The parish had already opened St. Vincent Grade School, Akron's oldest Catholic school still in operation. At the time of the merger, St. Vincent High School had graduated over 6,000 students.
In May 2013, St. Vincent–St. Mary alumnus LeBron James donated $1 million to the school for the purpose of renovating their basketball arena. The project included the installation of a new basketball floor, scoreboard, locker rooms, and bleachers, and the seating capacity, which was raised from 1,600 to 1,831. The subsequently renamed LeBron James Arena now also serves as home of the American Basketball Association's Akron Aviators.
Athletics
STVM'S biggest rivals include Archbishop Hoban High School and Walsh Jesuit High School.
State championships
Football – 1972, 1981, 1982, 1988, 2012, 2013
Boys basketball – 1984, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022
Baseball – 1986, 1989
Wrestling – 2001
Girls cross country – 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Girls basketball – 1979, 1980, 1995
Girls softball – 1979, 1984
Boys track – 2011, 2013
Girls track – 2012
Won by St. Mary High School
Boys golf – 1927
Won by St. Vincent High School
Boys basketball – 1929
Notable alumni
Jibri Blount (2015), professional football player in the NFL
Malaki Branham (2021), professional basketball player in the NBA
Parris Campbell (2014), professional football player in the NFL
Maverick Carter (2000), sports-marketing businessman
Carla Chapman (1981), former college basketball player
Doran Grant (2011), professional football player in the NFL
Jayvon Graves (2017), professional basketball player who plays overseas
Jalen Hudson (2014), professional basketball player who played overseas
LeBron James (2003), professional basketball player in the NBA
Dru Joyce III (2003), college basketball head basketball coach
V. J. King (2016 - transferred), professional basketball player who plays overseas
Niko Lalos (2016), professional football player in the NFL
Jerome Lane (1985), professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA)
Joe Salem (2005), soccer player
JaKarr Sampson (2011 - transferred), professional basketball player in the NBA
St. Vincent High School
Lou Baldacci (1952), professional football player in the NFL
Chuck Chuckovits (1930), professional basketball player in the National Basketball League
Fritz Graf (1940), official in the NFL
Art Hunter (1951), professional football player in the NFL
William Jurgens (1946), Catholic priest
Tony Laterza (1946), college basketball head coach
Mary McGowan (1903), Ohio politician
Sandra Pianalto (1972), former president of the United States Federal Reserve