Rex Mundi High School

Last updated

Rex Mundi High School was a Catholic high school in Evansville, Indiana. Its name comes from the Latin King of the World. The premises are now used for Ivy Tech Community College's Evansville Campus.

Contents

It opened in the fall of 1958 in a rapidly expanding area close to what was then the north city limits of Evansville. The Country Club Meadows and Country Club Manor subdivisions opened in the early to mid 1950s in the immediate vicinity of the Rex Mundi site. At the time of the opening of the high school, the Diocese of Evansville maintained a strict policy requiring those registered in Catholic parishes to send their children to diocesan schools. While it required an entrance exam for admissions (and exempted those who failed from the required attendance in the Catholic school system), Rex Mundi benefited from the diocesan attendance policy and soon was full to overflowing.

The school was closed by the diocese in March 1972. Famous alumni include former All-American quarterback Bob Griese.

History

Background

The effects of World War II had many implications for most of the world. One post-war outcome was the massive worldwide increase of births between 1946 and 1964, known as the Baby Boom. Approximately 76 million boomers were born in the United States, accounting for 29% of the population. The generations immense size brought them economic powers, rises in electronic mass media, and a high level of education. However, obtaining this high level of educational success did not come easily. Despite the positive reflections, this unexpected event inflicted problems on the nation as well. Because of the high fertility rate, more students than ever flooded into schools. Based on elementary school enrollment, there were expected to be 3,700 Catholic high school students by 1964. Mater Dei and Reitz Memorial were the only Catholic schools for these students to be distributed to. Reitz Memorial was built to hold 500 students and was handling almost twice that many. Mater Dei, built for 600, was almost as crowded. Classrooms became quickly overcrowded as the capacity of students reached its maximum. Bishop Grimmelsman decided that there was no other alternative but to build a new school. [1]

Opening

In 1956 the decision was made to open the third catholic high school in Evansville, Rex Mundi. The 15 acres of land was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Ollie Heerdink. Rex Mundi was constructed by Virgil Miller, who was also responsible for planning other schools within the diocese. Located on First Avenue near Buena Vista, the school is expected to hold 700 to 750 pupils. [2] On opening day, Rex Mundi welcomed 280 students. Of which, about 200 were freshmen, and the remaining were sophomores. Enrollment was expected to reach 800 in several years. [3]

Early years

The high school began with a Catholic priest, Father Charles Meny, as superintendent, and with priests, nuns (Sisters of St. Francis of Oldenburg, Indiana) and a few lay teachers making up the faculty. The school "tracked" its students for most courses, providing basic college prep courses as well as business and home economics courses that those in college prep were not allowed to take—at least in the first several years of the school's tenure. Priests taught all religion courses, and religion was a required subject. An outstanding strength of the school was its mathematics department, headed up by Franciscan Sister Theresa Marie. Under her guidance the school captured medals in state math competitions for several years, beginning soon after Rex Mundi opened. The sports program, particularly the basketball team, also garnered attention statewide. Graduating in the class of 1963, basketball team captain Bob Griese went on to fame in college and professional football.

Father Meny kept strict control over the day-to-day workings of the school. Unlike another Catholic high school in Evansville, Reitz Memorial, which boasted separate programs for young women and young men within the same building, Rex Mundi's boys and girls attended classes together. (Religion, biology and gym classes were separated by gender.) Into at least the middle 1960s a demerit system drove the discipline policy of the institution, and speaking to members of the opposite sex in the hallways was against the school rules, resulting in demerits. (A diocese- wide rule book for Catholic high school students forbade dating before the age of 16 and bringing a non-Catholic boyfriend or girlfriend to school dances; infractions of these rules often resulted in calls to parents.) Other rules were typical of schools of the time and included proscription of talking in class, disobeying direct orders from teachers, etc. An accumulation of a certain amount of demerits triggered suspension or expulsion. A visit to Father Meny for disciplinary action was a serious matter at Rex Mundi High School in the early years.

Closing

By 1971, Rex Mundi became a victim of falling enrollment and pressing finances. Enrollment in the Catholic high schools fell dramatically from 2,530 students in 1967 to only 1,900 in 1971. [4] With the extreme decline of incoming students, the need for three Catholic schools was not necessary. Ultimately, the only option was to shut down one of the Catholic high schools. Reitz Memorial was quickly taken out of the equation because it was the founding school and centrally located. The decision process of whether to close Rex Mundi or Mater Dei was contemplated for three months before a conclusion was finally made.

February 29, 1972, Peter Taromina, of the Area Catholic School Board, made the motion to retain Mater Dei and Reitz Memorial high schools. This motion was seconded by Wilbur “Red” Walker. The board voted 7-4 to close Rex Mundi. [5] The results were taken to Diocesan Council who voted 12-4 to close the school. March 29, 1972, the decision to close Rex Mundi was made official. [6] The students, administrators, graduates, and families were all strongly affected by the decision.

If the Rex Mundi students chose to continue in the Catholic high school system, their options were either be transferred to Mater Dei or Reitz Memorial. Juniors were allowed to decide which school they wanted to attend, however, underclassmen had to go to the school in their district. [7] They began visiting Mater Dei and Reitz Memorial high schools to become acquainted with future classmates and teachers. Each day, fifteen Rex Mundi students from the freshmen, sophomore, and junior classes spent their school day at one of the two schools. A Rex Mundi student was assigned a student at the host school with similar academic interests to provide a tour. This allowed the Rex Mundi student to get an idea of what the classes at his or her new school would be like. The school board was “firmly committed” to providing adequate transportation. [8]

The Evansville Catholic Diocese put the former Rex Mundi convent up for sale. March 22, 1975, George Utley, director of Ivy Tech, purchased the old Rex Mundi convent for $1.5 million for the state. [9] More than half of the proceeds from the sales of Rex Mundi was used to pay off old debts. [10] With the closing of Rex Mundi, faculty had to be distributed elsewhere. Catholic school officials were responsible for the employment of staff and faculty for the two remaining Catholic high schools in Evansville. The selection of faculty depended on a basis of need, competence, and seniority. [11]

Notable alumni

Bob Griese: All-American quarterback at Purdue University, All-Pro for Miami Dolphins, Member of the Professional, College and Indiana Football Halls of Fame.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FJ Reitz High School</span> High school in Evansville, IN

Francis Joseph Reitz High School is a public high school on the west side of Evansville, Indiana. It was founded in 1918 following a donation from local philanthropist and banker Francis Joseph Reitz, for whom the school is named. It is the second-oldest high school in the city after Evansville Central High School and is run by the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation.

Mater Dei High School or Evansville Mater Dei High School is a private Catholic high school on the west side of Evansville, Indiana, constructed in 1949. It is one of two Catholic high schools that serve the students of Vanderburgh, Posey, Gibson, and Warrick counties as part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reitz Memorial High School</span> Private, coeducational school in Evansville, Indiana, United States

Reitz Memorial High School or simply Memorial High School (MHS) is an inter-parochial Catholic high school on the east side of Evansville, Indiana. It sits on land bought with money donated by Francis Joseph Reitz in 1922 in memory of his parents, John Augustus and Gertrude Reitz. The school officially opened its doors on January 5, 1925. It is part of the Diocese of Evansville.

Roman Catholic Diocesan Schools in Santa Ana, California are private parochial schools operated by the Roman Catholic diocese in Santa Ana, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville</span> Catholic diocese in the U.S. state of Indiana

The Diocese of Evansville is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Southwestern Indiana in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishop England High School</span> School in Charleston, South Carolina, United States

Bishop England High School is a diocesan Roman Catholic four-year high school in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. It was located on Calhoun Street in downtown Charleston until it moved to a newly constructed 40-acre campus located on Daniel Island in 1998. With an enrollment of 730, Bishop England is the largest private high school in the state of South Carolina. The school was founded in 1915 and was named after John England, the first bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston.


Bishop Hoban High School was a Roman Catholic high school of the Diocese of Scranton, located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The school was founded in 1971, and the new building opened in 1972 after repairs due to the catastrophic flooding caused by Tropical Storm Agnes. The school was named after Most Rev. Michael J. Hoban, second Bishop of Scranton (1899–1926). Bishop Hoban's colors were green and gold, and the school's nickname was the Argents.

Paul VI High School is a private Catholic high school located in Haddon Township, in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As there is no post office in Haddon Township, the mailing address is Haddonfield. The school, founded in 1966, is named in honor of Pope Paul VI and is overseen by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1979 and is accredited until July 2030.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mater Dei High School (New Jersey)</span> Catholic school in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States

Mater Dei Prep: A Catholic Preparatory School was a four-year Catholic coeducational high school that served students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in the New Monmouth section of Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Indiana Athletic Conference</span>

The Southern Indiana Athletic Conference (SIAC) is a high school athletic conference based in Evansville, Indiana. Five of the conferences 10 schools; Bosse, Central, Harrison, North, and Reitz; comprise the public Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. Mater Dei and Memorial are private Catholic high schools ran by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville, and the largest member is Castle, a public school located in neighboring Newburgh in Warrick County under the Warrick County School Corporation. The league was founded in 1936, and at one point stretched far across southern and western Indiana: from Mount Vernon in the west to New Albany in the east, and from Evansville in the south to Terre Haute in the north. Jasper and Vincennes Lincoln announced in May 2019 that they would leave the disbanding Big Eight Conference to rejoin the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference beginning with the 2020–21 season.

Holy Name High School was a four-year comprehensive coeducational Roman Catholic preparatory/secondary school located in Reading, Pennsylvania. It was approved and accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Diocese of Allentown. The school's athletic rivals included Wyomissing Area High School and Reading Central Catholic High School.

In 1973, the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) established a three class state playoff system in football. In 1983, the tournament split into four classes, in 1985 into a five class system, and in 2013 into a six class system, with 6A for big schools and 1A for the smallest schools. This page represents all smaller school class tournament champions.

Gallup Catholic School (GCS) was a private, Roman Catholic K-12 in Gallup, New Mexico. It was located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup. The school colors were green, black, and white.

St. Joseph Academy is a four-year co-educational high school located in Hammonton, in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in grades 9–12. The Academy was established for the 2020-21 school year, replacing St. Joseph High School, which had operated since 1942 under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools through December 2025; The school's accreditation status was extended for seven years in Fall 2018. In 2020, the former school permanently closed because of financial problems that were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and the request from the Diocese of Camden.

Lebanon Catholic School was a private, Roman Catholic high school in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, United States. It was located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg. It closed in 2020.

Nativity B. V. M. High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evansville Day School</span> Private, day school in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States

Evansville Day School (EDS) is a private, Jr. PreK-12 college-preparatory school located in Evansville, Indiana in the United States. It is the only independent, coeducational day school in Evansville and the surrounding region. To accommodate a wide range of grade levels, the school is separated into three divisions: Primary School, Middle School (5-8), and Upper School (9-12).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Jeff Hays</span> American politician

John Jefferson "Jeff" Hays was an American politician. Hays was a progressive democrat and long-time member of the Indiana House of Representatives serving from 1970 until his retirement in 1996.

References

  1. ↑ Klinger, Ed (February 15, 1956). "Catholics To Build Third High School". Evansville Courier.
  2. ↑ "New Plan High School". Evansville Courier. February 16, 1956.
  3. ↑ "Rex Mundi, 3rd Catholic High School, Will Open Doors to 280 Students". The Sunday Courier. August 17, 1958.
  4. ↑ "School a Victim of Falling Enrollment, Pressing Finances". Evansville Courier.
  5. ↑ Hutchinson, Nancy (March 1, 1972). "Rex Mundi Closing Approved by Board". Evansville Courier.
  6. ↑ Hays, Jeff (March 31, 1972). "Rex Mundi Final Closing". Evansville Courier.
  7. ↑ Hays, Jeff (August 20, 1974). "Debts Will Take Most of Proceeds From Sale". Evansville Courier.
  8. ↑ "Students Get Acquainted". Evansville Courier.
  9. ↑ "Rex Mundi Exchanges $1.5 Million For Deed". Northside Reporter. March 26, 1975.
  10. ↑ Hays, Jeff (August 20, 1974). "Debts Will Take Most of Proceeds From Sale". Evansville Courier.
  11. ↑ "School Officials Begin Rex Mundi Phase-Out". Evansville Courier.

38°00′42.2″N87°34′23.1″W / 38.011722°N 87.573083°W / 38.011722; -87.573083

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.