Saint Louis School is a historic Catholic college preparatory school for boys located in the neighborhood of St. Louis Heights in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was founded in 1846 to serve Catholics in the former Kingdom of Hawaii. Located within the Diocese of Honolulu, it is affiliated with the Society of Mary, a religious order of brothers and priests called the Marianists who also administer Chaminade University of Honolulu, formerly the college section of Saint Louis School. It is located near Sacred Hearts Academy, a girls' school founded by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and both schools hold joint programs such as cultural festivals and the JROTC.
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History
Establishment
Saint Louis School was originally located in the ʻĀhuimanu area of windward Oʻahu as the College of ʻĀhuimanu, founded in 1846 by the Fathers of the Society of Mary. In 1881, the school was relocated to Beretania Street, in downtown Honolulu, adjacent to Washington Place, the home of Liliuokalani, who was Queen of Hawaii from 1891 to 1893. When the school moved to downtown Honolulu, it was called the College of Saint Louis, named after the patron saint of Louis Maigret, Bishop of Honolulu. In 1883, the school moved again for a third time to Kamakela (known today as College Walk), on the bank of the Nuʻuanu Stream, near Chinatown, Honolulu. This remained the campus until the 1920s.
The high school and college sections eventually split up and the emblem for Saint Louis College can be seen above the door of the administration building of Chaminade University on the Chaminade/Saint Louis campus. Marianists assumed control of the school and determined a need to expand facilities to serve the burgeoning Hawaiian Catholic population, who included many Filipino immigrants. Because of the Marianist core mission to educate regardless of ethnic, religious, or fiscal means, the Order purchased land in Kalaepōhaku, a hillside division of Honolulu's Kaimuki community, to enable the school to better serve Hawaii. Kalaepōhaku opened in September 1928 as Saint Louis School.
Developments
In the years following World War II, Saint Louis School re-evaluated its mission. Beginning in 1949, it dropped the lower grade levels one at a time, concentrating on a curriculum as a high school serving grades 9 through 12.
In 1980, it reinstated grades 7 and 8. In 1990, grade 6 was reinstated. The school created a middle school consisting of grades 6 through 8, operating independently within Saint Louis School. Grade 5 was reinstated and added to the middle school. In 2015 Saint Louis School announced its plans to expand again to become a K-12 school for the 2016–17 school year. That same year, it hired former pop singer Glenn Medeiros as its president. An article from nonprofit news organization Honolulu Civil Beat focused on allegations of mismanagement under Medeiros’ leadership, including retaliation against staff and nepotism for allowing his wife to run a nail salon at the school. However, members of the board have refuted these claims, while acknowledging there had been some challenges.
Academics
Saint Louis School is accredited by the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). It offers three distinct curricula.
An accelerated college preparatory program for students planning to attend very selective colleges or universities. This includes a partnership with Chaminade University of Honolulu, whereby students can take courses and remain on campus for dual-enrollment credit.
A college preparatory program.
A general program for students planning to attend trade or business schools, two-year community colleges, or enter the military or work force.
Notable alumni
Listed alphabetically by last name (year of graduation):
Government
Duke Aiona (1973), Lieutenant Governor of Hawai'i from 2002 to 2010
Neal S. Blaisdell (1921), Mayor of Honolulu from 1955 to 1969
John A. Burns (1930), 2nd Governor of the State of Hawaii from 1962 to 1974
Peter Tali Coleman (1939), Governor of American Samoa
Sun Fo (1911), high-ranking official in the government of the Republic of China; Premier of the Republic of China from 26 November 1948 to 12 March 1949
Kim Coco Iwamoto (1986), Hawaii state representative from 2024 to present, Hawaii Board of Education member from 2006 to 2011
Jarrett Keohokalole (2001), Hawaii state senator (2018 to present) and former state representative (2014 to 2018)
John C. Lane (1890), Mayor of Honolulu from 1915 to 1917
Calvin Say (1970), Speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1999 to 2013, member from 1976 to 2021
Athletics (American football)
Sneeze Achiu (1921) – Professional football player.
Tyson Alualu (2005), professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Timmy Chang (2000), head coach of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors; former collegiate quarterback for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors; ranked 2nd all-time in NCAA career passing yards with 17,072