Cotter High School (Winona, Minnesota)
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Winona Cotter High School' Is the sole Roman Catholic High School in Winona, Minnesota, and is one of the first in the state. The school opened its doors on September 5, 1911. Cotter, named for the diocese’s first bishop, Bishop Joseph Cotter, was a boys school directed by the Christian Brothers of St. John Baptist De La Salle. In 1952, the Brothers turned the operation of the school over to the diocese and Cotter became co-educational with the combining of the Cathedral Girls High School. In 1953 the new Cotter building was erected and in 1962 an addition was added. In 1992, with help from an endowment from the Hiawatha Education Foundation, the school moved to its current location on the campus of the College of St. Teresa, allowing it to add a boarding school component.
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[edit] Cotter Family
The term "Cotter Family" refers to all the students, teachers, parents, administrators, alumni, volunteers, and church members affiliated with the school. Many of these members are in several groups. Roughly 50% of the faculty are alumni. Roughly 25-50%, depending on the year, of the student body are children of alumni, some third and fourth generations. In 1993, local businessmen, headed by Bob Kierlin of Fastenal, started an endowment fund of several million dollars granting the school a technological make-over and allowing it to move to the St. Teresa campus.
[edit] Relationship in the Winona Area Catholic Schools
Cotter Junior High School serves grades 7 and 8, while elementary components of Catholic education in Winona are regulated by Winona Area Catholic Schools, www.wacs1.org, who run St. Stanislaus Middle School, Cathedral Grade School, and St. Mary's Primary.
[edit] Cotter Presidents
- James. G. Devine, 1991-1995 (Skyway and Golf Tournament Memorials)
- Dr. Jeanne-Marie Fauller 1995-1999
- Sandra Blank, Ann Merchlewitz, and Joan Bernard, interim team, 1999-2000
- Dr. Craig Junker, 2000-present
[edit] Trivia
- Mascot: Ramblers
- Average class size of 16:1 and 99% college placement
- General study and advanced placement curriculum
- Minnesota Academy of Math and Science is located on the Campus
- Minnesota Conservatory of the Arts (dance & theatre)
- Award winning Math team
- Award winning marching band/field show lead by Dave Gudmastad (Nationwide and Internationally acclaimed)
- Two dozen sports (award winning) and 23 organizations.
- 90% of students participate in one or more extracurricular activities
- Cross Cultural Ministry/Community service (recent student trips to the Philippines, New York, Chicago, Saint Louis, San Diego, Washington D.C., Mexico and Appalachia)
- Student Exchange program with Shogaku High School in Okinawa, Japan and Liebenfrauschule High School in Cologne, Germany.
- 5-day and 7-day boarding in a safe, modern, family-like dormitory
[edit] Notable Graduates
- Max Conrad (1903-1979) was a world-renowned aviator, also known as the "Flying Grandfather". Among his many accomplishments were breaking almost every record possible in a light plane including around the world in eight days. The municipal airport in Winona is named for him. He graduated from Cotter in 1921.
- John Nett (1920-1999) coached Cotter boys basketball from 1946-1950 and 1953-1984. He retired as the winningest basketball coach in the state of Minnesota with a record of 580-294. His teams won state championships in 1977 and 1982. He was inducted into the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1985. He graduated from Cotter in 1938.
- Donal Neil "Mike" O'Callaghan (1929–2004) was the governor of the U.S. state of Nevada from 1971 until 1979. He graduated from Cotter in 1946.
- Robert Henry Brom is the Roman Catholic bishop of the U.S. diocese of San Diego, California. He graduated from Cotter in 1956.
- Robert (Bob) A. Kierlin is the chairman of the board, and former president and the chief executive officer of Fastenal Company, a company that specializes in threaded fasteners and is based in Winona, Minnesota. Mr. Kierlin started the Fastenal Company in 1967 and joined it full-time in 1973. Prior to starting Fastenal, Mr. Kierlin was employed by IBM in Rochester. He served as Minnesota state senator from 1999 to 2007. He graduated from Cotter in 1957.
- Gene Schultz is the winningest high school baseball coach in the U.S. with over 1500 victories. He was inducted into the Iowa High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007. He graduated from Cotter in 1964.
- Michael Joseph Hoeppner is the Roman Catholic bishop of the U.S. diocese of Crookston, Minnesota. He graduated from Cotter in 1967.
[edit] External links
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