| Academy of the Holy Names | |
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"Esse Quam Videri"
To be rather than to seem
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| Address | |
| 3319 Bayshore Boulevard Tampa, Florida, (Hillsborough County), 33629 United States |
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| Information | |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 17 July 1881 |
| Founder | The Sisters of the Holy Names |
| President | Dr. Harry V. Purpur |
| Principal | Darcy Devrnja, ES & Camille Jowanna, HS |
| Grades | PK to 12 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 15:1 |
| Campus size | 18 acres (73,000 m2) |
| Mascot | Jaguar |
| Team name | Jaguars |
| Accreditation(s) | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,[1] National Association of Independent Schools, National Middle School Association, National Association for the Education of Young Children |
| Publication | EXCURSIONS (student literary magazine) and ACCORD (school magazine) |
| Newspaper | 'ACHONA' |
| Yearbook | 'ECHOES' |
| Director of Admissions | Jacqueline Wilson |
| Athletic Director | Kevin Vargas |
| Website | www.holynamestpa.org |
The Academy of the Holy Names, in Tampa, Florida is a Catholic co-ed college-preparatory school for ages pre- kindergarten - 8th. It is an all girl High school for grades 9th-12th. Founded in 1881 by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, the mission of AHN is to prepare its students to become intellectual, moral, spiritual, and cultural leaders. It is the oldest Catholic school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg, however the school operates independent of the diocese.[2] The school has been awarded Blue Ribbon School status.[3]
The school motto is, "Esse Quam Videri" - To be rather than to seem.[2]
The Academy is divided into Elementary and High Schools. School services include Advanced Placement classes (in Biology, American History, English, and Calculus), a religious development program which includes mandatory service learning, and a college guidance program.
On July 17, 1881, two Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary arrived from Key West to open a two-room school house in a blacksmith shop on Zack Street in Tampa. Thirty-five pupils were enrolled initially, but by the end of the first academic year, their numbers had increased to 70 day scholars and two resident students.
By April 1889, the site of the school was moved to a two-story building at the corner of Franklin and Harrison Streets.
In 1891, the late Bishop John Moore, second Bishop of St. Augustine, purchased property on Twiggs Street where a larger school, which served the community for 34 years, was built.
From the years 1911 to 1916, Kathleen Morrison was a student there. In November 1916 she left Tampa Florida first for Chicago (film tests at the old Essanay Studio) and then for Los Angeles where she went to work for the Triangle-Fine Arts Studio as Colleen Moore.
By 1926, further growth necessitated larger accommodations, and the school was moved to temporary quarters on Central Avenue while the present building on Bayshore Boulevard was under construction. Bishop Barry, Bishop of St. Augustine, laid the cornerstone in 1928, and Florida's Governor-elect Carlton spoke at the ceremony.
The following September saw the opening of the new school, but financial difficulties halted building progress before the structure was completed. However, with increasing enrollment, growth of the school continued; the building was completed; and by 1952, two new school wings were added, along with the chapel and auditorium.
A separate boys division for grades one through eight was established in 1962, and in 1970 a kindergarten was added. Today the staff of Sisters and their lay associates instruct over 850 students in the coeducational elementary division and the high school for young women.
The school's centenary was celebrated during the 1980-81 school year. At that time an historic marker was unveiled in front of the school on Bayshore Boulevard to commemorate 100 years of service of the Sisters of the Holy Names on Florida's West Coast.
The sports programs at Academy of the Holy Names include basketball, softball, volleyball, cross-country, soccer, track, tennis, lacrosse, crew, dance team, and cheerleading. The cheerleaders cheer for the sports teams of a local Catholic all-boys high school, Jesuit High School.
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