Bishop Kelley High School

src: www.bishopkelley.org

Bishop Kelley High School is an American Lasallian Catholic high school with 905 students, grades 9 to 12, located at 41st and Hudson Avenue, in the center of the Tulsa metropolitan area (in the Midtown area), on a campus spanning just over 47 acres (150,000 m²). The school is a function of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa and operates in the Lasallian tradition of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (Christian Brothers or the French Christian Brothers).

Kelley is a comprehensive secondary school with a curriculum that is college preparatory with classes to fit a variety of learning abilities and interests. Bishop Kelley come from 53 different zip codes and BK freshmen come from more than 30 middle schools in northeast Oklahoma. Students come from a variety of faith and educational backgrounds. They are welcomed with extensive freshman orientation activities. Transfer students are also welcome. Bishop Kelley is the only diocesan Catholic high school in the Diocese of Tulsa.

Bishop Kelley serves Catholic and non-Catholic families of all faiths in Tulsa and the surrounding communities who seek a life preparatory program within a Christian environment.

Video Bishop Kelley High School

History

Bishop Kelley established in 1960 to serve as Tulsa's citywide Catholic high school; at the time of its founding, its forerunners Holy Family High School (founded 1899) and Marquette High School (founded in 1926) closed and consolidated their student bodies at the new school. While the initial plans for the new school were developed under Bishop Eugene J. McGuinness' leadership, it was the pioneering Bishop Victor Joseph Reed who oversaw its founding. Bishop Reed was a famous Catholic reformer who attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council, where he was associated with the more progressive bishops and lent his support to the use of vernacular in the Mass and to an emphasis of pastoral over administrative skills in bishops. Bishop Reed is in part responsible for the high school's legacy of lay leadership. In 1960, the year Bishop Kelley High School was founded, Bishop Reed established the first mixed (clerical and lay) diocesan board of education in the United States.

The school was named for Bishop Francis Kelley, the second bishop of Oklahoma. The founder of the Catholic Church Extension Society, Bishop Kelley was an accomplished author and diplomat, whom H.L. Mencken described as "a charming Irishman" who "has had a brilliant career in the Church." He famously partnered with California oilman Edward L. Doheny to support Catholic philanthropy.

At its founding, male students were taught by the LaSallian (French) Christian Brothers, who still teach at the school, while the Sisters of Divine Providence from San Antonio, Texas taught the female students. By 1965, the school had become entirely coeducational. By 1982, the Sisters of Divine Providence had been reassigned to other ministries.

Maps Bishop Kelley High School

Activities

Co-curricular opportunities include Academic Bowl, Christian Service, Class Board, Comet Ambassadors, Competitive One-Act, Drama, Drumline, Environmental Club, FCA, Foreign Language Clubs,3 on 3, Jazz Choir, Kairos, Kelley Krazies (a spirit organization), Link Crew (dedicated to mentoring freshmen), Lasallian Youth, Mission Trips, National Forensic League, Performing Arts, Play Production/Theater Tech, Photography Club, ProLife Club, Retreats, Robotics, and Student Council. The school is a frequent winner of state championships in speech and debate, academic bowl, and robotics competitions.

Bishop Kelley High School - Selser Schaefer Architects

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Athletics

Bishop Kelley has won more state championships than any other school of its size in Oklahoma, including state championships in baseball, football, soccer, softball, volleyball, basketball, tennis, golf and cross country. Its women's volleyball and women's soccer teams have been nationally ranked. Bishop Kelley was the first Tulsa high school to support a lacrosse team.

NCAA head coach Barry Hinson (currently coaching at Southern Illinois University) coached the men's basketball team at Bishop Kelley. Bishop Kelley is also the site for Russell Westbrook's "Why Not" Basketball camp.

Battle of the Bishops Rivalry

In football, Bishop Kelley shares a tradition with cross-state rival Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School. The winner of the contest obtains possession of the "Shillelagh Trophy" for the upcoming year. The schools also compete annually in boys and girls basketball.

State Championships

Academic Bowl- 1993, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2005*, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

Baseball- 1976, 1978, 2004, 2006, 2011

Boys Basketball- 1995

Boys Cross Country- 1967, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 2005, 2008

Girls Cross Country- 1985, 1986

Fast Pitch Softball- 1977, 1991, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2001

Football- 1981

Boys Golf- 1986, 1988, 1993, 2002, 2012, 2013

Girls Golf- 1996, 2000, 2001, 2006

Boys Soccer - 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011

Girls Soccer - 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

Speech and Debate - 1993, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013

Boys Tennis - 1995, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Girls Tennis - 1985, 1987, 1995, 1997, 2006, 2007, 2008

Volleyball- 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015

Wrestling- 1974, 1975, 1984, 1985

"Spirit Squad"- 2016, 2017

Total : 105

The 2005 Bishop Kelley Academic Bowl team defeated the national champion academic bowl team in a scrimmage, but did not compete against them during the regular season because they were in a different athletic class.

src: www.bishopkelley.org

Notable alumni

Arts, Entertainment, Media & Letters

Robert Bryce - journalist, commentator and author (books include Pipe Dreams: Greed, Ego, and the Death of Enron)
Chris Combs - jazz composer and musician; guitarist for Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
John E. Dowdell - United States District Judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Olivia Jordan - actress, Miss USA 2015 and Miss World America 2013
Frank Main - reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times and winner of 2011 Pulitzer Prize
Matt Villines (1995) - film director (Funny or Die, Saturday Night Live)
Alfre Woodard - film and television actress (Academy Award-nominee and Emmy Award winner)
Samantha Isler - film and television actress best known for her role in Captain Fantastic