St. Francis Preparatory School

Contents

Proper name Saint Francis Preparatory School, commonly referred to as St. Francis Preparatory School or St. Francis Prep., is a private, independent Catholic college preparatory school in Fresh Meadows, Queens, New York City, New York. It is the largest non-diocesan Catholic high school in the United States.[1] St. Francis is run by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, who maintain a residence on the top floor of the school. As of the 2015–16 school year, enrollment at St. Francis was 2,489.[2]

History

St. Francis Preparatory originated as St. Francis Academy, a small all-boys high school on 300 Baltic Street in Brooklyn, New York, founded by the Franciscans Brothers of Brooklyn (O.S.F.).[1] The college section became St. Francis College, a private predominantly undergraduate college in Brooklyn Heights. It took its current name in 1935, then moved to a larger facility in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 1952.[3] The school moved to its current location in Fresh Meadows, Queens in 1974 when it acquired the facility that formerly housed Bishop Reilly High School, a co-educational Catholic high school. The school began admitting female students that same year.[3] A fitness center was added recently and the science labs are being updated. There are currently plans to add a three-story addition to the rear of the existing building. The upgrades to the art rooms will support students in the studio, digital and the performing arts.[4]

Co-curricular activities and athletics

St. Francis Prep has a rivalry with Holy Cross High School, fueled particularly by their football teams. Known as the "Battle of the Boulevard" due to the two schools being located only 2 miles apart on Francis Lewis Boulevard,[5] the rivalry between the Prep Terriers and the Holy Cross Knights has been called "arguably the greatest rivalry in New York City football."[6]

Notable alumni

  • Ted Alexandro, stand-up comedian
  • William Alfred, Harvard professor, poet, playwright[7]
  • Frank J. Aquila, corporate lawyer
  • Marco Battaglia, NFL football player
  • Michelle Betos, NWSL goalkeeper
  • Des Bishop, stand-up comedian
  • Vincent DePaul Breen, former Bishop of Diocese of Metuchen
  • Patti Ann Browne, news anchor for the Fox News Channel[8]
  • Tiffany Cabán, member of the New York City Council[9]
  • Julie Chen, former news anchor for CBS, Daytime Emmy Award winning co-host of The Talk and hostess of reality show Big Brother[10]
  • Carlos Dengler, former bassist of band Interpol
  • Gerry DiNardo, former college football coach and current Big Ten Network commentator
  • James Dooley, Emmy Award-winning composer
  • Sonny Dove (1963), college and NBA basketball player, fourth pick of 1967 NBA draft
  • Emily Engstler (2018), WNBA basketball player on Indiana Fever and 2022 U23 3x3 USA National Basketball team member[11]
  • Peter Facinelli, actor[12]
  • Kyle Flood, University of Texas football offensive coordinator and former Rutgers football head coach.[13]
  • Eric Gioia, New York City councilman[14]
  • Abbas "Bas" Hamad, rapper
  • Dan Henning, NFL football player and coach[15]
  • Gary Janetti, television writer, producer, author and actor
  • Ed Jenkins, NFL football player
  • Peter King, former Republican U.S. Representative of New York's 3rd and 2nd districts from 1993 to 2021.[16]
  • Vince Lombardi, former Green Bay Packers coach and namesake of the Lombardi Award and the Vince Lombardi Trophy[17]
  • Glen Mazzara, writer and television producer
  • Joanne Persico, volleyball coach[18]
  • Bill Pickel, NFL football player and sports broadcaster
  • Keith Powers, American politician, Democrat, and council member for the 4th district of the New York City Council
  • Joe Santagato, YouTuber and podcaster[19]
  • Joe Schad (born c. 1974) is a reporter, writer, analyst and broadcaster
  • Frank Serpico, New York police officer known for uncovering corruption[20]
  • Father Robert S. Smith, American Catholic priest, author, and educator
  • Joe Torre, former MLB player, former New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers manager[21]

References

  1. 1.[1.2]Gustafson, Anna (November 28, 2008). "Students, Faculty Reflect on 150 Years of St. Francis Prep". The New York Daily News.
  2. 2."Search for Private Schools – School Detail for St Francis Preparatory School". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  3. 3.[3.2]"About St. Francis Preparatory School". SFPonline.org. Archived from the original on November 4, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  4. 4.Rhoades, Liz (December 4, 2008). "St. Francis Prep readies building expansion plan". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
  5. 5.Samuel, Ebenezer (October 7, 2008). "St. Francis Prep Cruises Past Holy Cross in Battle of the Boulevard". The New York Daily News.
  6. 6."Live Blog: Holy Cross-St. Francis Prep Football". Five Boro Sports. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008.
  7. 7.Mcdonald, Gregory (January 4, 2011). Souvenirs of a Blown World: Sketches for the Sixties, Writings about America, 1966-1973. Seven Stories Press. ISBN 978-1-58322-993-4.
  8. 8."Patti Ann Browne '83". St. Francis Preparatory Alumni. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
  9. 9."District 22".
  10. 10."JackMyersLunchAtMichaels.com - CBS' Julie Chen: Unique Blend of Cultural Influences Motivates Big Brother Host". JackMyers.com. September 21, 2007. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
  11. 11."Emily Engstler 2018 High School Girls' Basketball Profile". ESPN. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  12. 12."Peter Facinelli's Twitter account". December 16, 2009. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  13. 13."Kyle Flood - Football Coach - University of Texas Athletics". Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  14. 14."New York City Council: District 26 - Eric N. Gioia". New York City Council. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
  15. 15."Dan Henning - Miami Dolphins". Miami Dolphins official site. Archived from the original on September 30, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
  16. 16.Drooby, Emily (November 18, 2019). "Congressman Peter King Reflects on Life After Public Service". Net TV. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  17. 17."Hall of Famers: Vince Lombardi". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
  18. 18.Staple, Arthur (July 22, 1999). "Volleyball Coach Is Quite a Player". Newsday. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  19. 19.Joe Santagato Tells All: Going Viral, Content Creator Journey, & Pitfalls Of Social Media | Podcast, retrieved April 14, 2023
  20. 20."Frank Serpico '54". St. Francis Preparatory Alumni. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
  21. 21.Newell, Kevin. "The Joe Torre Story". Scholastic Corporation. Retrieved January 7, 2009.