Saint Johns School Changes the Name of its Mascot
Rick Archer, April 2004
Last Update: February 2007

As part of my business, I frequently write stories and articles for my dance studio web site.  The SSQQ Newsletter for example has served a key part in the expansion of my business. 

I get some nice compliments from time to time on these stories.  People say I am an excellent writer and I have a good vocabulary. I tell these people without hesitation that I owe these skills to the magnificent education I received at Saint Johns School here in Houston.

I went to Saint Johns from 1959 till graduation in 1968. To this day I consider the education I received from SJS to be the single biggest break I received in my entire life.

Saints Johns bills itself as a College Prep School and I assure you that they deliver on their promise. If you have a gifted child, Saint Johns is without a doubt the place to send your son or daughter.  Your child will receive the finest education imaginable at Saint Johns.  Not only will your child benefit immeasurably from competing day in and day out against other children with equal talents, he or she will be taught by a talented staff at Saint Johns. The education is so thorough that as graduation approaches.  your child graduates, he or she will have a terrific chance of being accepted at Rice, Stanford, Vanderbilt, or any of the amazing Ivy League schools.  That is the kind of education that Saint Johns is famous for here in Houston.  

Saint Johns School is located in the heart of River Oaks on the corner of Westheimer and Buffalo Speedway. It was founded in 1946 shortly after World War II. At the time, this location was pretty much out in the fields on the western tip of Houston.  Today this location is considered "Inner City".  Westheimer Street in 1946 was a mud road. Today it is one of the most important streets in our city. Saint Johns has grown just as fast as Houston has. (Picture at right taken in 1968)

Over the years, Saint Johns and its bitter (and much respected) rival Kinkaid have grown to become Houston's two leading private college preparatory schools. Kinkaid traditionally holds the edge in sports while SJS traditionally holds the edge in academics. Quite frankly, now that I am old enough to have some perspective, any parent would be thrilled to have their child go to either school. Both schools are very expensive. I believe Saint Johns cost in the area of $15,000 a year in tuition the last time I checked. Although typically the students at both schools are the children of Houston's wealthiest citizens, I know for a fact that Saint Johns definitely goes out of its way to find scholarship money for any student smart enough to handle its curriculum. I myself received partial scholarships for the 7th and 8th grade and a full scholarship through high school.

I already said how grateful I am for my Saint Johns education, but there is more to the story.   Saint Johns did more than simply teach me reading, writing, and arithmetic.  Although this place is scorned by some as catering only to the rich, I know from first-hand experience this school has a big heart too.  Due to my broken home, I was a very angry kid.  I was always getting into trouble and fought their discipline tooth and nail.  Thank goodness the administration showed infinite patience with me.  I believe that my teachers saw that under my thin skin I was really trying hard to succeed at their school.  I can think of a dozen different mentors who played a roll in guiding a potential delinquent toward a more constructive path. 


THE MASCOT DILEMMA OF THE ST JOHNS REBELS  

Despite its remarkable accomplishments in the academic area and the remarkable decency of the people responsible for Saint Johns School's 60 years of success, there has always been a bizarre stigma that has been allowed to persist at Saint Johns for over 50 years.

Did you know the Saint John's mascot is a "Rebel"?  Did you know that we are not exactly talking James Dean here? During the years I went to Saint Johns, there was a magazine known as the "Johnny Reb". The acting side of the school had something known as "Johnnycakes".  Leaving nothing to the imagination, during the 1960s there was a huge, larger than life statue of a Confederate general that was trotted out at the football games. All of this occurred before Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s.  Not that I am happy to say this, but the Rebel mascot was definitelyl a reflection of Houston's prevalent social consciousness at the time.   Houston has never been as racist as Alabama or Mississippi, but let's not bury our heads.  Texas definitely had its share of bigotry and Houston was not spared these attitudes. By the time I got around to graduating in 1968, Woodstock was just around the corner.  During the Sixties there had been enough blood shed and suffering in lynchings, race riots, and police confrontations to make anyone with a brain think twice about keeping a "Johnny Reb" as a school mascot. In my nine years at Saints Johns, I never experienced any racial prejudice.  For example, our athletic teams faced black athletes from other schools and I never heard any negative words.  On the other hand, I never had a black classmate either.  I heard that in the early 70s Saint Johns had decided to integrate. Thank goodness. I assumed at this point it would be a good time to phase out the mascot.  Right? Wrong.  Saint Johns remained the Rebels throughout the Seventies. And the Eights. And the Nineties.  The new Millennium was upon us and Saint Johns still clung to its Rebel Mascot. What were they thinking?

I VISIT THE CAMPUS OF MY ALMA MATER

Fast Forward to 1993.  To be honest, I forgot about the Mascot problem for twenty years.  In the Seventies I finished college, went to graduate school, then rode the energy of Saturday Night Fever to start my career as a dance teacher.  The Eighties went by fast as I worked to build my business.  

Then one day in 1990 I decided to volunteer to teach some dance classes at Saint Johns.  That was when I was stunned to discover we were still the Rebels!!

Nostalgic to see the school that had meant so much to me for nine years, one evening in 1990 I arrived early at Saint Johns for my first visit back since 1968.  Oh sure, I had driven by and marveled at all the new construction, but I didn't have a reason to actually put foot on the campus.  As I strolled around, I was pleased to notice several handsome, alert young men who just happened to also be black. And I noticed several lovely young women, just as alert, who also happened to be black.  I could see as they walked across the campus they were just as proud to wear the Saint Johns uniform as everyone else.  I was equally pleased to notice quite a few Asian and Arabic students as well.

Saint Johns was clearly in the forefront of social change in this regard.  I had never been more proud of my school.

And then I saw the name "Saint Johns Rebels" on a cheerleader's outfit as she walked by.

I was stunned.  You have got to be kidding.  I shook my head in disgust. I could not imagine why someone in authority hadn't put their foot down and done something about this nightmare nickname.  

How could the Saint Johns administration and trustees turn a blind eye to a problem of this magnitude?

The name was an anachronism in Sixties.  That was over twenty years ago!

Think about it as a parent would.  You are a person of color and you are debating whether to send your gifted and talented son or daughter to a school whose nickname represents images of the most horrible era in American history.  Don't you imagine this parent takes one look at the Mascot and says, "I'm out of here"?  This parent will do everything in in his or her power to find an equivalent school elsewhere.  Why take the chance of subjecting his or her child to racial prejudice?

Now if this parent were to talk to me, I would tell the parent that Saint Johns is one of the most enlightened schools in the city.  I would tell the parent that Saint Johns is color-blind.  And it would be the truth!

Or would it?  Maybe I was too young in the Sixties to see it.  Maybe there is a racist side to Saint Johns?  What possible reason could they use to justify clinging to this repugnant mascot?

At the most simple level, a Rebel was a man who fought for the right to continue slavery.   

This is Houston, Texas, in the 1990s.  Surely someone in a school that teaches the civil rights accomplishments of Martin Luther King in its classroom would sense the disconnect between the prevalent social consciousness of the Nineties versus the school's mascot that conjures images of racism, cruelty, and slavery?  Apparently not.

Or more likely no one had the guts to stand up and say something. That's my guess.

SJS made it past the Millennium as the Rebels. But  after 50 years, this issue was finally addressed in 2004.  Early in 2004, Saint Johns Alumni were sent letters asking them what they thought about the Rebel nickname.  Apparently the current Headmaster, John Allman, was doing everything in his power to spearhead the change.

On January 12th of 2004, I put my two cents in:

"You have my vote to change the "Rebel" name and I hope you do it quickly. It is, as they say, an anachronism.  

The Rebel name has absolutely no relevance in today's understanding. For any person with half a brain it is an ugly symbol of the darkest period in American History. To an outsider, it hints strongly of the school's support for racism.

I know for sure the school does not support or condone racism in any shape or form, so why open the door for senseless misunderstandings?"

One month later on Wednesday, February 18, 2004, I received the following news:

Dear Friends:

For the past several months, our School community has been reflecting on the significance and values communicated through our mascot. Deliberating this issue has given us the opportunity to examine the values that St. John's represents and to contemplate best how we express those values. St. John's today is a better school for having accepted this challenge and for having come to a decision together.

The Board of Trustees sought input from you: alumni, students, faculty, parents, and friends. With all voices heard, the time has come for a resolution that will enable St. John's to move forward. The Board has unanimously decided to select a new mascot, one that inspires affiliation, unity, and commitment within the St. John's community. In so doing, our school has the opportunity to find the right mascot to project our core identity to those outside the community. The following points guided our decision:

. Mascots are meant to unify. They are not meant to divide.
. A mascot that must be explained does not adequately represent a school.
. Our current mascot leads some to question our values and commitment to diversity.
. A mascot that demeans members of our community is inappropriate.

This week, a committee of students, alumni, faculty, and friends will be formed to direct an inclusive process for selecting a new mascot that will incorporate the school's traditional red and black colors. While the Board will approve the committee's selection of the new mascot, we encourage you to participate in this process by suggesting ideas that will rally our entire school community. The committee will soon let you know how you can get involved.

Ultimately, the committee must select a mascot that has broad appeal among students, alumni, and friends of all ages. Ideally, we would like the selection process to be completed before summer vacation begins, but we will take all the time needed to select the right mascot. Our School deserves a mascot everyone can support.

In making this decision, St. John's is not abandoning tradition, but seeking to confirm and project more accurately our school's most precious traditions and values. A new mascot can now bring together everyone in our community, convey the mission and vision of our school, and invite in new members whose contributions to St. John's will enrich us all.

Every Board member believes that this decision is in the best long-term interest of St. John's School, and we are hopeful that the process of selecting a new mascot will unify our community.

Respectfully yours,

James A. Elkins, III
Chairman, Board of Trustees
February 18, 2004

I got goose bumps reading that eloquent letter.

I immediately sent the following letter to Mr. Allman, the Headmaster.

"Aha! Rebels no more. Thank you, Mr. Allman.

It is my understanding that you personally took on the challenge to bring St. Johns to its senses and help us get rid of the pathetic "Johnny Reb" stigma. Congratulations on your success!

I have been ashamed of this name for about 40 years ever since I was old enough to realize what an affront the name was. For such an obvious move to have taken this long to bring about would make for an excellent tale, but I suppose we will never hear the inside story of the ridiculous and insipid obstacles I imagine you were forced to overcome. I am so glad you stayed with this issue. You have every right to be proud of what you have helped to accomplish. And good for the Board to back this change unanimously.

I met you briefly this past fall at an Alumni Reunion. Had I been aware of the stand you were taking on this issue I would have taken the opportunity to thank you personally. You have proven your leadership ability. Maybe this is a good time to take aim at a few more SJS traditions that could use some 21st century reexamination. You can count on my support for any more changes you think is necessary to move Saint Johns forward. Thank you again.

Rick Archer"

Guess what. I have never been more proud of my school than I was that day on February 18.

They finally got it right.

I guess social change is never graceful.  Actually I think they got it right when they hired Mr. Allman.  

Isn't it marvelous what a good leader can accomplish?

 

FOOTNOTE: MEET THE SAINT JOHNS MAVERICKS!! Now it was time to find a new mascot.  I put in my two cents worth and suggested "Red Devils" as the new nickname. I figured if Duke University can be the Blue Devils, why not have some Red Devils?  They went with Mavericks as the new name.  I wasn't particularly thrilled with the name "Mavericks" until I saw the new logo.  Wow!  My first thought was someone did a great job!  So I took a look at who designed it.   By coincidence, it was none other than Lindon Leader, a classmate of mine from the Class of 1968.   We all knew Lindon had a genius for design back when he was our classmate.   I smiled at the knowledge that Lindon shared his talents with us once again.

2007. THREE YEARS LATER On February 12, 2007, I received the following email. -----Original Message----- From: MICHAEL AMARAL Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 4:20 AM To: dance@ssqq.com Subject: link on my blog to your website... Dear sir: I hope you don’t mind...I’ve made a link to your website on my blog. http://walpolemassachusetts.blogspot.com/2007/02/i-am-not-aloneperspectives-on-rebel.html thank you for your honest perspective! Mike Amaral I visited Mr. Amaral's page and discovered he was embroiled in a dispute to get rid of the "Rebel" name from his high school in Walpole, Massachusetts.  I was surprised to see he didn't quote a single thing I said.  Instead he went straight to the eloquent letter signed by James Elkins on February 18, 2004.  On Mr. Amaral's web site I read: ".....The Board has unanimously decided to select a new mascot, one that inspires affiliation, unity, and commitment within the St. John's community. In so doing, our school has the opportunity to find the right mascot to project our core identity to those outside the community. The following points guided our decision: Mascots are meant to unify. They are not meant to divide. A mascot that must be explained does not adequately represent a school. Our current mascot leads some to question our values and commitment to diversity. A mascot that demeans members of our community is inappropriate."   In other words, the wise decision made by the Saint Johns community in 2004 might help Mr. Amaral bring the people in Walpole to their senses as well.  I am rooting for him.