Saint Mary's Hall was founded by Bishop Robert W.B. Elliott, the first Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of West Texas.
Our Story
Since its founding, Saint Mary’s Hall has called four campuses home. And, although the faces and structures may change over time, the heart of Saint Mary’s Hall endures from generation to generation. We invite you to take a walk down memory lane as you read the story of Saint Mary's Hall.
Originally located in downtown San Antonio in Wolfe Hall at Navarro and Martin, Saint Mary's Hall has been located on four campuses over our 130+ years of existence.
Due to the decline of the facilities and the growth of the downtown area, Bishop Capers (the Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of West Texas at the time) decided to move
Saint Mary's Hall was incorporated as a non-profit educational institution with an independent self-perpetuating Board of Trustees.
The Saint Mary's Hall motto, "Teach us delight in simple things," first appeared on the French Place campus where it was set in bronzed lettering in the stone steps of the school building.
In the fall of 1925, Headmistress Ruth Coit organized an athletic association in the Upper School, and two intramural teams were formed: the Elliott and Capers, named in honor of Bishop Elliott and Bishop Capers
The Saint Mary's Hall Alma Mater
Also in 1928, the first edition of the Saint Mary's Hall yearbook, La Reata, was published
The first Blue Tie Ceremony was held on September 10, 1940, when the first blue ties were awarded to the Class of 1941.
Also during the 1940s, Fiesta, our annual school festival, was held on the Saint Mary's Hall campus.
Saint Mary's Hall began facing the problems of progress and expansion, and the Board of Trustees decided that the school should develop a new campus to meet present needs and future demands.
The Starcrest Campus was occupied in November, with more than 300 students (including 119 boarding students) and faculty.
Coeducation in the Upper School (Forms 9-12) was fully implemented in 1987. The school had included boys in their educational program through Form 2 for many years prior to this.
This auction-style fundraiser was created to bring the community together in a social setting on the school campus to help raise funds for the school.
In 2003, Saint Mary's Hall made the transition from a boarding school to a day school. In 2005, the residence dormitories were converted into classrooms for the Middle School.
The SMH Campanile, also affectionately called "The Bell Tower," was built in 2006 as part of the Marrs and Verna McLean Library Complex.
Saint Mary's Hall was "mascot-less" from 1879 until 1970. During the 1970-1971 school year, references indicate that we were called the Saint Mary's Hall Bobcats.
The fall of 2010 ushered in a new era at Saint Mary's Hall as the first ever JV football team was introduced. Twenty-eight young men joined the team in its first year.
For the first time in nearly 50 years, Saint Mary's Hall set out to raise funds as part of a capital campaign to improve, expand, and build six major projects on campus.
By the end of the I AM Saint Mary's Hall campaign, the Peggy Pitman Mays Dining Hall, Social Science & History Center, Alonso Ancira Event Center, McCombs Family Athletic Complex, Coates-Seeligson Theater/Chapel
Saint Mary's Hall held commencement back on its campus for the first time in 13 years.
Former Head of School Bob Windham's dedication to improving and maintaining Saint Mary's Hall resulted in the creation of The Windham Fund for Excellence,
The Independent Schools Association of the Southwest
For the first time ever in the history of Saint Mary's Hall and San Antonio, the 49th annual ISAS Arts Festival took place in a three-day festival.
In 2018, SMH celebrated the Starcrest Campus' 50th birthday.