Archbishop Spalding High School

Archbishop Spalding High School
Name	Archbishop Spalding High School
Location	Severn, Maryland, United States
Type	Private, Catholic, Coeducational, College Preparatory
Established	1966
Grades	9–12
Colors	Navy and Gold
Mascot	Cavalier

Archbishop Spalding High School is a private Roman Catholic college preparatory secondary school located in Severn, Maryland, affiliated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore, with a history of regional academic, athletic, and service-oriented engagement. The school participates in local and national associations and has produced graduates active in fields represented by institutions such as the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, and the United States Naval Academy. Its campus and programs interact with nearby communities, parishes, and civic organizations including Anne Arundel County, Fort Meade, Glenn L. Martin, and Baltimore institutions.

History

The school's founding in 1966 linked it to Catholic educational initiatives associated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the legacy of Archbishop William Donald Borders, and broader postwar suburban expansion near Baltimore and Annapolis. Early development involved clergy and laity connected to Saint Mary, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Jerome, and Saint Stephen parishes, along with benefactors active in Maryland politics such as members of the Maryland General Assembly and Anne Arundel County Council. Over successive decades, administrations drew upon models from Notre Dame, Georgetown Preparatory School, Loyola Blakefield, Mount Saint Joseph, and Archbishop Curley High School to expand curricula, facilities, and extracurricular partnerships with organizations like the National Catholic Educational Association and the Maryland Association of Private Schools. Renovations and additions reflected trends seen at institutions such as Gilman School, McDonogh School, Severna Park High School, and Arundel High School, while alumni engagement aligned with networks that include the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals, Baltimore Orioles, and regional philanthropic groups.

Campus

The suburban campus occupies acreage near the Severn River corridor and Interstate 97, featuring academic buildings, chapel space reflecting liturgical design akin to parishes such as Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and churches modeled after Saint Agnes and Saint Ignatius. Athletic facilities mirror amenities found at Piney Orchard, Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, and the University of Maryland facilities, and include gymnasiums, fields comparable to those at Loyola University Maryland, turf surfaces like at Towson University, and a performing arts venue reminiscent of the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall scale. Campus planning has considered traffic patterns connected to Baltimore–Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Fort Meade commuter flows, and environmental features similar to those of Chesapeake Bay watershed sites such as Sandy Point State Park and Quiet Waters Park.

Academics

Academic programs emphasize college preparation with Advanced Placement courses paralleling offerings at suburban Catholic schools including St. Paul’s School, Archbishop Carroll, and Bishop McNamara, and dual-enrollment pathways modeled after community partnerships with Anne Arundel Community College and the University System of Maryland. Science and mathematics tracks prepare students for STEM careers at institutions like Johns Hopkins University, Carnegie Mellon University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Virginia Tech, while humanities and social sciences guide applications to Georgetown University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. Elective sequences in visual and performing arts reference curricula used by Baltimore School for the Arts, Peabody Institute students, and patrons of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Extracurricular academic competitions connect students to organizations such as the National Merit Scholarship Program, Key Club International, Model United Nations, and the National Honor Society.

Student life

Student governance and clubs reflect structures found in American Student Government Association chapters, with service initiatives coordinated with Catholic Charities, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, Habitat for Humanity, and local parish outreach programs at Saint Jane Frances de Chantal and Saint Bernadette. Cultural and faith-based groups mirror partnerships seen with Campus Ministry programs at Catholic University of America, Catholic Relief Services, and Jesuit Volunteer Corps alumni, while arts and media activities draw on models from The New York Times Scholastic, National Scholastic Press Association, and regional theater companies such as Center Stage and Chesapeake Shakespeare Company. Social events, retreats, and mission trips often involve travel to Washington, D.C., New York City, and urban centers linked to organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Red Cross.

Athletics

Athletic programs compete in conferences with schools comparable to Archbishop Curley High School, Loyola Blakefield, Calvert Hall College High School, Mount Saint Joseph, and Saint Frances Academy, offering sports including football, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, baseball, softball, track and field, cross country, wrestling, swimming, tennis, golf, and volleyball. Student-athletes have progressed to collegiate programs at Notre Dame, Duke University, University of North Carolina, Syracuse University, Penn State, West Point, and the United States Naval Academy, and to professional ranks associated with the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, National Lacrosse League, and National Hockey League. Coaching staffs often include alumni and professionals with ties to regional high school traditions, collegiate athletics departments, and training centers affiliated with the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Wizards, and Baltimore Blast.

Notable alumni

Alumni have advanced into public life, athletics, the arts, medicine, law, and business, with graduates attending institutions and organizations such as Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, United States Naval Academy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Harvard University, Yale University, Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, Syracuse University, Boston College, Villanova University, West Point, Annapolis naval commands, Baltimore City Hall, Maryland State House, U.S. Congress, Major League Baseball organizations, National Football League franchises, National Basketball Association teams, National Hockey League clubs, Major League Soccer, U.S. Olympic teams, Peace Corps, Teach For America, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins Medicine, MedStar Health, Law firms in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and arts organizations including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Arena Players.

Category:Catholic secondary schools in Maryland Category:Schools in Anne Arundel County, Maryland