The Lasting Impact of a Holy Cross Education:
Jim Franz, '82, Leads Texas High School to
Honor Roll Distinction

As a Social Work major at St. Edward's University, Jim Franz, '82, might not have anticipated a career in education, but after three years teaching as a Samoan Islands missionary he couldn't imagine any other path. “All the years of training I received from the Holy Cross Brothers helped me gain a better understanding of the world around me and the value of a Holy Cross education.”

Teaching Abroad Shapes Career at Home
After spending three years teaching in the Samoan Islands, Franz contacted a few of the brothers at St. Edward's before returning to the mainland. They quickly helped by guiding him to a position as an English teacher at Holy Cross High School in San Antonio. Franz maintained a close connection to the brothers through the South-West Province, often meeting with the group of Holy Cross school administrators who would later found the Holy Cross Institute.

In 1988, while still at Holy Cross High School, he was promoted to vice principal of academics. Today, Franz is principal of Bishop T.K. Gorman Catholic High School in Tyler, Texas, which was recently named to the Catholic High School Honor Roll for the third year in a row. The Honor Roll, sponsored by the Action Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, evaluates high schools based on three main criteria:

• Academic excellence
• Catholic identity
• Civic education

In determining this year's Honor Roll, the institute invited more than 1,300 Catholic high schools nationwide to apply. Gorman is among only 12 other Catholic high schools to be recognized three years in a row.

“The success of Gorman high school lies within its family-driven environment,” he notes. “The teachers and administrators really know these kids and their families. The community that we've created reflects the same vision that Father Basil Moreau had when he founded schools in France. His teachings remain very relevant to our day-to-day work.”