San Antonio Academy
Welcome, Alumni!
Just because our students move on to high school and college doesn’t mean they leave our lives. The Bond of Brotherhood built within the Academy walls lasts a lifetime.
San Antonio Academy has graduated leaders from San Antonio, South Texas, and beyond since 1886. Our alumni include astronauts, Congressmen, attorneys, doctors, artists, engineers and business professionals. SAA has a strong foundation of alumni who provide support through leadership, contributions, and history to their alma mater.
Alumni, this is your place for staying connected. As a graduate, we hope you’ll join our group of active members.
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As an alumnus of San Antonio Academy, you are part of one of the most powerful networks in Texas and beyond, a community of hundreds that includes leaders and innovators in every field.– Brian Steward '79, Alumni Association Board Member
Alumni Association
The San Antonio Academy Alumni Association serves as a means to bolster the alumni’s voice, develop school leadership, help perpetuate the long-held values of the school, and provide avenues for alumni support of the school, always with the goals of strengthening the Bond of Brothers and providing the very best for our boys. All alumni are members of the Alumni Association and have the right to vote to elect the Alumni Association’s board which consists of 12-18 members.
Meet Our Alumni
San Antonio Academy has graduated leaders from San Antonio, South Texas and beyond since 1886. SAA alumni include astronauts, Congressmen, attorneys, doctors, engineers, business professionals - and even a Flying Tiger! Learn about the men who have provided support through leadership, contributions and history to their alma mater.
David Lee “Tex” Hill – WWII Flying Tiger
The late Brigadier General David Lee “Tex” Hill was a 1928 graduate of San Antonio Academy. Tex was a member of the famous Flying Tigers during WWII, where he fought in Burma, China and Thailand and was credited with 12-1/4 aerial victories. The American Volunteer Group was made famous in the 1942 film, Flying Tigers, in which Tex was portrayed by none other than John Wayne.
Tom Frost – Chairman Emeritus, Frost Bank
The late Tom Frost was a 1941 graduate of San Antonio Academy. Tom was the Chairman Emeritus of Frost National Bank. He received many awards, including: the People of Vision Award from the Texas Society to Prevent Blindness, the Humanitarian Award from Centro del Barrio, the South Texan of the Year Award from the Texas Association Business and Chambers of Commerce, the Order of the Aztec Eagle Award from the San Antonio-Mexico Friendship Council, the Benefactor of the 2000 Community Award from the City of San Antonio, the Boysville's Arthur O'Krent Humanitarian Award and the Colonel W. T. Bondurant, Sr. Humanitarian Award. He was also a long-time member of SAA's Advisory Council.
Sam Barshop – Founder & former CEO, La Quinta Inns
The late Sam Barshop was a 1943 graduate of San Antonio Academy. Sam was the founder and former CEO of La Quinta Inns Inc. and was the Chairman of Barshop & Oles, a company that has played a prominent role in high-profile real estate development in Central Texas during the last two decades.
Barshop served on the University of Texas System Board of Regents, as well as the development boards of the University of Texas at Austin, UTSA, and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where he also established the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies. He also was a member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Governor's Task Force on Higher Education.
Barshop was a former Director of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, Boys Clubs of America, St. Luke's Lutheran Hospital and National Bancshares Corporation of Texas. He served on the Board of Directors of Southwest Airlines, Republic Bank Corp. and the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation. He received numerous accolades, including: recipient of the Americas Lodging Investment Summit Lifetime Achievement Award; and the San Antonio Technology Accelerator Initiative (SATAI) Technology Hero Award; and was an inductee in both the San Antonio and the Texas Philanthropy Hall of Fame.
News - Events Panel
Alumni News and Events
Join us at our upcoming events and browse alumni news stories to relive, reconnect, and remember.
News Slideshow
![JB Marshall '13 Graduates from Army Ranger School to be Promoted Captain]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1751554235/saacademyorg/w36jb9qiwwfs1et4wxnc/JBMarshall.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1751554235/saacademyorg/w36jb9qiwwfs1et4wxnc/JBMarshall.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1751554235/saacademyorg/w36jb9qiwwfs1et4wxnc/JBMarshall.png","width":755}])
JB Marshall, SAA Class of 2013, is shown with his parents, Colonel(Ret) Steve Marshall and Dr. Glory Marshall at Fort Benning, Georgia. JB recently graduated from the US Army Ranger School on Friday, June 20 and was promoted to Captain after the ceremony. JB and his wife, Ellie Marshall, are stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. JB is a graduate of Saint Mary’s Hall, Class of 2017 and the United States Military Academy at West Point, Class of 2021. SAA sends our congratulations to JB and his family for a job very well done!
![Carol Bondurant Rowland and Family]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1750448206/saacademyorg/nwf5b3acc1ij24xjqnfk/Rowland_Visit_Bondurant_Library.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1750448206/saacademyorg/nwf5b3acc1ij24xjqnfk/Rowland_Visit_Bondurant_Library.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1750448206/saacademyorg/nwf5b3acc1ij24xjqnfk/Rowland_Visit_Bondurant_Library.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1750448206/saacademyorg/nwf5b3acc1ij24xjqnfk/Rowland_Visit_Bondurant_Library.png","width":1040}])
On the morning of June 20, San Antonio Academy was very honored to host a visit for the family of Col. W.T. Bondurant, Sr. and Col. W.T. Bondurant, Jr. '39, both former SAA Heads of School, 1944-1960 and 1960-1985, respectively. Living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the latter Colonel's daughter, Carol Bondurant Rowland and husband Alan, their children Zach Rowland and Becca Baldwin Rowland and their young children visited the Bondurant Library and explored the campus. The Bondurant legacy continues to have a lasting influence on generations of young men.
![Clay Holshouser '04, Tucker Biedenharn '04, Jonny Fitzsimons '04 and Ross Studer '05]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1748976335/saacademyorg/t9cgtjo7tfc1ry7dxwuv/2025clayclassic_TuckerBiedenharn.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1748976335/saacademyorg/t9cgtjo7tfc1ry7dxwuv/2025clayclassic_TuckerBiedenharn.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1748976335/saacademyorg/t9cgtjo7tfc1ry7dxwuv/2025clayclassic_TuckerBiedenharn.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1748976335/saacademyorg/t9cgtjo7tfc1ry7dxwuv/2025clayclassic_TuckerBiedenharn.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1748976335/saacademyorg/t9cgtjo7tfc1ry7dxwuv/2025clayclassic_TuckerBiedenharn.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1748976335/saacademyorg/t9cgtjo7tfc1ry7dxwuv/2025clayclassic_TuckerBiedenharn.jpg","width":2200}])
SAA's first Clay Classic drew parents, alumni, friends, and community members for a great time while supporting a great cause. Held in March at the San Antonio Gun Club, the afternoon was filled with team shooting competitions, delicious food, silent and live auctions, music, and lots of fun.
![Joe Straus Jr. '40 and great grandsons Peter '26 and Ford '29 Selig]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1749177689/saacademyorg/pzuulodcxsap8gdr7xfb/JoeStraus_bondurantgate.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1749177689/saacademyorg/pzuulodcxsap8gdr7xfb/JoeStraus_bondurantgate.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1749177689/saacademyorg/pzuulodcxsap8gdr7xfb/JoeStraus_bondurantgate.png","width":800}])
Joe Straus Jr. '40 Celebrates 85th Anniversary at SAA Commencement While Passing On Family Tradition
Joe Straus, Jr. '40 celebrated his 85th reunion at Commencement in May. He led the newly minted Class of 2025 as they individually completed a rite of passage and walked through the Bondurant Gate before receiving their diploma. The Bondurant Gate was dedicated on Graduation Day 1986, and at each Commencement, Col. Bondurant’s son, Tom Bondurant '63, opens the Gate for the graduating class. Combined, the Bondurant family dedicated 103 years of service and leadership to The Academy from 1906 until 2009.
![Cowboy Breakfast 2025]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1749177530/saacademyorg/jpcwinu1flvmbqzlxmof/CowboyBreakfast2025.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1749177530/saacademyorg/jpcwinu1flvmbqzlxmof/CowboyBreakfast2025.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1749177530/saacademyorg/jpcwinu1flvmbqzlxmof/CowboyBreakfast2025.png","width":700}])
Ready with boots on, young alumni returned to saddle up in the fun SAA tradition of Cowboy Breakfast. It is one of the most popular events for alumni across generations to attend. The graduating Class of 2025 hosted the successful event this year, serving up boot-scootin' tacos, biscuits with gravy, and pipin' hot chocolate.
Upcoming Alumni Events
Give Back
Former students and graduates of SAA are encouraged to support their alma mater with a gift that will impact today's students.