Our Vision
To Collect, Preserve and Display the history of St. John’s Military School and emphasize the value military-based learning institutions have contributed to society in the United States.
Our Story
In February 2019, A letter from the President of St. John’s Military School was released to the public that a resolution was passed by the school’s Board of Trustees to close St. John’s Military School. An immediate outcry by alumni surfaced on Social Media, Phone calls to the current Old Boy’s Association and to the school, and emails began pouring in. Shock, anger, and sadness were displayed across the world as thousands of Old Boys, hundreds of staff, and countless parents, friends, and families of St. John’s Military School heard the news.
Up until this point, the Old Boy’s Association was a community association recognized by the school and not legally formed as a public entity. Board President Mike Wagner called an emergency meeting and explained his vision, which was to concentrate on:
- The Final Commencement of SJMS.
- Preserve, and protect the history, antiquities, and legacy of St. John’s Military School for all Alumni to be able to have a place to come “home”.
Board members set up meetings with other Alumni Associations from military schools that had closed and met with their boards of directors for lessons learned and the progress they’ve made to date.
Our Future
The Board of Directors moved quickly and on March 14, 2019, legally formed with the State of Kansas a non-profit corporation called St. John’s Military School Historical Museum Inc. In April 2019, through the assistance of legal counsel, we formally filed with the IRS for 501(c)(3) classification as a not-for-profit corporation for tax exemption status for our donors. Our filing was approved by the IRS and our tax-exempt status backdated to the filing of our Incorporation on March 15, 2019.