MUS | Bookstore

About

For more than 100 years, Memphis University School has provided Mid-South boys with unparalleled opportunities to develop intellectually, morally, socially, artistically, and physically, becoming leaders well-equipped to turn great ideas into action. Here, boys in Grades 7-12 find a top-tier academic program, small classes with individual attention, a school community centered on an Honor Code, extracurricular activities with opportunities for leadership, and a sense of belonging within a fellowship of common purpose.

Admissions

Come learn for yourself why there is no better school in the Mid-South for boys in Grades 7-12. We are committed to academic excellence, and we know how to teach boys. Nearly 70 percent of our teachers have advanced degrees, and they average 22 years of experience. We maintain a student-teacher ratio of 7 to 1, and a typical class size of 15. Step-by-step, our students learn to take responsibility for their actions, serve the community, and develop leadership skills as they make lifelong friendships.

Academics

The extraordinarily accomplished and dedicated faculty is our driving force, and providing boys an unparalleled college-preparatory education is our guiding principle. Since the school’s founding in 1893, we have upheld a tradition of excellence, and we stay on the cutting edge by keeping an eye on the future. What we teach is shaped by the expectations that colleges have for students they admit, and by what we believe we should pass on from generation to generation.

Arts

Understanding and appreciating the works of man’s creative spirit are necessary for a complete education. We offer students myriad opportunities for hands-on, full-fledged participation in performing, visual, and recording arts. Boys here have the chance to sculpt, to paint, to act, to sing, and to perform, and the whole community benefits from the creativity that they express.

“It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance … and I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process.” - Henry James, 1915

Athletics

Sports have always played a significant role in shaping the moral character of our students. Teamwork, self-sacrifice, courage, stamina, perseverance, hard work, self-control - these values are forged in the crucible of competition. While we are extremely proud of our numerous athletic achievements, we realize these endeavors are never an end in themselves, but a powerful means to an end: self-knowledge and self-improvement for our boys. Our athletic program lives by the highest code of sportsmanship. We play hard, we play by the rules, and we have fun. At MUS, we always play the games well.

Student Life

A tradition of excellence remains vigorous here due to the commitment of the entire community - especially students. We encourage our boys to strive for excellence because that allows them to find meaning in what they do, to play a role in something greater than themselves, and to discover a sense of competence and thus confidence in themselves and in their abilities. If our academics, or our sports, or our arts, or our service and leadership opportunities do not challenge or engage boys, then they lack the capacity to transform boys. The struggle for excellence makes our experiences real. And boys need something real.

News

School Supply Shopping

The 2019-20 school supply lists for Upper and Lower School students have been posted and may be found on the Parent Quicklinks Resource Board when you are logged into the website. Here is information for upcoming tax-free holidays:
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Ding Competes at National MATHCOUNTS

Eighth grader Varun Krishnamurthi and seventh graders Bryan Ding, Evan Wu, and Jerry Xiao advanced to the state MATHCOUNTS competition in Nashville in early March where the fearsome foursome took third place, and Ding, as an individual winner, earned the chance to play on the Tennessee team at the national competition in Lake Buena Vista, FL, this May.
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“The Owl’s Hoot” Awarded First Place

The American Scholastic Press Association awarded The Owl’s Hoot staff a 2018-19 Scholastic Newspaper-First Place Award. The students were commended for their October and February issues, two entry among 900 submissions in seven categories covering content and design.
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Hyde Library Summer Hours and Services

The Hyde Library will be open this summer from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Wednesday. Students may check out books over the summer or download books and audiobooks from the Axis 360 platform.
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Class of 2019 Commencement

Surrounded by the family members, friends, and teachers who supported them along the way, the Class of 2019 celebrated graduation on Sunday, May 19, at Second Presbyterian Church. Click here to see selected photos from the event. Kathy Daniel Patterson took photos during Commencement, and the images should be loaded on her website by May 23. Under Client Viewing, enter the Event ID MUS2019.

We will mail the parents of each graduate a complimentary flash-drive copy of the Commencement video.
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Arjun Puri Physics Olympian

Junior Arjun Puri earned a Gold Medal for his performance in the 2019 Physics Olympiad and has been named a USA Physics Olympiad finalist. Approximately 6,000 students participated in the first round of the competition hosted by the American Association of Physics Teachers in late January. Less than 7 percent of those students qualified as semifinalists, advancing to the next round in late March.
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Owls Take Second in Regional Physics Bowl

Owls competed against the best physics students from 11 states in the annual Physics Bowl, taking second place in Division II for the fourth year in a row.
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Order of the Owl, Latin Society Celebrated

Lower School Principal Loyal Murphy welcomed families as Order of the Owl and National Latin Honor Society inductees were celebrated Friday, May 10, 2019. Order of the Owl eligibility demands high academic performance and demonstrated excellent citizenship in accordance with the school Honor Code and Community Creed. In order to qualify for the NLHS, a student must be a member of Junior Classical League, must attend one of the Latin conventions during this school year, must maintain an A average, and must gain approval from his instructors.
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Springfield Scholars Induct 10

Ten eighth graders joined the Springfield Scholars May 9 in an evening filled with moving testimonials, proud parents, and crisp new ties. During the 13th annual dinner, Jack Blackwell, Vince Boberski, Jaxon Hammond, Frederick Huang, Varun Krishnamurthi, Kevin Ma, Jackson Oswalt, Alyaan Salman, Jack Zaptin, and Lou Zhou each received a commemorative tie, certificate, and lapel pin, and a favorite teacher spoke in his honor.
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Salman Wins Trigon Tournament

Lower School students gathered in Thomas Amphitheater this morning for the grand spectacle of the 7th Annual Roman Trigon Tournament.
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CAMWS Honors 26 Latin Owls

A total of 26 students earned recognition on the 2019 Classical Association of the Middle West and South Latin Translation Contest. Competing against 1,000 or more students from Virginia to Colorado, Owls earned cash, books, or certificates for their performances. Cash award winners scored in the top 2-3 percent in their grade level, book award winners scored in the top 5-6 percent, and certificates of commendation winners scored in the top 20 percent.
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57 Owls Medal in National Spanish Exams

Spanish students collected a ton of hardware for their performances on the 2019 National Spanish Examinations. Students scoring at or above the 95th percentile for their grade level nationally earned Gold; 94th-85th percentiles; Silver; and 84th-75th, Bronze. A 50th percentile score equals the national average.
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Admissions Office Names New Ambassadors

Director of Admissions Buck Towner announced the biggest class of ambassadors to date this week: 30 sophomores will join the current 26 junior ambassadors as official school hosts for 2019-20, leading tours of campus for prospective families and representing MUS at a number of additional events throughout the year.
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Economic Owls Take Third in Finance Challenge

Mr. John Knaff, instructor in economics, lead the team of seniors Sonny Charbonnet, Wood Davis, Alden Southerland, and junior Jack Fernandez in the Personal Finance Challenge in early April. The Owls took third place out of 127 teams in the Wild Card Division.
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Latin Owls Win Title XII

Our Latin scholars won first place – for the 12th consecutive year – this weekend in the 63rd annual Tennessee Junior Classical League convention in Chattanooga. A total of 32 schools from across the state competed in the event. MUS fielded a delegation of 41 Upper School and Lower School scholars, all of whom contributed in some way to the 1,421 points scored by the team. University School of Nashville came in second.
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Duke’s TIP Recognizes 10 Owls

Seventh graders Gabe Chen, Bryan Ding, Evan Wu, and Jerry Xiao earned nationwide Grand Recognition in Duke University’s Talent Identification Program.
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Senior Awards Honor Superlative Achievement

Seventeen seniors received the following special honors recognizing their academic, artistic, extracurricular, and community service efforts during their time at MUS. Opening the awards chapel ceremony today, Assistant Headmaster Barry Ray said, “This is a very nice honor for our young men who’ve worked awfully hard in a variety of areas.”

Awardees are as follows:
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Sign Up for Summer Government Conference by July 1

MUS will co-host the Future Leaders in American Government conference with Rhodes College this summer. FLAG is a three-day, two-night political debate conference to be held at Rhodes from Friday, July 19, to Sunday, July 21. It is open to 2019-20 high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors; tuition is $250. The deadline to register is July 1, 2019. For more information, visit musowls.org/flag.
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Special Awards Night

Nine students received special honors and collegiate book awards this month at the annual Special Awards and Honor Society Induction. Faculty, alumni, and special guests presented the awards:
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Exam Study Sessions

Take advantage of our Exam Study Sessions, which began April 29, to finish the fourth quarter well and prepare for finals. You still have time to attend. The program meets at night in Hyde Library, providing a quiet, distraction-free setting in which students can study. The cost is $200, and the schedule is as follows:
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