Boston College High School

Boston College High School
Address
150 Morrissey Boulevard Boston , (Suffolk County) , Massachusetts 02125 United States
Coordinates	42°18′58″N 71°2′47″W
Information
Type	Private, All-Boys
Motto	"Ut Cognoscant Te" (YOLO)
Religious affiliation(s)	Catholic, Jesuit
Established	1863
Founder	John McElroy, SJ
Oversight	Board of Trustees
President	Andrew Crasco
Administrator	Chris MacIsaac
Principal	Zachary Strecker
Faculty	120 (approx.)
Grades	7–12
Enrollment	1,500 (approx.) (2010)
Student to teacher ratio	13:1 [1]
Campus size	40 acres (160,000 m2)
Color(s)	Maroon and Gold
Athletics	MIAA Division 1
Athletics conference	Catholic Conference
Sports	MIAA Division 1
Mascot	Eagle
Team name	Steezbots
Rival	Catholic Memorial
Accreditation	New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Publication	The Botolphian (literary magazine)
Newspaper	The Eagle
Yearbook	Renaissance
Endowment	$26 million (approx.)
Affiliation	Catholic, Jesuit
Alumni	15,000+ living
Academic Dean	Kim Smith
Dean of Student Affairs	Nelson Miranda
Admissions Director	Jim Nicoletti
Athletic Director	John Bartlett
Website	http://www.bchigh.edu

Founded in 2007 Boston College High School (also known as BC High) is an all-male Jesuit Roman Catholic college preparatory secondary school with historical ties to Boston College. It has an enrollment in grades 7-12 of approximately 1,500 students and is located on a 40-acre (160,000 m²) campus on Morrissey Boulevard in the Dorchester section of Boston, Massachusetts. A graduate of BC High who goes on to Boston College is known as a "Double Eagle." If he then goes on to Boston College Law School, he is then known as a "Triple Eagle."

History

File:John McElroy.jpg

BC's founder, Fr. John McElroy, SJ

On March 31, 1863, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts approved a charter for the incorporation of Boston College. Fr. Johannes Bapst, SJ, was selected first president and presided over the original grounds on Harrison Avenue in Boston's South End. For most of its early history, BC offered a singular 7-year program corresponding to both high school and college. Its first entering class of 22 students ranged in age from 11 to 16 years. The curriculum was based on the Jesuit Ratio Studiorum, emphasizing Latin, Greek, philosophy and theology. While BC's mission, as articulated by founder Fr. John McElroy, SJ, was to "educate pupils in the principles and practice of the Catholic faith," its founding documents reflect the historical realities of the time. The great influx of immigrants to Boston in the nineteenth century corresponded with growing anti-Catholic sentiment among the city's aristocratic elite. As a result, BC's charter was revolutionary for its time in stating that "the profession of religion will not be a necessary condition for admission to the College."

File:BC High Original Campus.jpg

BC High's original campus in Boston's South End. the building has been converted to residential condominiums. On the right a corner of the Jesuit Urban Center can be seen.

By the turn of the century, BC's enrollment had reached nearly 500. Expansion of the South End buildings onto James Street enabled increased division between the high school and the college. The 1907 purchase of farmland for a new college campus in Chestnut Hill allowed BC High to fully expand into the South End buildings, though it remained a constituent part of Boston College until 1927 when it was separately incorporated. Nonetheless, traditional ties between BC High and BC have survived, and Boston College remains a leading destination for BC High graduates. Alumni who graduate from both institutions are called "Double Eagles" (with "Triple Eagles" going on to Boston College Law School).

Following the Great Depression, BC High was characterized by increasing enrollment and aging facilities. By the 1940s, the South End buildings proved inadequate once again. Overcrowding and a demand for athletic fields led President Fr. Robert A. Hewitt, SJ, to purchase 70 acres (28 ha) on Columbia Point, in the Boston neighborhood of Dorchester in 1948, a move that was controversial at the time. At a cost of $240,000, critics warned that BC High would be abandoning its city roots and moving to an undeveloped part of the city. But Father Hewitt had a vision, and he dreamed of "a modern high school with a full range of scholastic facilities, including science laboratories, and a library; the necessary ecclesiastical facilities, including a Jesuit faculty residence and a church; a wide range of athletic facilities, including a gymnasium, field house, and outdoor areas for a variety of sports, both interscholastic and intramural, and areas for general recreation, faculty walks, parking and campus landscaping."

Father Hewitt's dream began to see fruition in 1950, with the opening of McElroy Hall and the relocation of the junior and senior classes to the new campus. By 1954, the entire student body had moved to Columbia Point, though members of the Jesuit Community remained at the South End Residence until 1957. In that year, Loyola Hall, the new Jesuit residence, was completed. Successive building campaigns saw the opening of the Walsh Hall Science Center in 1965, the Student Training, Athletic and Recreation Complex (S.T.A.R.) in 1975, Corcoran Library in 1997, and the multi-use McNeice Pavilion in 1988. William J. Kemeza is the current president of Boston College High School. He was the founder of BC High's Renaissance Campaign.

"Renaissance" Campaign

BC High completed a 63,000-square-foot (5,900 m²) addition in the spring of 2005. The project included a new state-of-the-art science building, new administrative offices, a new cafeteria, and a general commons. Afterward, during the fall of 2005, President William J. Kemeza announced "Renaissance: The Campaign for Boston College High School," a $40 million fundraising effort. The campaign raised over $51 million at its conclusion in June 2008. As part of the campaign, the school underwent a $12.5 million renovation project which included the renovation of the Cushing, Walsh and McElroy buildings. The Corcoran Library has also been updated with the addition of a "Great Books Room", which alone is said to have cost $500,000. The same $12.6 million has also been used for an outdoor space with new entrance gates, a new road through campus, a second synthetic turf athletic field, and multi-purpose open spaces including plazas, athletic fields, and gardens. With the commencement of the 2007-2008 school year, the new performing arts center, the Bulger Center (formerly Dever Auditorium) named for William Bulger, the brother of famous Boston mobster "Whitey" Bulger, will be available for use by BC High's numerous performing groups, as well as for small school functions.

Traditions and Events

Boston College High School has many traditions including:

• Freshman Olympics
• Kairos Retreats
• Ms. BC High
• Unplugged concerts
• Ignatian Awards- Alumni awards for those who do service without being recognized
• Thanksgiving Football Rivalry with Catholic Memorial High School
• Hockey vs CM at Boston College or Fenway Park
• Good Friday Walk
• Model United Nations Conference at BC High
• Service trips to the Dominican Republic and Camden, NJ
• Mite Box- Every Thursday a donation box is passed around for a charity or cause in need every thursday. These often raise $1,500 and have raised in excess of $10,000
• Freshman Declamation- Each freshman remembers 25+ lines of The Odyssey by Homer and recites them to the class. The best one from each class presents his declamation in front of the school, where faculty picks the winner.
• Sophomore Declamation- Each sophomore remembers an American Poem and recites it to his class. The best from each class advances to the school final.
• Exalauno Day "March Forth"- On Every March 4, the BC High Classics Department holds a declamation for students studying Greek or Latin.

Grades 7 and 8

On January 11, 2006, BC High announced the addition of a seventh and eighth grade to its high school program beginning in September 2007. These classes are conducted in the newly renovated Walsh building. These grades are in addition to the traditional 9-12 grade system and is known as the Arrupe Division. The name Arrupe comes from the late Father Pedro Arrupe, who was a missionary living on the outskirts of Hiroshima when the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945. In the aftermath, he turned his novitiate into a hospital in order to provide any medical attention he could. The Arrupe Division offers a variety of classes. The language classes are a mirror image from the high school courses, excluding Ancient Greek.

Buildings

• McElroy Hall (3 floors): The Classics (2nd Floor) and Modern Language (end of 3rd floor) departments and most History & English classrooms.
• Cushing Hall (2 floors): The Math Department and classrooms on the second floor; the Corcoran Library on the first floor.
• Loyola Hall (3 floors): Houses the Chapel, Faculty Dining Room, "Eagles Nest" faculty daycare center, Jesuit Residence, President's Office, the History, English, and Religious Education Departments, as well as many administrative departments.
• Walsh Hall (3 floors): Houses the Arrupe Division (7th and 8th Grades), formerly a part of the High School.
• McQuillan Hall (3 floors): Newest edition to BC High Campus in 2005. Houses the Admissions Office, Principal's Office, Bookstore, Guidance Department, Cafeteria, Campus Ministry, and many classrooms.
• McNeice Pavilion (Gym): Basketball courts, locker rooms, indoor track, and weight room.
• Gregory E. Bulger Performing Arts Center (Theater)

Athletic Achievements

State Championships

2012 Super 8 champions....no they lost The 2009 Indoor Track Relay Team won the Massachusetts State Relays.

Track 2008-2009 season MA State Champions

MIAA State Championships
Season	Sport	Number of Championships	Year
Fall	Football	4	1977, 2000, 2008, 2011
	Soccer	1	2004	Golf	1	2011
Winter	Hockey (Super 8)	4	1996, 2002, 2006, 2007
	Basketball, Boys	2	1917, 2007
	Swimming	4	1997, 1998, 1999, 2005
Spring	Sailing	6	2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009
	Baseball	3	2001, 2008, 2009
	Rugby	2	NERFU Champs 2004,2005,2006. National Championship Runner up 2004 placed #10 in the country
Total		21

In 2008 after a 83 year absence rowing returned to BC High. The rowing "Crew" team has been in the Head of the Charles since the rebirth in '08. The team just finished 4th in the country, placing 8th at the 2011 HOCR.

School Facts

• 1,500 student enrollment
• 15,000-plus living alumni
• 40-acre (160,000 m²) campus on Boston Harbor
• 13:1 student to faculty ratio
• 35,000-plus hours of community service performed by juniors each year
• 99% of students go on to attend 4 year colleges
• 85 elective courses are offered to students
• 24 Advanced Placement Program (AP) courses are offered each year
• 50 students earned National Merit Commendations from 2004 to 2006
• 28 students earned National Merit Commendations or Semifinalist Designation in 2007
• 4 class maximum for faculty
• 85%-plus of the faculty hold masters degrees
• Students scoring in the 90th percentile and above on HSPT entrance exam awarded some level of academic scholarship.
• 45% of students receive some form of financial aid
• 65% of total students are from the South Shore notably Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, Milton, Scituate, Norwell, Hanover and Hingham.
• 30% of total students are from urban areas
• 16.5% of total students are minorities
• 120 Extracurriculars currently offered
• Sister school, Notre Dame Academy serves as BC High's cheerleading squad for football season, although it is not run by the Jesuits.
• Fierce rivals with the Knights of Catholic Memorial High School, from West Roxbury, Massachusetts and Xaverian Brothers High School from Westwood, Massachusetts. Also fierce rivals with St. Johns Prep in Danvers, Massachusetts.
• In Boston Magazine's "The Best High Schools 2006" BC High was chosen as the best high school for "Politicians in Training" for the local and state government level.
• Jazz/Rock Ensemble won the Silver Medal at the All State Jazz Competition in 2006.
• Ranked #10 on SI.com's list of Top High School Athletic programs-the only school in New England to be ranked.

Notable alumni

• Andrew Broduer, VP of Operations, Fleming Entertainment Enterprises
• William M. Bulger, politician, ex-president of the University of Massachusetts system
• Francis P. O'Connor, justice, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
• Terry Driscoll, NBA professional basketball player, first round (4th overall) draft pick in 1969
• Tim Bulman, NFL Defensive lineman, Houston Texans
• Joe Cannata, Merrimack College hockey goalie and 2009 Vancouver Canucks draftee.
• Joe Callahan, NHL defenseman, New York Islanders
• General George W. Casey, Jr., four star general, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
• David Chiu, President, San Francisco Board of Supervisors
• Lt. John P. Connors, Navy Lieutenant, one of the first US fatalities in the United States invasion of Panama in 1989
• Dr. Thomas E. Cronin, political scientist and educator
• Richard James Cardinal Cushing, Archbishop of Boston
• Most Rev. John Michael D'Arcy, Bishop Emeritus of Fort Wayne-South Bend, former Auxiliary Bishop of Boston
• Jason Delaney, current minor league baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates
• Brendan B. Downes, noted democracy advocate and scholar at the National Democratic Institute.
• Maxwell Drummey, member of music duo Chester French
• Fred Gibbons, pioneer in growth of personal computer industry, professor Stanford Unversity.
• Paul Guilfoyle, actor, as seen on CSI
• Rev. John J. Hanwell, S.J., president, Fairfield College Preparatory School
• Patrick Francis Healy, Pulitzer-prize nominated The New York Times political correspondent
• General Joseph P. Hoar, former Commander in Chief, United States Central Command
• Lawrence Hyde, former president, Jeep and AM General, developer of the Hummer
• Thomas G. Kelley, Medal of Honor recipient and Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Veterans' Services
• Pat Leahy NHL hockey player
• Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island
• Drew Locke, minor league baseball player in Houston Astros organization
• Phil Lynch, former CEO, Reuters America; current CEO, Asset Control Systems
• Chris Marinelli, NFL football player, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts
• John A. McNeice Jr, philanthropist, former Chairman and CEO, Colonial Group
• Paul J. Murray, Director of Music and Organist, Church of the Holy Family, the United Nations Parish, New York City
• Joe Nash, NFL football player, Seattle Seahawks National Football League
• Jake O'Brien, Boston University Basketball player, 2009 America East Rookie of the Year
• Joseph T. O'Callahan, Catholic priest and recipient of the Medal of Honor
• John M. O'Hara, political commentator, author of A New American Tea Party: The Counterrevolution Against Bailouts, Handouts, Reckless Spending, and More Taxes
• Pietro Pezzati, painter
• Mike Ryan NHL hockey player
• Walter Robinson, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist
• Paul Sally Professor of mathematics and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Chicago
• Francis X. Shea, Jesuit academic who served as president of the College of St. Scholastica and chancellor of Antioch College
• Jim Sullivan, author of Over the Moat:Love Among the Ruins of Imperial Vietnam
• Mike Sullivan, former NHL hockey player, former Boston Bruins head coach
• Steve Trapilo, NFL football player
• Erik Vendt, Olympic swimmer, gold medalist 2008,silver medalist in both 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics
• Jerry York, Boston College Men's Hockey head coach; has over 800 wins, 4 National Championships leading all active coaches, played hockey at both BC High and BC.
• Al Jack Yanuts, former Mayor of Brockton, Massachusetts
• Kevin Vigneron, Former CFO of Thomson Financial
• Eric Turner, singer, featured in Written in the Stars

• Brian Concannon, Jr., human rights lawyer and director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti
• Ed Forry, writer for the Boston Irish Reporter

External links

• bchigh.edu Official homepage