Boston College High School
| Boston College High School | |
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| File:Bcseal.jpg | |
| Location | |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private all-male, secondary, Catholic |
| Motto | Ut Cognoscant Te [1] |
| Established | 1863 |
| Founder | John McElroy, SJ |
| President | William J. Kemeza |
| Faculty | 120 (approx.) |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,300 (approx.) |
| Campus | 40 acres |
| Color(s) | Maroon and gold |
| Mascot | Eagles |
| Affiliations | Roman Catholic, Jesuit |
| Website | www.bchigh.edu |
Founded in 1863, Boston College High School (also known as BC High) is an all-male Jesuit college preparatory secondary school with historical ties to Boston College. It has an enrollment in grades 9-12 of approximately 1,300 students and is located on a 40-acre campus on Morrissey Boulevard in the Dorchester section of Boston, Massachusetts. A Graduate of BC High who goes on to both Boston College and Boston College Law School is known as a "Triple Eagle."
History
On March 31, 1863, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts approved a charter for the incorporation of Boston College. John Bapst, SJ, was selected first president and presided over the opening of the school, 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 traditional Jesuit Ratio Studiorum, emphasizing Latin, Greek, philosophy and theology. While BC's mission, as articulated by founder 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 Brahmin 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."
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 1940's, the South End buildings proved inadequate once again. Overcrowding and a demand for athletic fields led President Robert A. Hewitt, SJ to purchase 70 acres (280,000 m²) 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. A former principal and teacher at BC High, Kemeza is the first lay president in the school's history. He was the founder of BC High's Renaissance Campaign.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception still serves the Jesuit community of Boston as both an active center of worship and an administrative facility. The remaining school facilities have since been sold to other parties. The building immediately facing Harrison Avenue was renovated into a apartment complex by Boston University reserved for the students of its nearby graduate health schools. Recent urban renewal and the influx of young professionals into the South End have led to the conversion of the other buildings into luxury condominiums.
"Renaissance" Campaign
BC High completed a 63,000 ft² (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 has raised over $30 million as of May 2006. 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." Dever Theatre will soon be rebuilt into a 350 stadium-seat theatre by the end of the 06-07 year. 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.[1]
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 [2]. These classes will be conducted in the newly renovated Walsh building. These grades are in addition to the traditional 9-12 grade system that is already in place and will be known as the Arrupe Division. [3]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. [4]
School facts
- 1,300 student enrollment
- 15,000-plus living alumni
- 40 acre campus on Boston Harbor
- 12:1 student to faculty ratio
- 45,000-plus hours of community service performed by seniors each year
- 99% of students go on to attend 4 year colleges
- 128 elective courses are offered to students
- 25 Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered each year
- 80% of students taking AP exam scored 3 or higher
- 100 students travel overseas through its academic enrichment program each year
- 50 students earned National Merit Commendations from 2004 to 2006
- 4 class minimum for faculty
- 85%-plus of the faculty hold masters degrees
- 26 faculty and staff are BC High graduates
- $1.7 million in financial aid distributed each year
- 35% of students receive some form of financial aid
- 67% of total students are from the South Shore notably Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, Milton ,Scituate, and Hingham.
- 30% of total students are from urban areas
- 11.4% of total students are minorities
- 81 Extracurriculars currently offered
- Sister School Notre Dame Academy Hingham, MA (formerly located in Roxbury, Massachusetts but due to dangerous surrounding neighborhood it relocated to upscale Hingham in 1965). Notre Dame Academy serves as BC High's cheerleading squad for football and basketball season.
- Fierce rivals with the Scarlet Knights of Catholic Memorial High School, from West Roxbury, 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.
Notable alumni
Notes
- ^ That they may know you. (John 17:3)
