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Boston College High School

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Coordinates: 42°18′58″N 71°2′47″W / 42.31611°N 71.04639°W / 42.31611; -71.04639
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Boston College High School
File:Bchigh.jpg
Address
Map
150 Morrissey Boulevard

Boston
,
(Suffolk County)
,
Massachusetts
02125

 United States
Coordinates42°18′58″N 71°2′47″W / 42.31611°N 71.04639°W / 42.31611; -71.04639
Information
TypePrivate, All-Boys
Motto"Ut Cognoscant Te"[1]
(So they may know you.)
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic,
Jesuit
Established1863
FounderJohn McElroy, SJ
Authorityall authority in Boston
SuperintendentHorhay Joyce
School number321 657 1123
PresidentWilliam Kemeza
PrincipalStephen Hughes
Faculty120 (approx.)
Grades7–12
Enrollment1,550 (approx.) (2008)
Student to teacher ratio13:1 [1]
Campus size40 acres
Color(s)Maroon and Gold   
Athletics conferenceCatholic Conference
MascotEagle
NicknameEaglets
Team nameEagles
RivalCatholic Memorial
AccreditationNew England Association of Schools and Colleges[2]
PublicationThe Botolphian (literary magazine)
NewspaperThe Eagle
YearbookRenaissance
Endowment$260 million (approx.)
Alumni16,000 living
Academic DeanCharles Drane
Dean of StudentsNelson Miranda
Admissions DirectorMichael Brennan
Athletic DirectorJohn Bartlett
Websitehttp://www.bchigh.edu

Founded in 1863, 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 1,550 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 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."

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 (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 US$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.

File:Bchighaerial2.jpg
BC High's current campus on Morrissey Blvd. in Dorchester, MA.

"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 US$40 million fundraising effort. The campaign raised over US$51 million at its conclusion in June 2008. As part of the campaign, the school underwent a US$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 US$500,000. The same US$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) will be available for use by BC High's numerous performing groups, as well as for small school functions.

File:Bulger Auditorium.jpg
File:Bchfacade.jpg

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.[3] These classes are 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.[4] The Arrupe division students automaticly gain entry to the High school as long as they have passing grades, which in turn makes it harder for non Arrupe students to make it into the High school 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 offered are Latin, French, Chinese and Spanish.

File:BCHCommons.jpg
Hunter-Fahey Commons


Buildings

  • McElroy Hall (3 floors): The Classics and Modern Language Departments and most 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 Arupe Division (7th and 8th Grades)
  • 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 (Gym): Basketball courts and training room.
  • Bulger (Theater)
File:BCHighLibrary.jpg
The Great Books Room
File:BCHChapel.jpg
BC High's Loyola Chapel

Athletic Achievements

File:BCHAthletics.jpg
BC High's New Athletic Logo

State Championships

The 2009 Indoor Track Relay Team won the Massachusetts State Relays.[5][6]

Track 2008-2009 season MA State Champions

MIAA State Championships
Season Sport Number of Championships Year
Fall Football 3 1977, 2000, 2008
Soccer 1 2004
Winter Hockey (Super 8) 4 1996, 2002, 2006, 2007
Basketball, Boys 2 1917, 2007
Swimming 4 1997, 1998, 1999, 2005
Spring Sailing 5 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008
Baseball 3 2001, 2008, 2009 Rugby 2 NERFU Champs 2004,2005,2006. National Championship Runner up 2004 placed #10 in the country
Total 21
File:Violastadium.jpg
Viola Stadium

School Facts

Notable alumni

  • Chris Mergenthaler- Former Stevens College Midfielder. Helped guide Stevens to the Division III Men's College Soccer National Championship. Mergenthaler ended his Stevens College career with 69 career goals. Mergenthaler is now pursuing a Master's Degree in Arabic Studies at Providence College, and is living in Cranston, Rhode Island.

References

  1. ^ John 17:3 "That they may know you."
  2. ^ NEASC-CIS. "NEASC-Commission on Independent Schools". Retrieved 2009-07-28.
  3. ^ http://www.bchigh.edu/home/news_item.asp?id=337&newsArea=home
  4. ^ .Boston College High School ~ Off-Campus Visits
  5. ^ http://www.boston.com/sports/schools/articles/2009/01/18/bc_high_group_dynamic/
  6. ^ http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/high_school/general/view/2009_01_18_BC_High_Eagles_rise_up:_Corey_Thomas_sets_record/srvc=home&position=recent
  7. ^ Best Schools 2006: The Right Private School for Your Kid - Boston Magazine
  8. ^ SI.com - More Sports - Nation's Top 10 athletic programs - Tuesday June 19, 2007 4:17PM
  9. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/08/us/us-panama-toll-deaths-23-americans-panama-their-dreams-cut-short.html?pagewanted=all
  10. ^ http://www.fairfieldprep.org/page.cfm?p=381
  11. ^ ISBN-10: 0312422377

Chris Mergenthaler- Former Stevens College Midfielder. Helped guide Stevens to the Division III Men's College Soccer National Championship. Mergenthaler ended his Stevens College career with 69 career goals.

Preceded by Super Eight Hockey Tournament Champions
2006 and 2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Super Eight Hockey Tournament Champions
2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Super Eight Hockey Tournament Champions
1996 		Succeeded by
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