Boston College High School

Boston College High School (also known as BC High) is an all-male, Jesuit, Roman Catholic, college preparatory secondary school founded in 1863 with historical ties to Boston College. It has an enrollment in grades 7-12 of approximately 1,600 students and is located on a 40-acre (160,000 m²) campus on Morrissey Boulevard in the Dorchester section of Boston, Massachusetts, United States.

History

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."

By the start of the 20th 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 Jesuit President Fr. Robert A. Hewitt 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 by 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 was also updated with the addition of a "Great Books Room", which alone reportedly 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), will be available for use by BC High's numerous performing groups, as well as for small school functions.

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 and is known as the Arrupe Division.^[4] The name Arrupe comes from the late Father Pedro Arrupe, who was a notable missionary, and an influential Jesuit. The Arrupe division differs from the rest of the school in their stricter rules and more involvement from the teachers.

Buildings

• McElroy Hall (3 floors): The Classics (2nd Floor) and Modern Language (end of 3rd floor) departments and most Language, History, Religious Education, and 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 addition 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), formerly Dever Auditorium
• Cadigan Hall: A second gym, for the Arrupe Division, new art classrooms and theaters as well as a student lounge will be in Cadigan Hall. The new hall was announced in the spring of 2012.

Athletic achievements

The school was ranked #10 on Sports Illustrated's list of Top High School Athletic programs – the only school in New England to be ranked.^[5]

State Championships

The 2009 Indoor Track Relay Team won the Massachusetts State Relays.^[6][7]

Track 2008-2009 season MA State Champions

In 2008 after an 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. Recently the Crew team placed 5th at the 2012 HOCR and 7 at the 2013 HOCR. In 2014 the First Varsity Eight finished 4th in the Youth Eights Division, placing first among American High Schools and winning both the Jesuit Cup and the Metropolitan District Commission Cup, awarded to the most competitive Massachusetts High School at the regatta.

Notable alumni

References

External links

• bchigh.edu Official homepage

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