Gonzaga College High School

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Gonzaga College High School is a prestigious Jesuit high school for boys located in Washington, DC. The school is named in honor of St. Aloysius Gonzaga an Italian saint from the 16th century. Gonzaga is the oldest boys' high school in Washington, D.C.

History

Gonzaga was founded by Father Antoine Kohlmann, an Alsatian Jesuit, in 1821. It was at first called Washington Seminary and was located on F Street, near 10th Street, N.W. in a building adjoining Saint Patrick's Church.

-->The school was immediately popular among Catholic families and was well enough known in its early years to attract the attention of President John Quincy Adams, who visited the school to test the boys' Latin and Greek. However, there were financial problems that caused the Jesuits to withdraw in 1827. Gonzaga was reopened some twenty years later and President Zachary Taylor presided at the commencement exercises in 1849.

In 1858, Gonzaga was given a charter by Congress, which permitted it (and, in theory, permits it still) to grant degrees, and in the next year, the school moved to a building (now called Kohlmann Hall) in the Swampoodle area north of the US Capitol. Enrollment declined owing to the distance of the new neighbourhood from the centre, but the Jesuits persevered and by the end of the century the school was once again flourishing. A theatre was built in 1887, and a large new classroom building (now called Dooley Hall) was opened in 1912.

The curriculum of Gonzaga from its founding until the late 20th century was at once rigorously classical and emphatically Catholic. Mastery of Latin and deep involvement in the Catholic religion were at its core. Standards were high, and many hopeful boys who lacked the necessary qualities for success were denied admittance.

Gonzaga benefited greatly from the fact that the row houses built in Swampoodle were largely occupied by Irish Catholics from the late 19th century on. Although Gonzaga always drew students from other parts of the city as well, the departure of the Swampoodle Irish for the suburbs in the mid-20th century and more especially their replacement by poorer non-Catholics, brought on another period of difficulties. A decline in enrolments and the great inner-city riot of 1968 led some to suggest that Gonzaga should be closed. However, the Jesuits once again persisted, and the school survived. In the last years of the 20th century, the school even expanded, adding several new buildings and a large playing field and field house. Today Gonzaga has regained its former status. A recent Wall Street Journal editorial referred to the institution as "the premier Catholic high school of Washington."[link]

Traditions

Gonzaga holds several traditions still carried out by students today. These include:

• Students do not step on a mosaic of the Gonzaga Seal, one set in the floor Dooley Hall, another in the much newer Collins Rotunda. Tradition states that students who do this will be "asked politely" by any seniors who witness the infraction to kiss the seal out of respect.
• The "Alma Mater" is sung at the end of every school mass, accompanied by an organ. It is also traditionally sung after every sporting event by athletes and fans alike...win or lose.
• Pep Rallies were traditionally held every Friday in the school quad. Since the removal of the quad in 2002 they have been held outside of the Carmody Center or in the Old Gym.
• Almost every year, seniors have broken into the bell tower to carve their names. This has become somewhat of a tradition, much to the distress of the school's faculty and administration.
• Annually, Gonzaga's seniors have sought some public display of urging victory of their team over St. John's. Such displays have included banners hung in prominent areas such as on a fence outside of the Soviet Embassy, or at sports games in which a large banner is placed on the second tier of the stadium seats gaining national coverage, most recently at a Nationals - Braves baseball game. Other displays have included pranks at St. John's such as releasing around 100 purple and white mice within the walls of St. John's.

Sports

Over the years Gonzaga has been known for its competitive sports program. Currently Gonzaga competes in the WCAC, one of the premier high school athletic leagues in the country. Gonzaga's main athletic field is named Buchanan Family Field after the family of alumnus Pat Buchanan. In 2005 the school installed Fieldturf on the field.

Notable alumni

• John H. Bayly, Washington D.C. Superior Court Judge
• Pat Buchanan (Class of 1956)
• William Bennett, first "drug czar" of the United States (Class of 1961)
• Pat Conroy, Attended, did not graduate
• Curome Cox, NFL player for the Denver Broncos (Class of 1999)
• Joseph Ellis, Pulitzer Prize winning Author and Professor of History at Mount Holyoke College (Class of 1961)
• Phillip Finch, novelist
• Lawrence Hogan, Congressman (Class of 1946)
• John Heard, Actor (Class of 1964)
• Raymond Kemp, Activist Priest
• Michael Kelly, former Washington Post columnist, editor of The New Republic, and editor-at-large of The Atlantic Monthly
• Jim Kimsey, Attended did not graduate
• Frederick Lawton, former U.S. budget director
• Lance Morrow, journalist and writer for Time Magazine
• Jon Morris, NFL player for the New England Patriots (Class of 1960)
• Dr. Richard Mudd, grandson of Dr. Samuel Mudd, (Class of 1917)
• Roman Oben, NFL player for the San Diego Chargers (Class of 1990)
• Martin O'Malley, Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland (Class of 1981)
• Johnathan Rice, Musician & Actor (Class of 2001)
• Charles L. Schultze, former chairman, United States Council of Economic Advisors
• John Thompson III, Head Basketball Coach at Georgetown University (Class of 1984)

Rivals & Sister School

Gonzaga is considered rivals with DeMatha and Georgetown Prep. Their main rival, however, is St. John's (whom Gonzaga's students refer to as "the Mops" or "the Johnnies"), and the rivalry is considered the oldest between two Catholic High Schools in the United States.

In crew, Gonzaga's main rival is St. Albans School. The two schools annually battle during the "God Cup" Regatta. Gonzaga has won in most categories since the event began.

Georgetown Visitation is the "sister school" of Gonzaga. Students of the two schools frequently attend each others' dances and athletic events and participate in school dramatic and choral productions. Other nearby girl's schools are Academy of the Holy Cross, Stone Ridge, and Holton-Arms. Along the same lines, Gonzaga students sometimes chant "Your Girls Love Us" when playing games against co-ed schools, such as Bishop Ireton.

External links

• [Gonzaga College High School website]
• [Gonzaga Athletics]
• [Gonzaga Crew Team]
• [Gonzaga Hockey]
• [Gonzaga Rugby]
• [Gonzaga Lacrosse]

 

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