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Boston College High School

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Boston College High School (also known as BC High) is an all-male, Jesuit, Catholic college-preparatory day school in the Columbia Point neighborhood of Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts. It educates approximately 1,400 students in grades 7–12. Founded in 1863 as a constituent part of Boston College, the school separated from the college in 1927.

Boston College High School
Address
Map
150 Morrissey Boulevard

Boston
,
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, college-preparatory
MottoLatin: Ut Cognoscant Te[1]
(So they may know You.)
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic (Jesuit)
EstablishedMarch 31, 1863 (1863-03-31) (as part of Boston College)
March 29, 1927 (1927-03-29) (as separate institution)
FounderJohn McElroy
OversightArchdiocese of Boston
CEEB code220180
NCES School ID00600981[2]
PresidentGrace Cotter Regan
PrincipalAdam Lewis
Grades7–12
Enrollment1,397
Color(s)    Maroon and gold
Fight song"For Boston"
AthleticsMIAA Division 1
Athletics conferenceCatholic Conference
NicknameEagles
Rivals
AccreditationNEASC[3]
PublicationThe Botolphian (literary magazine)
NewspaperThe Eagle
Endowment$88.9 million (FY2023)
Websitebchigh.edu

History

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Foundation and relationship with Boston College

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In 1863, Jesuit priest John McElroy founded Boston College as a seven-year educational institution combining high school and college.[4] The school administration believed that a seven-year course of study would ensure "moral influence" and a "uniform and homogeneous course of teaching and of training."[5] The high school and college shared a campus in Boston's South End until 1910 (when the college moved to Chestnut Hill), and legally separated in 1927.[4][6] Following the split, BC High initially remained in the South End, but moved to its current Dorchester campus in 1950.[7]

During their years as a merged institution, BC High was much larger than the college. In 1913, it enrolled 1,300 students to the college's 300.[8] In 1922, BC High enrolled 1,500 boys, making it the nation's largest Catholic high school and by far the nation's largest Catholic boys' school (the next largest, in Philadelphia, educated 859).[9] Students who graduated from BC High in good standing were automatically admitted to Boston College without examination.[10] Today, only a minority of BC High students (102 out of 1445 graduates between 2017 and 2021) attend Boston College.[11]

Although BC High and Boston College are now separate institutions, the two schools' athletic programs share the Eagle mascot, and graduates of BC High and BC are known as "Double Eagles."[8] (Graduates of BC High, BC, and BC's graduate schools (traditionally the law school) are called "Triple Eagles."[8][12])

Due to its shared history with Boston College, BC High has always been open to students of all faiths. The original Boston College was founded "to educate Boston's predominantly Irish, Catholic immigrant community."[13] Nonetheless, the state government required the founders to open the school to students of all religious backgrounds, as reflected in Boston College's founding charter.[14]

21st-century developments

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In the 21st century, the size of BC High's student body has fluctuated for various reasons. For most of the 2000s, the school educated approximately 1,300 students in the high school division.[15] In 2006, BC High added a middle school (grades 7–8), dubbed the "Arrupe Division,"[16] which temporarily increased the size of the school to 1,600 students. Since 2015, the student body has been shrinking.[17] That year, the school surveyed its parents and alumni, who generally supported decreasing the size of the school over the alternatives of admitting female students or raising tuition to free up endowment funds for financial aid.[18] In the 2022–23 school year, BC High enrolled 1,405 students, 334 of whom were in the middle school.[19]

The school reportedly considered admitting girls in 2015 and 2017, but declined to do so after opposition from several stakeholders, including (allegedly) Cardinal O'Malley, the Archbishop of Boston, who was reportedly concerned about the effect a co-ed BC High might have on the Archdiocese's all-girls schools.[16][18] A former chairman of the BC High board of trustees echoed this concern.[16] However, in 2017 BC High appointed its first female president, Grace Cotter Regan, who stated that she would respect the board and alumni's wishes to continue single-sex education.[7][20]

In 2023, BC High announced that it was launching a $125 million fundraising campaign to expand the scholarship fund and upgrade the campus.[21] This campaign includes a $49 million gift (the largest in school history) to build a wellness complex, which will include a strength and conditioning center, a swimming pool, and exercise machines.[22]

Sexual misconduct accusations

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In 2002, Stephen F. Dawber was suspended from his teaching duties after accusations of sexual assault. This came just days after two other priests were accused of abuse about a decade prior.[23]

In 2005, Jesuit priest James Talbot, who was also a teacher and coach at the school, pleaded guilty to rape, assault with intent to rape, and three counts of assault and battery, related to two students he sexually abused during his time there. The school had previously removed him after allegations of sexual assault surfaced from his time at Cheverus High School in Portland, Maine.[23] Talbot's actions were subsequently dramatized in the 2015 film Spotlight.[24] In 2016, BC High trustee Jack Dunn successfully threatened to sue Spotlight's filmmakers for defamation. The film's distributor issued a statement clarifying that Dunn had not personally covered up sexual abuse at BC High.[25]

Academics

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Global Education

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The Hyde Center for Global Education was founded was established in 2012 with the gift of Lawrence Hyde, who was a member of the Class of 1942.[7] The program offers a variety of international programs to 18 different countries.[26]

Innovation

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In 2020, alumnus Jack Shields donated $5 million to establish the Shields Innovation Center. The program aims to "prioritize entrepreneurial thinking while preparing students for the rapidly evolving innovation economy".[27]

Financials

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Tuition and financial aid

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In the 2023–24 school year, BC High charged students $26,650, plus other mandatory and optional fees.[28]

41% of the student body is on financial aid. Based on the school's reported $11 million financial aid budget, the average aid grant is roughly $19,000 (~70% of tuition).[28] In 2017, approximately 50% of the student body received financial aid, but the average aid grant was less than 50% of tuition.[16]

Endowment and expenses

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BC High does not file publicly accessible Internal Revenue Service disclosures.[29] In the 2023 fiscal year, BC High reported that its financial endowment stood at $88.9 million.[30]

Facilities

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St. Ignatius Hall (formerly McElroy Hall) is the Dorchester campus' original building.[31] Shortly after, Cushing Hall opened in 1953, followed by the new Jesuit residence, Loyola Hall, in 1957. The Walsh Hall Science Center opened in 1965. Walsh Hall was renovated in 2007 for the opening of the Arrupe Division, which serves grades 7-8. McQuillan Hall and Cadigan Hall are the two newest buildings on the campus. McQuillan Hall houses the new science center and cafeteria.[7]

Cadigan Hall opened in 2013 after alumnus Pat Cadigan donated $12 million for a new "arts and recreation building". The hall features an atrium to facilitize alumni and outreach events.[32] Cadigan Hall serves the art and music departments as well as the athletic program.[7]

In the spring of 2016, Monan Park opened as the new home for the home for baseball at Boston College High School and the University of Massachusetts Boston. The complex features a baseball stadium with seating for 500 spectators and identical dimensions to Fenway Park, as well as a secondary field for baseball, lacrosse, and soccer. The joint project with the neighboring University of Massachusetts Boston was made possible with a $2 million donation from the Yawkey Foundation.[33]

Extracurricular activities

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Athletics

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Boston College High School teams are known as the Eagles, a name they share with Boston College. They compete as a member of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division 1 level, competing in the Catholic Conference (CC). As of 2021, the school offered 20 varsity sports teams. Sponsored sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, rugby, sailing, skiing, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, ultimate, volleyball, and wrestling.[34]

The mascot for all Boston College High School athletic teams is the Eagle, generally referred to in the plural, i.e., "The Eagles". The school colors are maroon and gold. The fight song is For Boston.

The football team has a long-standing rivalry with Catholic Memorial School. They have faced off every year since 1962.[35] The winner of the Thanksgiving Day game wins the Pumpkin Trophy.[36]

The 2009 Indoor Track Relay Team won the Massachusetts State Relays.[37][38] The baseball team won the State Finals in 2001, 2008 and 2009.[39] The soccer team won the Massachusetts State Championship in 2004.[40] The hockey team has won the Super 8 hockey tournament six times, the second-most in the tournament's history, behind only conference rival Catholic Memorial School. In 2019, the team won the championship game at the TD Garden over Pope Francis Preparatory School 2–1 in 4OT to win their second-straight title, the longest game in tournament history.[41] The BC High Lacrosse Team has won the Division 1 South Sectional Championship 4 times in the last 5 years: 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2021 (No Season in 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic). The team won the Massachusetts Division 1 State Championship over Acton-Boxborough Regional High School in 2018 by a score of 16-3.

Principal athletic facilities include Edward T. Barry Ice Rink (capacity: 1,000), McNeice Pavilion, Monan Park (500), and Viola Stadium.

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ John 17:3 "That they may know You."
  2. ^ "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for Boston College High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  3. ^ NEASC-CIS. "NEASC-Commission on Independent Schools". Archived from the original on 2009-06-16. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
  4. ^ a b "Our Heritage". BC HIGH. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  5. ^ Catalogue of the Officers and Students of Boston College, 1906-07. Boston, MA: Boston College. 1907. p. 25.
  6. ^ "Articles of Organization" (PDF). Massachusetts Secretary of State. 1927-03-29. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Our Heritage". BC HIGH. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  8. ^ a b c Grant, Andrew (2017-05-09). "A short history of Boston College High School". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  9. ^ Crowley, Francis M. (June 1922). "Catholic Secondary School Statistics for 1922". The National Catholic Welfare Conference Bulletin: 21 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ 1907 Catalogue, p. 37.
  11. ^ "College by the Numbers" (PDF). BC HIGH. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  12. ^ Bryant, Howard (2006-05-15). "The Minority Report". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  13. ^ "Mission & History - About BC - Boston College". www.bc.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  14. ^ Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1863). Acts and resolves passed by the General Court. Boston, MA: Secretary of the Commonwealth. pp. 441–43 ("No student in said college shall be refused admission to, or denied any of the privileges, honors or degrees of said college on account of the religious opinions he may entertain.").
  15. ^ "Enrollment Data (2006-07) - Boston College High (00350710)". Massachusetts Department of Education. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  16. ^ a b c d Vaznis, James (2017-05-05). "As applications drop, BC High School ponders its future". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  17. ^ "Enrollment Data (2015-16) - Boston College High (00350710)". Massachusetts Department of Education. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  18. ^ a b Vaznis, James (2017-05-09). "Cardinal O'Malley said to disapprove of BC High admitting girls - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  19. ^ "Enrollment Data (2022-23) - Boston College High (00350710)". Massachusetts Department of Education. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  20. ^ "BC High's First Woman President Talks Single-Sex Education, Diversity". GBH. 2017-08-25. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  21. ^ "BC HIGH LAUNCHES LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN IN SCHOOL HISTORY, AIMS TO RAISE $125M". BC HIGH. 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  22. ^ "BC HIGH RECEIVES HISTORIC $49M GIFT FROM LATE ALUMNUS PAT CADIGAN '52 TO BUILD 50,000 SQUARE FOOT WELLNESS COMPLEX". BC HIGH. 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  23. ^ a b Pfeiffer, Sacha; Farragher, Thomas; Robinson, Walter V. (6 March 2002). "BC High suspends priest accused of student molestation". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  24. ^ Ziner, Karen Lee. "Survivor steps from a shadow". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  25. ^ Seelye, Katharine Q. (2016-03-16). "'Spotlight' Makers Reach Settlement With Real-Life Figure". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  26. ^ "Global Citizens". BC HIGH. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  27. ^ Szaniszlo, Marie (27 October 2020). "Boston College High School alumnus donates $5 million to found 'innovation' center". Boston Herald. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  28. ^ a b "Investing in Your Child". BC HIGH. Archived from the original on 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  29. ^ "Boston College High School - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  30. ^ "2023 Annual Report". BC HIGH. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  31. ^ "Boston College High School renames building as part of its commitment to antiracism". America Magazine. 2023-10-12. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  32. ^ Andersen, Travis (8 May 2012). "Grateful alumnus gives BC, BC High total $27m". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  33. ^ Taylor, Conrad (10 June 2015). "BC High, UMass Boston to build baseball complex". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  34. ^ "Athletics". BC HIGH. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  35. ^ "BC High, CM start new Thanksgiving tradition". ESPN.com. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2021. Catholic Conference rivals Catholic Memorial and BC High have competed in an annual Thanksgiving day football game since 1962.
  36. ^ Cunningham, Matthew (30 November 2018). "A Last Time For Everything: A Senior's Goodbye to the Thanksgiving Day Rivalry". Catholic Memorial School.
  37. ^ Raymond, Jonathan (January 18, 2009). "BC High: Group dynamic". The Boston Globe.
  38. ^ Herald, track Archived June 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  39. ^ "State Finals". Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association.
  40. ^ "A look back at the history of co-championships (and a near-miss) in MIAA sports". The Boston Globe.
  41. ^ Pollard, Dave (18 March 2019). "Super Eight: BC High outlasts Pope Francis in 4 OT thriller, repeats as champion". Boston Herald. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  42. ^ Board of Trustees: William M. Bulger Archived 2013-02-05 at the Wayback Machine, Boston Public Library. Accessed January 5, 2017. "Upon his graduation from Boston College High School in 1952, President Bulger enrolled at Boston College."
  43. ^ "Jim Carey". Hockey Reference. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  44. ^ Boston College High School Archived 2018-01-06 at the Wayback Machine, Baseball-Reference.com. Accessed January 5, 2017.
  45. ^ English, Bella. "General rallying the troops of Pan-Mass riders", The Boston Globe, July 30, 2012. Accessed January 5, 2017. "Young George attended boarding school in Rome, and when his father was on a Harvard fellowship for a year, he and his brother enrolled at Boston College High School.... He did his senior year at BC High in 1966."
  46. ^ Terry Driscoll, Basketball Reference. Accessed January 5, 2017.
  47. ^ Nowlin, Bill. Ed Gallagher, Society for American Baseball Research. Accessed January 5, 2017. "Ed Gallagher was a 1928 graduate of Boston College High School and a 1932 graduate of BC itself, where he starred in baseball, football, and hockey."
  48. ^ Hanson, Fred. "Milton family celebrates Alex Hassan's call-up by Red Sox", The Patriot Ledger, May 30, 2014. Accessed January 5, 2017. "An outfielder/first baseman, Hassan was a four-year letterman for Boston College High School."
  49. ^ "Edwin McDonough, 72, of Needham, Army vet". Boston Herald. 2016-02-12. Archived from the original on 2016-02-13. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  50. ^ Clark, Jim. "BC High's Ryan Shea, Nobles' Luke Stevens chosen in NHL draft" Archived 2017-01-06 at the Wayback Machine, Boston Herald, June 27, 2015. Accessed January 5, 2017. "BC High star defenseman Ryan Shea was taken by the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks with the final pick in the fourth round, No. 121 overall."
  51. ^ Conley, Thomas (12 July 2021). "Mike Vasil '18 Drafted by the New York Mets in 2021 MLB Draft". BC HIGH.
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