Loyola High School (Los Angeles)

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For other high schools with this name, see Loyola High School

Loyola High School of Los Angeles

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Established	1865
School type	Private, Jesuit
Religious affiliation	Catholic
Head of school	President: Rev. Gregory Goethals, S.J. Acting Principal: Frank Kozakowski
Location	Los Angeles, CA, USA
Campus	Urban, 15 acres (61,000 m²)
Enrollment	1,214 men
Faculty	70
Average class size	N/A
Student:teacher ratio	17:1
Average SAT scores (2005)	709 verbal 695 math
Athletics	12 sports
Color(s)	Blue and White
Mascot	Cubs

Loyola High School of Los Angeles, is a Jesuit preparatory school for young men. It is the oldest high school in Southern California, and the second oldest in California. Loyola admits students from central and the greater Los Angeles area, including students from every racial, economic, and ethnic background. As an all boys' school, Loyola is considered the brother school to many all girls' schools in the Los Angeles region, including Immaculate Heart High School.

1 History
2 Profile
3 Accreditation
4 Loyola in popular culture
5 Notable alumni
6 External link

[edit] History

Loyola High School of Los Angeles is the region's oldest educational institution, pre-dating the University of California system. The school was founded in 1865 as St. Vincent's College at the behest of then Bishop Thaddeus Amat, a member of the Vincentian order. In 1911, the Vincentians agreed to transfer management of the school to the Jesuits. By 1917, after several transitions, the school finally moved to its current location on Venice Boulevard in the Harvard Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.

The college was renamed Loyola College the following year, in honor of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. Until 1929, the campus housed both the college and the high school. At that time, the Jesuits purchased additional property to house the college; separate facilities were acquired for the law school. The college was moved to the area now known as Westchester. Recent development of the school occurred in the 1980s; the gym, track, and swimming pool, along with additional classroom space were built after the administration secured major donations. The first decade of the 21st century also appears promising: significant donations by the William Hannon Foundation and the Francis Ardolf family will provide for a new science building.

[edit] Profile

[edit] Admissions

The major admissions entry point for Loyola High School is in 9th grade, with varying transfer opportunities offered in 10th and 11th grades. Transfer is not allowed going into the senior year. Admissions decisions are made by a committee headed by director Heath Utley. Admission is based on standardized test scores; recommendations from the candidate's teachers, principal, and minister; and grades. Loyola prides itself on its educational quality as well as its mission to create men for others, a hallmark of Jesuit thought. Loyola aims to educate its students in all respects--morally, religiously, and academically.

Loyola draws its students from all over the greater Los Angeles area, from Pacific Palisades to East L.A., and from Pasadena to Torrance and the South Bay. Nearly 50% of the student body is comprised of individuals of African-American, Latino, and Asian heritages, which serves to enhance the ethnic and socio-economic diversity of the school.

[edit] Curriculum

Loyola's curricular requirements cover a breadth of academic topics. 4 years each of Social Studies and English courses are required, along with 3 years of Math and Foreign Language study. Two and a half years of Science and a half-year of Fine Arts are also required. Three years of theology are also a central part of the curriculum, covering Scripture, systematic theology, Catholic social thought, moral theology and one senior elective. Advanced Placement courses are offered in 19 subject areas, and students are encouraged to take a wide variety of electives outside of the required courses. Over 99% of Loyola graduates go on to higher education, with 96% attending 4-year universities.

[edit] Service

Since the 1980s Loyola students have performed over two million hours of service to the community. As part of its commitment to educating men for others, Loyola students participate in two service oriented projects during their high school careers. The first includes a 50-hour service project during the sophomore or junior years. The second is an 85 hour commitment to a service organization during the month of January during the senior year. Instead of attending classes, Loyola seniors venture into the community and serve at various placements during the day. The Senior Project, as it is known, is one of the hallmarks of a Loyola education.

[edit] Athletics

Football: CIF AAAA/Div I Champs - 1962, 1963, 1975, 1990, 2003, 2005
Basketball: CIF AAAA/Div I-A Champs - 1954, 2002, 2003
Volleyball: CIF Div I Champs - 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1995, 2003, 2004, 2005
Cross Country: CIF Champs - 1984, 1985, 2002, 2004; CIF State Champs - 2002, 2004
Track: CIF Champs - 1984, 2000, 2003, 2004
Soccer: CIF Division I/Division II Champs - 1998, 2005
Golf: CIF Northern Div. Champs - 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005
Swimming/Diving: CIF Champs - 1984, 1994, 1996, 1997
Tennis: CIF AA Champs - 1982, 1984, 1986

In the 2002-2003 academic year, Loyola set the California state record for most section championships (5) won in a single school year: cross-country, basketball, volleyball, track, and golf.

In 2005, Loyola won the Division I football championship, defeating Esperanza High School, 49-42.

[edit] Accreditation

Loyola High School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Western Catholic Education Association, and is a member of the following organizations:

[edit] Loyola in popular culture

Because of Loyola's uniquely classical architecture and its location in the heart of the entertainment industry, Southern California, Loyola's campus has been used extensively for various projects. For example, Loyola Hall has been showcased in several advertisements, including ads for Lexus and MetLife. Loyola's campus served as the school presented in the film Donnie Darko. The TV Show Boy Meets World also used exterior shots of the campus, and Loyola's exterior, pool, and track appear in the My Chemical Romance music video "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)". In the film Coach Carter, there is a shot of the campus when the title character drops off his son at a prep school. Loyola is also featured in the Head Automatica music video "Graduation Day." Loyola also doubled for Georgetown University in an episode of The West Wing. Recently, it has appeared in Thank You For Smoking, being used for a classroom scene. The rock band, 3 Doors Down, in 2005 shot the music video Let Me Go on the campus and shows many areas of the school.