Damien High School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Damien High School |
|
| Motto | "Cor Unum et Anima Una" |
| Established | 1959 |
| Type | Private, Catholic |
| Affiliation | |
| Principal | Fr. Patrick Travers |
| Dean | Casey Yeazel |
| Teaching staff | 69 |
| Students | 1123 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Location | 2280 Damien Ave. La Verne, CA United States |
| Colors | Green and Gold |
| Mascot | Spartans |
| Yearbook | Steve Patten |
| Newspaper | The Laconian |
| Asst. Principal | Sam Pearsall |
| Website | http://www.damien-hs.edu |
Damien High School is a private, all male Roman Catholic high school in La Verne, California named for Blessed Damien deVeuster of Molokai. The school had its first graduating class in 1963 and has an excellent reputation both academically and athletically. Each of Damien's freshmen classes draws from an average of over 75 different elementary and junior high schools from Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
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[edit] History
Holy Name Academy, a boarding high school for girls, located on Holt Avenue in Pomona, California, closed its doors in June 1949. In September of that year, it was reopened by Monsignor English, pastor of St. Joseph Church, as a high school for both boys and girls of the parish and surrounding parishes. Newly staffed by the Felician Sisters, it was named “Pomona Catholic High School.” Despite the expanding population, it was able to provide Catholic education for the next ten years.
With the completion of the new Bonita High School in 1959, the Bonita School District moved the public high school from their old campus on Bonita Avenue to their new location on D Street in La Verne. His Eminence James Francis Cardinal McIntrye purchased the old campus site, and in September 1959, the newly named “Pomona Catholic Boys High School” welcomed its first freshman class.
Classes were held in many of the buildings, which were as yet relics of the Works Progress Administration of the 1930s. By 1962 marked changes had begun to take place. In October of that year, a newly constructed wing was opened including eight classrooms and science labs. Spartan Stadium was also completed. During 1964, many of the older buildings were demolished and the campus received a face-lift. Parking facilities were completed during 1965, and early 1966 saw the completion of the priests’ residence. The 1970s and 1980s were also a time of growth for Damien, witnessing the completion of a new gymnasium, the four new classrooms of the 500 wing and, most recently, the Administration and Science building, which includes six new classrooms, two science labs, and entirely new administration offices. In 1995, a music room was added and a library renovation was also completed. In 1996, a new swimming pool and locker room were constructed. Six new tennis courts were also built near the priests’ residence and a new ticket/snack bar/rest room facility was built in Spartan Stadium.
In academic achievement, Pomona Catholic Boys’ rapidly asserted itself. In 1962, the school was accredited by the state agency of accreditation, the University of California, for the maximum period of five years. It has, since then, enjoyed the privileges of acceptance as an honored place of learning. In 1967, 1972, 1977, 1983, 1989, 1995, and again in 2001, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges granted accreditation to the school for the maximum term. The pioneer graduating class of 1963 garnered its share of awards and scholarships and each year has witnessed an increase, attesting to the growth of academic excellence. During their years at Damien, graduates had their names enrolled on the winning lists of all national and state scholarship competitions. They have or are now attending universities from San Diego State to Seattle, and as famous as Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Georgetown, Chicago, Caltech, Notre Dame, Stanford, West Point, and Annapolis.
A new phase of school development was begun with the 1967-68 school year. The school was given the name “Damien High School” in honor of Blessed Damien de Veuster, SS.CC., who spent and gave his life for the abandoned lepers of Molokai, Hawaii. His fellow religious, the Sacred Hearts Fathers, have staffed and administered the school since its beginning in La Verne. The courage and capacity for self-sacrifice in the cause of others, exemplified in the person of Damien, provides an impetus toward social causes in the lives of Damien's students.
[edit] College
Upward of 99% of Damien's graduates matriculate to college, with the Advanced Placement students having a particularly high success rate. Institutions where Damien graduates are common include the Claremont Colleges, USC, and UC schools, as well as several Ivy League institutions. Damien also sends more students to West Point than any other school west of the Mississippi.[1] The last five years have seen twelve Damien students receive appointments to West Point, compared to the average high school which receives one appointment every 17 years.
[edit] Sports and Activities
The Damien Spartans enjoy excellent reputations both locally and statewide. The Spartans hold impressive win-loss records as well as championships in swimming, football, water polo, hockey, track & field, and soccer. Damien is the defending CIF Division 1 soccer champion, and has held this honor for the past 2 years. Damien has recently won the Sierra league championship in football, but unfortunately lost in the second game of the CIF playoffs.
[edit] Tijuana Mission
Damien has the tradition of traveling south of ther border to help those in Tijuana. They go every summer to build new houses and a church and then to give food to the needy during the holiday season.
[edit] Debate
The Damien HS Policy Debate team, led by Chuck Ballingall and assisted by Eric Forslund, Justin Skarb, and Brian Berggren, is known nationwide to be one of the best debate schools in the country, usually sending teams to the Tournament of Champions, in Louisville, Kentucky as well as many other major National Tournaments. They currently have 5 TOC bids as a school and have 6 students with at least one bid, putting them 4th in the nation in that regard.
[edit] Tuition
For the 2006-2007 academic school year, tuition at Damien was $5,400 for 1 student, $9,180 for 2 students, and $12,420 for 3 students.
[edit] Notable Damien Alumni
- Mark McGwire – Professional baseball player
- Ian Johnson – College football player
- Frank Pastore - Professional baseball player, talk radio host
- Rick Davis – Professional soccer player
- Cory Lekkerkerker - Professional Football Player
- Larry Wilmore- Comedian/Writer
- Joe Franchino- Professional Soccer Player
