University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy
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| University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy | |
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| Motto | Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam- "For the Greater Glory of God" |
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| Established | 1877 |
| Type | Private, Jesuit Academy |
| Head | Susan Rowe |
| Location | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Campus | Urban |
| Enrollment | 839 |
| President | Fr. Karl Kiser S.J. |
| Colors | Maroon and White |
| Homepage | www.uofdjesuit.org |
The University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy, founded in 1877, is one of two Jesuit high schools in the city of Detroit, Michigan (Loyola High School being the other). The school is rooted in the Ignatian tradition of intellectually and spiritually developing formed men who use their acquired and natural talents to serve God's will. With the exception of female staff members, U of D Jesuit (as the school is often called) is an all male school, and in addition to the high school, operates an academy for young men in grades seven and eight. The school's mascot is the Cub; similarly, its sports teams are the Cubs.
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[edit] Jesuit education
The school bases its educational system on the teachings of the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits. Students are taught to be "men for others", and by the time of graduation, the school aims to instill in its seniors five key values. Ideally, a student should be open to growth, intellectually competent, loving, religious, and committed to doing justice. Approximately 500 Jesuits have taught at U of D Jesuit since the school's founding in 1877, though today there are fewer Jesuits than lay faculty, all the faculty works to teach these values to every student. As related in The Second Hundred Years, by Fr. P Joseph Keller, S.J., et al., a chronicle of U of D Jesuit's first century, lay faculty first joined the staff during Word War I, and by the school's 100th anniversary in 1977, the lay to Jesuit ratio stood at nearly 3 to 2.
[edit] Academics
U of D Jesuit is a college preparatory high school, and the curriculum reflects that fact. At the high school level, students take four years of both English and Theology; three years of a foreign language (French, Latin or Spanish), with the fourth year as an elective; three years of mathematcis, with the fourth year as an elective; three years of social studies, with the fourth year as an elective; and three years of science, with the fourth year as an elective.
Students may also take advanced placement (AP) courses in U.S. History their sophomore year; government or Modern European History their junior or senior years; and Spanish, Calclus, Physics or Biology their senior year.
Theology classes consist of Introduction to U of D Jesuit and Hebrew Scriptures freshman year; Christian Scriptures and Sacraments & Church History sophomore year; Morality and World Religions junior year; and Social Justice and Marriage & Family senior year.
Social studies classes consist of world history freshman year, U.S. history or AP U.S. history sophomore year; and government, or an AP class junior year (see above). Juniors may also elect to take African American History, Economics, Sociology, Michigan history, and American Scoiety since 1945. Seniors may take the same courses, plus Psychology.
In mathematics, freshman take Algebra I unless placed into a higher level; sophomores take Algebra II/Trigonometry, unless placed into a higher level; and juniors take geometry, unless placed into a higher level. Seniors may take pre-Calculus, Calculus, Trigonometry, Analytical Math, Statistics and AP calculus
In science, freshman either take Integrated Science or Biology; sophomores take Biology, Honors Science I: Physics or Physics (for those who took Biology as freshmen); juniors take Chemistry, Physics, Applied Chemistry, or Honors Science II: Chemistry. In addition to the above AP science classes, seniors can take Honors Science III: BioChem; Forensic Science or Anatomy & Physiology.
Other classes: Freshman take Speech 1; freshmen or sophomores take PE Health 1 or Computer Applications; and sophomores take PE Health 2. Seniors spend their Wednesday mornings at a senior service project in the community.
General electives include supervised study, band or art for freshmen and sophomores; and band, art, acting, music appreciation, debate, computer applications, computer web design, advanced placement computer science, PE health 1 and PE health 2 for juniors year and seniors.
7th grade Jesuit Academy students take classes in math, language arts, English, social studies, art, computer applications, faith in Jesus, life science, and physical education.
8th grade Jesuit Academy students take classes in math, life in the church, earth science, English, language arts, Spanish, computer applications, art, social studies, and physical education
[edit] History and location
U of D Jesuit, originally known as Detroit College, was founded in 1877 by Bishop Caspar Henry Borgess, who had come to Detroit from Cincinnati on May 8, 1870. The Second Hundred Years records that Borgess had determined that the city needed a catholic college for young men. Borgess was finally successful in this endeavor in the winter of 1876-1877, when the Jesuits, acting through the provincial at St. Louis, Fr. Thomas O'Neill, S.J., agreed to found a school.
Originally located at the Trowbridge Mansion on Jefferson Ave, in 1890, the school moved across the street to Dowling Hall, a more spacious facility, able to accommodate better the influx of students. Since the 1930s, U of D Jesuit has been located at 8400 S. Cambridge, near Seven Mile Road. According to The Second Hundred Years, work on the new school building began in late 1930, although news that the school would move to what was then the city's edge had been circulating since 1923. Classes at the new campus were have to begun on Sept. 9, 1931, but a polio epidemic kept all schools in Detroit closed for a few weeks. The first classes were held at 8400 S. Cambridge on Wednesday, September 23, 1931.
Although U of D Jesuit has remained at 8400 Cambridge since 1931, the campus has undergone physical changes since then. In 1950, the school built a new gymnasium, the largest in Detroit at the time, according to The Second Hundred Years.
In 2001, as reported in The Michigan Chronicle (Suburban Editon), Dec. 5-11, 2001, the school celebrated the completion of a $25 million fund-raising campaign, "Reclaiming the Future." Funds raised in that campaign paid for renovations and expansions to the campus, including restoration of the original chapel (which had been converted to a library in the 1970s); construction of an addition to the building that included several new classrooms and two new gymnasiums. Other funds from the campaign were used for faculty endowment and student scholarships. The "Reclaiming the Future" campaign was orchestrated by the school's then-president, Fr. Timothy Shannon.
On April 6, 2006, U of D Jesuit kicked off the public phase of a $22 million endowment campaign called "For the Greater Good", which is designed to support tuition assistance, faculty salary compensation, and other means of strengthening the school's core mission. In a March 29-April 4, 2006 Michigan Chronicle article, the school's president, Fr. Karl Kiser, defined the school's core mission as providing a quality education in a value-centered, and Christ-centered environment. Kiser also said it involves recruiting and retaining the best teachers in Southeast Michigan.
Kiser told the Michigan Chronicle that the "Reclaiming the Future" campaign had been about U of D Jesuit's body; "For the Greater Good" was about its heart and soul.
CBS Sports play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson, a 1985 graduate, served as emcee of the April 6 event, which also paid tribute to 20 former teachers, according to an article in the Michigan Chronicle's May 3-9, 2006 edition. Johnson told assembled students and alumni that having a chance to "come home and speak to my family," was the most special moment of his career.
Johnson defined his "family" in this context as the teachers that affected and changed his life.
According to the Michigan Chronicle article, the $22 million endowment campaign seeks to raise $10 million each to help maintain the school's faculty; and to continue to provide tuition assistance. The remaining $2 million will go toward physical improvements to the campus. The article also reported that the public phase of the campaign was expected to run two to three years. Kiser's goal was for it to be a two-year effort.
Although U of D Jesuit was originally called the Detroit College and Academy, photographs and records of the time show the students were of high school age and younger. In fact, the youngest students were 9 years old, and college level classes weren't added until 1879, according to The Second Hundred Years. The first class of high school students were graduated into college courses, and in time, a separate college, the University of Detroit (now the University of Detroit Mercy, following the 1990 merger with Mercy College) broke off from the original school, both physically and legally. Shortly after the high school moved to its present location, the university moved from the downtown campus to Six Mile Road (also known as McNichols Road).[1]
[edit] Extracurricular activities
[edit] Sports
The soccer team won the Michigan state championship in 2001; the Lacrosse team was the state runner up in 2005; and in 2006, the Baseball team was also a state finalist. A swimmer - Tony Wahl - has won the state championship in the 100 yd. butterfly[2] two years in a row, and in 2007 set the state D1 record for the 200 IM, in which he was also the state champion. The cross country team won its fifth straight regional trophy in 2006, and the track team was the Catholic League A - B champions in 2006 for its fifth consecutive title.
[edit] Other activities
Starting in 2004, the Robotics team has competed in the state tournament. For the past 11 years, the Model United Nations team has been national champions at North American Invitational Model United Nations (NAIMUN) held in Washington, DC. The school has a Show Choir, which has competed in the State Festival for years. In 2005, The Show Choir earned a "1" rating at the State Level. The school regularly helps out in the local community, participating in many different service activities from food delivery to landscape cleanup.
[edit] Notable alumni
- 1934 - Andy Farkas: Running back for the Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions
- 1943 - Elmore Leonard: Novelist and screenwriter
- 1943 - Thomas Angot: Chairman of the Board of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
- 1958 - L. Brooks Patterson: Oakland County, Michigan executive
- 1959 - Michael Moriarty: Actor
- 1963 - James Wiser: University of San Francisco Provost
- 1966 - Lawrence Joseph: Poet
- 1968 - Rod Gillum: General Motors Vice president for Corporate Responsibility
- 1970 - William Kovacic: Member of the Federal Trade Commission
- 1971 - Michael Porter: Vice President, DTE Energy Corporation
- 1973 - David Jansen: Vice President, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
- 1976 - Daniel Mulhern: Michigan First Gentleman
- 1981 - Keith Ellison: Minnesota congressman (first Muslim elected to Congress
- 1985 - Gus Johnson: Sportscaster
- 1990 - Ron Rice: Former Detroit Lions safety
[edit] References
- ^ Highlights: The alumni magazine of the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy, vol. 72
- ^ http://www.mhsaa.com/sports/bsw/06d1finalap.htm
[edit] External links
- University of Detroit Jesuit High School web site
- History of the University of Detroit Jesuit
- The Decision to Remain in Detroit
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