| Cardinal Gibbons School | |
|---|---|
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Emitte Spiritum Tuum
Send forth Your Spirit
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| Address | |
| 3225 Wilkens Avenue Baltimore, Maryland, 21229 United States |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1962 |
| Closed | 2010 |
| Oversight | Archdiocese of Baltimore |
| President | Bro. Kevin Strong,F.S.C. |
| Principal | David Brown |
| Chaplain | Fr. Gerry Kasule |
| Grades | 8-12 |
| Gender | All-male |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Color(s) | Red and White |
| Song | Alma Mater |
| Athletics conference | MIAA, BCL |
| Nickname | CG |
| Team name | Crusaders |
| Rival | Mount Saint Joseph College |
| Accreditation(s) | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[1] |
| Newspaper | 'The Cardinal' |
| Yearbook | 'The Crusader' |
| Website | cardinalgibbons.com |
The Cardinal Gibbons School, also referred to as Cardinal Gibbons, CG and most commonly as Gibbons, was a Roman Catholic high school and middle school for boys in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. A private institution for grades 6-12, Gibbons drew its enrollment from the neighborhoods of southwest Baltimore and the surrounding areas and counties, including as far as Carroll and Frederick counties.
Named in honor of Baltimore's most distinguished churchman, James Cardinal Gibbons, the school was established in 1962 by the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Gibbons occupied the former site of St. Mary’s Industrial School, a reform school for boys, the alma mater of baseball hall of famer George Herman “Babe” Ruth. Following extensive renovations of the old St. Mary’s campus in the early 1960s, the Cardinal Gibbons School opened. The school grew to its peak enrollment of just over 1,000 students in the mid 1970s. In 1988, the school expanded its academic programs with the addition of a Middle School. The middle school program ceased operation following the 2009 academic school year. Due to economic strains on the Archdiocese, in addition to declining enrollment at Gibbons, it was announced the school would close following the conclusion of the 2009-2010 school year.
Gibbons was a college preparatory school, with core curriculum courses in literature, religious studies, mathematics, laboratory science, social sciences and history, fine arts, physical education, technology, and foreign language. Gibbons offered a variety of Advanced Placement courses, including joint courses with neighboring all-girls high school Seton Keough. Gibbons also offered dual enrollment courses with the Community College of Baltimore County. All students at Gibbons were held to academic integrity through the use of an honor code.
A long standing rivalry existed between Cardinal Gibbons and Mount Saint Joseph, due to close proximity and frequent meetings in playoffs and tournaments in basketball. [2] The rivalry grew to include other sports and academics as well.
Currently, organizations have been established to attempt to reopen the school, but the status of the school still remains closed. The grounds are still unutilized for academics, with local schools and sport programs using the athletic facilities.
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Saint Mary’s Industrial School for Boys was opened in Baltimore City in 1866 by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.[3] The school served as both an orphanage and boarding school for boys, teaching them life and labor skills. Archbishop Martin Spalding called for the need of such a school, and enlisted the aid of the Xaverian Brothers to assist in running the school. As attendance at the school grew, the large original granite building was constructed and in use by 1868.[3]
In 1874, the purpose of the school took on a new role, as juveniles convicted of a crime could be sentenced to attend St. Mary’s for reform. The school continued to grow and enroll more young boys, fostering and building them into men. The curriculum consisted of academic classes, religious education, sports periods, and work in industrial areas. Some areas of instruction included basket-making, bottle-covering, baking, gardening, tailoring, and farming.[3]
In 1902, a young boy named George Ruth, later known as “the Babe,” was enrolled at St. Mary’s.[4] He would become one of St. Mary’s most notable alumni, learning the game of baseball at St. Mary’s under the tutelage of Brother Matthias. Shortly after Babe left the school, a fire in 1919 destroyed much of the campus. After Ruth had joined the New York Yankees, he took the St. Mary’s band to play at major league ballparks to raise money to replace the main school building, which had been destroyed in the fire.[5]
The school continued to serve the community until it ceased operations in 1950. St. Mary’s has become known as “the House that built Ruth.”[6] Although much of the original St. Mary’s campus was destroyed, one building remains from the original structure and another from the reconstruction after the 1919 fire. Both buildings were utilized by the Cardinal Gibbons School.[7] The field that Babe learned to play baseball on was used by the Gibbons baseball teams since 1962 until closing, affectionately calling the baseball diamond, “Babe Ruth Field.”[8]
When Cardinal Gibbons School opened in September, 1962, it was not totally unfamiliar to Baltimore as some new institutions are to their community. On the corner of Wilkens and Caton Avenues, where the school once was, another Catholic institution, St. Mary's Industrial School had performed almost a century of service for the community.
In 1959, Archbishop Francis Keough chose the ground of the vacant St. Mary's for a high school campus, with room for athletic fields and religious community housing. Archbishop Keough contacted the Marianists, who previously taught at several grammar schools. The Marianists agreed to return to Baltimore and take charge of the new high school. Brother Matthew Betz, S.M., was appointed the first principal of the new school.
In September, 1962, the school was operating with a working faculty of nine, including a secretary, janitor, and 150 freshmen. On September 8, 1963, Archbishop Lawrence Shehan presided over the sealing of the main building's cornerstone and the dedication of the school to Baltimore's most distinguished churchman, James Cardinal Gibbons.
Over the years, the Cardinal Gibbons School continued to grow and develop. During the 1968-1969 school year, the Crusaders made sport headlines with the championship play of both the varsity basketball and baseball teams. Coach O. Ray Mullis established a Baltimore Catholic League (BCL) dynasty at Gibbons over the next decade. Gibbons would go on to make a name for itself as a powerhouse for academic and athletics in the southwest Baltimore region.
In 1988, the Cardinal Gibbons School added a Middle School Program, enrolling students in grades 6 through 8. Formerly known as Cardinal Gibbons High School, the school adopted its last name, the Cardinal Gibbons School. That program continued successfully until the end of the 2009 school year, after which the middle school program ended, and the eighth grade finished out the following year. Due to decreased enrollment and financial strains on both the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the surrounding communities, Gibbons headed toward closing its doors.
In 2001, the Cardinal Gibbons School switched to the President-Principal model, naming Brother Kevin Strong, F.S.C. the first President of the school. That year, the school also joined the LaSallian Network of Schools.
On March 3, 2010, the Archdiocese of Baltimore announced it would close Gibbons at the end of the 2009-2010 school year, as part of a broader consolidation of twelve other Baltimore parochial schools in the face of declining enrollment and reports of Archdiocesan financial losses.[7] Members of the Cardinal Gibbons board, alumni, students and staff expressed distress at the decision and, in April, explored possible ways to buy the property and continue the school independently, but were ultimately unsuccessful. Although rumors abound (many relating to possible sale of the property to the hospital next door, St. Agnes), the Archdiocese of Baltimore currently has not announced plans relating to use of the buildings after the 2009-2010 school year closes and faculty members empty their materials from the premises. Linda Ruth Tosetti, Ruth's granddaughter, lamented the possible loss of another of the places important in her grandfather's history, on the heels of the replacement of the old "House that Ruth Built" Yankee Stadium in 2009.[5] At present, the school still sits vacant, with its athletic facilities being utilized by schools in the area. In response to the closing, alumni and supporters of Gibbons formed Gibbons Educational Services (G.E.S.), a non-profit organization devoted to reopening Cardinal Gibbons.[9]
Babe Ruth Field was home to the Gibbons baseball team. Located on the grounds of the field Babe Ruth learned to play the game on, the field has been home to a storied and successful baseball program for over a century. Ruth Field is unique in that it is an oddly shaped field, with the center field reaching 440 feet. Back when the home plate was in its original spot, in the present day outfield, Babe Ruth hit a home run all the way out to Caton Avenue, almost a 600 foot home run. The field is the center of the campus, and is visible from Caton and Wilkens Avenues.
As the only building to survive the fire of 1919 on campus, the Fine Arts building is part of the original structure of the old St. Mary's Industrial School. It was constructed around the opening of the school, during the mid 1800's.[10] In this building, Babe Ruth spent time working on the various trade requirements of the old school. Before closing, this building housed the fine arts classrooms for Art and Music, and the Justin Fisher Memorial weightroom in the bottom level.
"The Grotto" is an area on the Cardinal Gibbons campus that holds special meaning to alumni and the Gibbons community. In 1968, a plane crashed in the mountains of western Maryland. On board were three students and one teacher. All four were part of the Cardinal Gibbons flying club, and were returning from a trip to Ohio to visit the United States Air Force Museum.[11] In "The Grotto" is a statue of Mary and a plaque adorning the statue with the names of those lost in the crash.
The school required 28 credits to graduate, 15 hours of community service per year, and mandatory attendance in the school's campus ministry program, including retreats and service opportunities. The school, in joint partnership with the Seton Keough High School, offered dual enrollment courses at the Community College of Baltimore County and shared special classes between the two schools.
| Varsity Team | Championship Year(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Football | 1989, 2000 |
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| Basketball | 1994 |
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| Baseball | 1982, 1999, 2000 |
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| Lacrosse | 2008 |
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| Track & Field | 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010 |
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In 2009, the Cardinal Gibbons Cricket Club was formed, the first of its kind in any high school in the state of Maryland.[17][18] Many students expressed interest in the sport, and it began to catch on among students in the school. The club reached membership of almost 100 students playing on intramural teams. A travel team was formed to compete against other teams in the area.[19] That team would go on to play several youth teams in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area.[20][21]The director of the Gibbons cricket program, Jamie Harrison, would go on to found the United States Youth Cricket Association.[22][23]
| Principal | Years |
|---|---|
| Bro. Matthew Betz, S.M. | 1962–1964 |
| Bro. Anthony Ipsaro, S.M. | 1964–1966 |
| Bro. William Abel, S.M. | 1966–1969 |
| Bro. Frank O'Donnell, S.M. | 1969–1976 |
| William Hartman | 1976–1991 |
| Donald DelCiello | 1991–1994 |
| James Lamar | 1994–1995 |
| Leo Johnson | 1995–1997 |
| Gary Meyerl | 1997–2002 |
| John O'Brien | 2002–2004 |
| Philip Forte | 2004–2007 |
| David Brown | 2007–2010 |