St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute

St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute
Signum Fidei
'Sign of Faith'
Address
845 Kenmore Avenue
Town of Tonawanda
Buffalo, New York, Erie County, 14223
United States
Information
Type Private, All-Male
Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic;
Christian Brothers
Patron saint(s) St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle
Established 1861
Founder De La Salle Christian Brothers
School district Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo
CEEB Code 331-095
President Robert Scott, AFSC
Principal Robert Scott, AFSC
Vice principal Br. Christopher Belleman
Thomas Zabawa
Chief custodian Paul Mueller
Faculty 60
Grades 912
Enrollment 765[1]  (2010–11)
Student to teacher ratio 14:1
Color(s) Maroon, Silver, and White             
Song When The Saints Go Marching In
Athletics conference Monsignor Martin Athletic Association
Sports Football, Soccer, Track and Field, Indoor Track, Cross Country, Hockey, Bowling, Basketball, Baseball, Swimming, and Lacrosse.
Mascot Masked Marauder
Team name Marauders
Rival Canisius High School
Accreditation(s) Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[2]
Publication The Collegiate
Newspaper 'Student Prints'
Yearbook 'Star'
Tuition $9,540 (2010–11 base)[1]
Admissions Director Peter Kennedy
Athletic Director Pete Schneider
Website

St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, founded in 1861, is an independent Roman Catholic college preparatory school for young men. Established by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, SJCI is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State and accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. It is a member of the Christian Brothers' Education Association, The College Board, and the National Catholic Education Association. It is located in the town of Tonawanda.[3][4]

Contents

Mission

The mission of SJCI is to nurture and to educate young men within a Christ-centered community for lives of accomplishment and service in a Catholic Lasallian tradition.

History

The History of St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute is predated by only a few years by that of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, which was established on April 23, 1847. The Very Reverend John Timon, named the first Bishop of Buffalo by Pope Pius IX, was consecrated in St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City, on Sunday, October 17 and arrived in Buffalo on October 22, 1847.

In 1849, Bishop Timon moved into the Webster House on Franklin Street. Always concerned with vocations to the priesthood, he established in the rectory a seminary for three young men. The seminary was named St. Joseph's College because of a special veneration the bishop held for St. Joseph. Its early history was a varied one, as it moved from one location to another in several areas of the city.

Later in 1850., Bishop Timon asked the Oblates of Mary Immaculate to staff the seminary in his residence. On July 2, 1851, the Oblates arrived and opened a school chartered on March 12, 1851 under the name "The Buffalo College of St. Joseph," which Bishop Timon said, "...exists for missionary and no other purpose."

In August 1861, six Christian Brothers from New York and Montreal arrived in Buffalo and settled at 187 Terrace Street. Brother Crispian, Director of this first Christian Brothers' community in Buffalo, Brother Pompian (Sub-Director), Brothers Demedrian, Ptolemy, Benedict and one Brother whose religious name is unknown had come to the city in response to Bishop Timon's urgent plea for assistance in educating the Catholic youth of Buffalo.

The first building in which the Brothers taught was built by a local contractor, a Mr. Flanagan, at a cost of $7,000. Two departments were started in this first school on September 2, 1861: St. Joseph's Academy (a tuition school), with 130 boys registered, and St. Joseph's Free School, with 150 boys. The brick building was located opposite Union Terrace, which at that time was a beautiful park. The Free School was located on the first floor of the building, the Academy on the second floor., and the Brothers dormitory on the third floor. This building, later known as "Old Cathedral Hall," was located at 1 Delaware Avenue.

In response to numerous requests from clergy and parents, and after being closed for two years, St. Joseph's College reopened in September 1893. Due to the railroad station at Union Terrace and the encroachment of business and manufacturing interests, the Delaware Avenue site was no longer a desirable one. For what they knew would be a temporary stay, the Brothers rented a two-story brick building at 473 Prospect Avenue near Jersey Street which housed about fifty pupils during each of the four years the school occupied it.

In 1945, plans were again taken up for the "new St. Joe's" on Kenmore Avenue. Brother Andrew of the Cross-sponsored a drive to secure funds to commence the project. The proposed plan was to include three buildings: a general school building to accommodate 900 students, a gymnasium with three basketball courts and a seating capacity of 2000, and a faculty house with accommodations for thirty brothers. In addition, there were to be football and baseball fields, a quarter-mile cinder track, and facilities for other sports.

The first classes were held in the new building on April 19, 1950. In the years to follow, the new facility allowed for increases in both the size of the student body and the number of faculty members. Such facilities as a drafting room, photographic darkroom and a soda fountain were appealing to the students. The school also featured, according to news accounts of the day, such modern innovations" as a public address system linking the principal's office to all rooms of the school and green glass chalkboards, replacing the old familiar blackboards." The new building was dedicated on May 14, 1950.

On November 16, 2006, it was announced that alumnus Jack Cullen had made a gift of $2 million to support construction of new science laboratories and classrooms, as well as the annual school musical.[1] The gift is believed to be the largest gift ever awarded to a Buffalo high school. This gift, along with two other $1 million gifts from alumni, are the foundation for a $12 million capital campaign announced on May 15, 2007.[2]. The campaign seeks to build new science laboratories, an athletic complex, and a new residence for the Christian Brothers on campus, as well as increasing the endowment for financial aid.

Facilities

The campus of St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute (SJCI or St. Joes) is located at 845 Kenmore Avenue in the town of Tonawanda[3][4] (near Buffalo) and rests on 11.9 acres (48,000 m²). There are two buildings on the grounds: the Academic Building and a Field House. The Brothers Residence was torn down last spring and is now the site of the new science center.

Within St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute, there are two academic computer labs, a newly updated Computer Graphics Lab in the art wing, and a Music Lab that employs Mac and Windows computers. The library also contains workstations for internet access. The Fine Arts facility includes a fully functioning black-box theatre, band room and sound-proof practice facilities. Athletics are also an integral part of the St. Joe’s experience and students are able to take advantage of both indoor and outdoor facilities. A modern weight room, two gymnasiums, athletic fields and a field house comprise the facilities of the athletic department.

The new Cullen Center for Excellence in science building was finished in fall 2009 and is presently in use. Classes include lab stations for each student and a work area. Smartboards are in each classroom as well

Sports

St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute offers an extensive athletic program consisting of 16 sports, with most sports offering multiple levels of competition. In 2004-2005, St. Joe's won the Supremacy Cup, recognizing St. Joe's for having the top overall athletic program in the Monsignor Martin Athletic Association AA League, the highest level of competition for Catholic high schools in the Buffalo area. St Joe's has achieved this award 31 times in the 58 years of the league's existence.[5] In addition, St. Joe's offers a number of intramural athletic programs and maintains a vocal group of student supporters at their major sports events.

The Marauders' main rival is Canisius High School. The Marauders' and the Crusaders' (Canisius High school) have a certain competitive mindset that can't be found in most places. The will and intensity both these schools have is incredible. The Marauders' have had many recent stars come from the school; such as, Naaman Roosevelt, John Greer and Devon Dawson. The most recent star, Chad Kelly, will graduate in 2012.

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ a b St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute - Fast Facts
  2. ^ MSA-CSS. "MSA-Commission on Secondary Schools". http://www.css-msa.org/search.php/. Retrieved 2009-05-27. 
  3. ^ a b "St. Joseph's collegiate Institute on USGS map". http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=42.95902,-78.84912&z=15&t=T&marker0=42.95902%2C-78.84912%2C845%20Kenmore%20Ave%5C%2C%20Buffalo%5C%2C%20NY. Retrieved 2009-03-25. 
  4. ^ a b New York State Department of Transportation (1989). Buffalo NE Digital Raster Quadrangle (Map). 1:24,000. http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us/gisdata/quads/drg24/dotpreview/index.cfm?code=q8. Retrieved January 22, 2010. 
  5. ^ http://www.sjci.com/athletics.php
  6. ^ The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame: Jimmy Collins
  7. ^ The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame: Don Criqui
  8. ^ James Demske, 72, A Jesuit Priest Who Led Canisius College
  9. ^ Canisius College - Presidents - Demske
  10. ^ Assemblymembers Sam Hoyt and Mark J.F. Schroeder honor the legacy of General William Donovan
  11. ^ Canisius College – Biography of John J. Hurley
  12. ^ Jim Malone - LinkedIn
  13. ^ "Christopher Markus '87" (PDF). The Collegiate (St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute): p. 14. Summer 2007. http://www.sjci.com/ftp_only/summer_2007.pdf. Retrieved 11 February 2009. 
  14. ^ "Vaughn A. Parker ’89 Addresses The Class Of 2006" (PDF). The Collegiate (St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute): p. 4. Spring 2006. http://www.sjci.com/ftp_only/myers/spring_2006vs2.pdf. Retrieved 18 May 2009. 
  15. ^ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: William L. Paxon
  16. ^ New York Jets All-Time Roster: Sean Ryan

External links