Bishop England High School - History

History

On September 22, 1915, Catholic High School opened its doors as a department of the Cathedral School on Queen Street. The Reverend Msgr. Joseph L. O'Brien organized the new school with the cooperation of the Reverend James J. May. At that time there were 67 students enrolled in four grade levels: seventh, ninth, tenth, and eleventh. That first faculty consisted of three diocesan priests and three Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy (O.L.M.).

By the spring of 1916, a growing student enrollment made larger quarters imperative, and the school was moved to a building used by the Cenacle Sisters, an order of nuns, where it remained until 1919. The main building housed the senior high school, while an annex was converted into a biology lab and a seventh grade classroom. The school offered two courses of study: college preparatory and business.

With the Catholic community of Charleston increasing, a drive was initiated to raise $50,000 for a new school building to replace the one being used. From 1919 to 1921, the school was housed in its third location, Gregorian Hall on George Street, while its old location was demolished and replaced. The funding drive was a huge success, and ground was broken on July 5, 1921 on the $60,000 building. The school was opened in its fourth building at 203 Calhoun Street on February 18, 1922. By 1940, 25 years after its inception, the school's enrollment had reached 318 students, and the faculty had nearly doubled.

In 1947, the school's first Rector Monsignor O'Brien retired after having served 32 years, and he was followed by former Bishop England student, Rev. Msgr. John L. Manning.

The Catholic community of Charleston sponsored two expansion drives for the high school in the late 1940s; two new buildings were added to the campus. In 1947 the west wing (which housed an auditorium, science laboratory, and offices) was built, and in 1948 the east wing, which was the Father O'Brien gymnasium, was built. Additional land was acquired in 1957, and a two-story annex was constructed, providing eight new classrooms and additional office space.

In June 1959, the Rev. Fr. William J. Croghan, B.E. class of 1940, was appointed as the third Rector of Bishop England. By 1960 the faculty had grown to 31 members, and 740 students were enrolled. Additional property was purchased in 1963 and in 1964 on Coming Street, Calhoun Street, and Pitt Street; this property would provide classrooms, living quarters for teachers, a maintenance shop, facilities for the school nurse, and a schoolyard. The 1964 school year began with a new Rector, the Rev. Robert J. Kelly, and enrollment grew to nearly 800 students. Because of overcrowding between 1966 and 1968, freshman classes were conducted in the old St. Patrick's School on St. Phillip Street.

Bishop England integrated in 1964; in 1968, it merged with Immaculate Conception High School. The student body numbered 850 students with 250 freshmen. The former Immaculate Conception School building on Coming Street became the Bishop England Freshman Building.

Nicholas J. Theos became principal in 1973. He established the BEHS endowment fund in 1985. In 1990, Rev. Msgr. Lawrence B. McInerny became the third B.E. graduate named as Rector of the school.

In 1976, a former church building at 172 Calhoun Street was purchased from the College of Charleston. Occupancy took place in 1977 and housed the freshmen.

In 1993, four modular units (eight rooms) were added to accommodate increasing enrollment, providing four classrooms, a conference room, and a chapel where Mass was celebrated. Enrollment in 1995 was 805, the largest of any private high school in the state. In September 1995, Bishop Thompson officially announced that the school was moving to Daniel Island and its current property would be sold to the College of Charleston. The Daniel Island Development Company, which was partially owned by the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, donated 40 acres (160,000 m2) of land for the new school. Construction began in 1996, and Bishop Thompson blessed the ground at the site of the new Bishop England High School in June 1997. In 1998 Mr. Theos retired after 25 years of service to Bishop England. Mr. David Held, who was serving as associate principal since 1997, then became the new principal.

With the help of students, alumni, faculty, and volunteers, the school was moved to the new campus on Daniel Island in the summer of 1998. In the fall of 2010, it was announced that Michael C. Bolchoz would assume the position of Principal at Bishop England. Mr. Bolchoz is a member of the Graduating Class of 1983 from the same and had previously servered as Assistant Principal of the Cardinal Newman School in Columbia, SC. In 2011, the Bishop England athletic program won its 100th overall state championship, making the school's athletic program the most successful in South Carolina history. In the same year, the school's volleyball team broke the National Record for overall state championships, currently with 23, along with the South Carolina record for consecutive state titles, currently with 13 in a row. The Class of 2015 will be the school's 100th graduating class.