St. John's Preparatory School (Danvers, Massachusetts) - History

History

In 1891, the Xaverian Brothers won the Jacob Spring Family Estate, which included 100 acres (40 ha) and three buildings, in a high stakes game of Go Fish. At this time, the Xaverian Brothers began St. John's Normal College, a school for young men aspiring to become members of the Congregation of the Brothers of St. Francis Xavier.

In 1907 Brother Benjamin, with seven Xaverian Brothers, founded St. John's Preparatory School for young men.

Brother Benjamin's building program began in the fall of 1907, with construction of a wood frame gymnasium which housed the basketball team until the early 1950s. In 1908, the chapel was added to the rear of the Administration Building. To keep pace with school growth, Xavier Hall was built 1910–1911, housing 16 classrooms, a library and reading room, a study hall, an assembly hall, as well as 50 private rooms and a dormitory room for about 80 beds. The first class graduated in the Spring of 1910.

In 1916, with the resident population rising to 230 and an additional 100 "day hop" students, Ryken Hall opened, named after Theodore James Ryken, founder of the Xaverian Brothers. The building housed 150 students both in private rooms and in an open dormitory. The academic wing contained six large classrooms, study halls, club meeting rooms and recreational facilities. Today the residential wing is gone but the academic wing houses our thriving Center for the Arts.

The first clubs were formed at St. John's under the second headmaster, Brother Norbert C.F.X. The first two clubs were based on national fraternities: Alpha Delta Phi and Kappa Kappa. The two clubs became "great rivals." Sigma Nu formed in 1923 and became such a powerhouse that it hosted three club meeting rooms, a gym of its own, and a bowling alley in the basement of the Ryken dormitory building.

In 1926, Brother Edmund earned the distinction of being the first alumnus and former faculty member to become Headmaster of the school. His Brothers recognized his leadership skills and later appointed him President of Xaverian College.

New extracurricular activities, fraternities, and scholastic societies were formed at St. John's under headmaster Brother Ambrose 1929–34. He oversaw the development of the current football stadium, track, tennis courts, and enlargement of the library in the Administration Building.

In 1930 St. John's saw the addition of the German-born Sisters of the Divine Redeemer to the staff. These sisters served as the dietitians and cooks for the students and Brothers for the next twenty-one years.

During World War II, students were allowed to graduate in three years plus one summer so that they might contribute to the war effort. This dramatically reduced the student body, so between 1944 and 1947 seventh and eighth grade boys were allowed to attend the school.

Memorial Gymnasium opened in 1955.

In the early 1960s the first capital campaign funded the building of Brother Benjamin Hall and Alumni Hall, both of which were completed during the 1964–65 school year. On May 22, 1965 – fifty years after the dedication of Ryken Hall – Cardinal Cushing dedicated the two new buildings.

During the 1960s St. John's expanded their course offerings and created the independent study program. The 1967 and 1968 football teams were Class B State Champions. The Prep soon added soccer, swimming, and other programs.

In the late 1960s, the Board of Trustees voted to phase out the residential program during the next several years, a program which finally ended in 1975. Another change during the late 1960s was the phasing out of the coat and tie dress code, with the school later opting for a more casual attire consisting of a button up shirt paired with khaki dress pants. During the 1960s, Young men of different faiths began entering the school.

Changes continued at St. John's during the 1970s. Lay people outnumbered Brothers among the faculty and school leaders. The most unexpected change occurred when the Prep accepted young women due to the closing of two Catholic schools on the North Shore. A short-term decision, urged by the parents of the male students, the program lasted for six years and concluded in 1977, resulting in nearly seventy-five alumnae, many of whom have children that currently attend the school.

During the late 1970s the first official Alumni Office was created to maintain strong contact with the many alumni. The Development Office was also formed to help create support for the school through alumni, parents, and friends.

In 1980 enrollment reached an all-time high surpassing the one thousand mark and causing a much more competitive admissions process. The class of 1980 was the first to graduate with more than 200 members (211).

The 1980s marked the continuation of an impressive string of "championships" for the SJP Drama Guild under the direction of Brother Ronald Santoro, C.F.X. and Headmaster Brother Edward Keefe, C.F.X. hosted the 75th Anniversary Celebration in 1982.

In 1989 Brother William Drinan, C.F.X. succeeded Brother Keefe as Headmaster and he initiated plans for the "Building on the Prep Experience" campaign. As a result of this $3 million initiative and strategic plan, Fine Arts were added to the curriculum in the early 1990s and in 1995, Ryken Hall was renovated into Ryken Center for the Arts with art instruction, gallery space, theater instruction and design studios, along with an entire floor devoted to musical instruction and performance.

The 1997 football team completed their first eleven-win season including a dramatic Thanksgiving Day victory over Xaverian High School and a "Super Bowl" championship. In 1998 St. John's Prep graduated its 10,000th alumnus, just after the school's 90th anniversary celebration. In the 12 years that Brother William Drinan served as headmaster, he saw religion restored as an academic requirement, unparalleled athletic successes and a revitalization of the lay-Xaverian partnership. Brother Drinan still serves the school as Headmaster Emeritus.

After a nation-wide search in 2001, Albert J. Shannon, Ph.D. was named the 15th Headmaster of St. John's. He became the first Catholic layman to hold the position of Headmaster in the Prep's history. Late that same year, the Prep received a five million dollar gift in support of academic and facility initiatives at the school.

The Prep celebrated its 95th Anniversary in September 2002 with a gala celebration that brought alumni, families, faculty and staff together on campus. That same year the school saw the breaking of ground for the new $12 million Academic Resource Center Project, adding 24,000 square feet (2,200 m²) of space, including the A.E. Studzinski Library, featuring the Ozzie Technology Center, and six new classrooms. With this state-of-the-art building, the facilities are able to keep pace with the quality of education and experience at St. John's. The A. E. Studzinski Library and Ozzie Technology Center opened in September 2003 and Brother Benjamin Hall was remodeled with six new science labs(The Carey Science Center), the Ford Family Counseling suite and new academic department offices. Both facilities are equipped with wireless internet access and sophisticated technology resources in keeping with the needs of today's students and faculty.

Xavier Hall reopened in September 2005 following a year of extensive renovations. The revitalized campus landmark stands ready for a second century of service with 31 new state-of-the-art classrooms, a wireless Internet environment, academic department offices, and a new 4,000-square-foot (400 m²) Campus Ministry Center.

In 2007, The Prep commenced its 100th Anniversary Celebration. The celebration included a Mass for alumni, students, and faculty before the year began, and the school newspaper was renamed "The Concordia" in honor of the school's original newspaper publication.

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