Regis High School (New York City)

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Coordinates: 40°46′46″N 73°57′32″W / 40.779522°N 73.958818°W / 40.779522; -73.958818
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Regis High School
As seen from East 84th Street (2019)
Address
Map
55 East 84th Street
(Upper East Side, Manhattan)

New York City
,
New York
10028

United States
Coordinates40°46′46″N 73°57′32″W / 40.779522°N 73.958818°W / 40.779522; -73.958818
Information
School typePrivate, Day
MottoLatin: Deo et Patriae Pietas Christiana Erexit
("Built by Christian Piety for God and Country")
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
(Jesuit)
Patron saint(s)St. John Francis Regis
Established1914; 110 years ago (1914)
FounderJulia M. Grant
PresidentRev. Christopher Devron, S.J.
Faculty37.6 FTEs[1]
Grades9–12
GenderBoys
Enrollment530 (2019–2020[1])
Student to teacher ratio14.1:1[1]
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)  Scarlet
  Silver
  White
Athletics conferenceCatholic High School Athletic Association
MascotOwl
NicknameOwls
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Websiteregis.org

Regis High School is a private, all-male, Jesuit, secondary school for Roman Catholic boys located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City.[2]

History[edit]

Regis High School was founded in 1914, through the financial bequest of a single (originally anonymous) benefactress, Julia M. Grant,[a] the widow of New York City mayor Hugh J. Grant. She stipulated that her gift be used to build a Jesuit high school providing a free education for Catholic boys with special consideration given to those who could not otherwise afford a Catholic education.[4] The school continues that policy and does not charge tuition.[5]

The Grants' former home is the residence of the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, where the pope stays when he visits New York City.[6]

Following the death of her husband in 1910, Julia Grant met with David W. Hearn, S.J. and, with a stipulation of strict anonymity, gave him an envelope with the money needed to start a school to educate Catholic boys. After Mrs. Grant died, her children took over the funding of the school. The last surviving member of the family, Lucie Mackey Grant, a daughter-in-law of Julia Grant, died in 2007.

In April 2021, the school announced that it was firing its president, Daniel Lahart, S.J. after an investigation confirmed that he had engaged in sexual misconduct which included "inappropriate and unwelcome verbal communications and physical conduct, all of a sexual nature, with adult members of the Regis community, including subordinates".[7]

Extracurricular activities[edit]

The Owl, the school's newspaper, interviewed Central Intelligence Agency leak case prosecutor and alumnus Patrick J. Fitzgerald in 2006. Its article was linked on the Drudge Report and quoted by the Associated Press.[8]

The Regis Speech and Debate Society, also known as the Hearn Society, is ranked first nationally by the National Speech and Debate Association as of September 2022.[9]

The Regis Repertory has performed plays and musicals since 1918. They collaborate with female students attending neighboring schools such as Marymount School and Dominican Academy.[10]

Athletics[edit]

Regis is home to teams in basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, golf, ultimate grisbee, and track and field. Given the location of the school, many of their events take place on Randall's Island.[11] The biggest event every year is a triple-header set of basketball games against their rival, Xavier High School, in which the freshman, JV, and Varsity teams play back to back.[12]

Building[edit]

The school building was designed by Maginnis & Walsh.[13] Located on 84th Street between Park Avenue and Madison Avenue, Regis's building was partially completed in 1914. Construction on the three-story-high, 1700-seat auditorium was delayed due to World War I preventing the import of the desired Italian marble to be used. It was eventually completed the next year.[14]

In the late 1970s, the stone owl over the south door, popular with students and alumni at the time, disappeared. In 1980, the assistant headmaster found the culprit who stole the owl and privately met up with them to have it returned. It now resides in the Regis Archive, and four owls were placed in the quadrangle to commemorate its return.[15]

Notable alumni[edit]

See List of Regis High School alumni

In popular culture[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The identity of the school's founding benefactor was officially kept secret for decades, though the large portrait in the school's first floor conference room titled "Julia Grant" contradicted the official policy. The online announcement, of an auction that included items related to the school's founding, did so as well.[3] Finally, on October 26, 2009, a documentary film revealed her identity and detailed the circumstances of her gift.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Search for Private Schools - School Detail for REGIS HIGH SCHOOL". NCES. 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  2. ^ "About Regis". Regis High School. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
  3. ^ "The Collection of Hugh J. Grant and Lucie Mackey Grant". Doyle News. Doyle New York. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  4. ^ Bahrampour, Tara (March 13, 2002). "At Regis, Academic Rigor and Service, All Free". The New York Times. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  5. ^ Connell, Christopher (July 30, 1989). "Donors Keep Tuition-Free N.Y. Catholic School in Classical Shape". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  6. ^ Andreassi, Anthony D. (2014). Teach Me to Be Generous: The First Century of Regis High School in New York City. New York City: Fordham University Press. pp. 124–5.
  7. ^ Stack, Liam (April 13, 2021). "Head of Elite Catholic School Is Fired over Sexual Misconduct Charges". The New York Times. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  8. ^ "CIA Leak Prosecutor Gives Interview to High School Newspaper". Fox News. Associated Press. April 25, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  9. ^ "Rankings". National Speech and Debate Association. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  10. ^ Andreassi, Anthony D. (March 3, 2014). Teach Me to be Generous: The First Century of Regis High School in New York City. Fordham University Press. p. 53. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  11. ^ "Athletics". Regis High School. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  12. ^ "Raiders Rise at Regis-Xavier Triple Header". Regis High School. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  13. ^ White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot; Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 453. ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.
  14. ^ Andreassi, Anthony D. (March 3, 2014). Teach Me to be Generous: The First Century of Regis High School in New York City. Fordham University Press. p. 38.
  15. ^ Andreassi, Anthony D. (March 3, 2014). Teach Me to be Generous: The First Century of Regis High School in New York City. Fordham University Press. p. 155.
  16. ^ "Filmed at Regis". Regis High School.
  17. ^ Castillo, Michelle (July 7, 2010). "From early age, teachers were Gaga for singer". TODAY. Retrieved February 13, 2023.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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