Cheverus High School (simply referred to as Cheverus, formerly The Catholic Institute High School) is a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
,
Jesuit
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
,
co-educational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
,
college-preparatory school
A college-preparatory school (often shortened to prep school, preparatory school, college prep school or college prep academy) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to state school, public, Independent school, private independent or p ...
in
Portland, Maine
Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...
, United States. It was established in 1917 and is located in the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. It is named after
Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus
Jean-Louis Anne Madelain Lefebvre de Cheverus (also known as John Cheverus; 28 January 1768 – 19 July 1836) was a French people, French-born Catholic Church, Catholic prelate who served as the first Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Bishop ...
, the first Bishop of Boston.
History
Cheverus High School was established in 1917 as The Catholic Institute High School and renamed Cheverus Classical High School in 1925, after
Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus
Jean-Louis Anne Madelain Lefebvre de Cheverus (also known as John Cheverus; 28 January 1768 – 19 July 1836) was a French people, French-born Catholic Church, Catholic prelate who served as the first Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Bishop ...
, the first Bishop of Boston. It was initially located on Free Street, moved to
Cumberland Avenue
Cumberland Avenue (formerly Cumberland Street; colloquially known as Cumberland Ave) is a downtown street in Portland, Maine, United States. Part of Maine State Route 100, it runs for around from Merrill Street, on Munjoy Hill, in the northeas ...
in 1946, and then to its present location on Ocean Avenue in 1952. The school was originally run by the diocesan clergy and the
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...
took over responsibility in 1942.
In 1998, nine male alumni claimed that they had been
molested while attending the school. Two former faculty members were accused. The school confirmed the abuse and apologized to the victims. The victims also accused both the school and the Portland Diocese of hiding information, and that they had previously known about the abuse. Settlements to victims have reached a cumulative seven figures, with ongoing counseling additional.
Academics
Cheverus offers 12
Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board. AP offers undergraduate university-level curricula and examinations to high school students. Colleges and universities in the US and elsewhere ...
classes, and has an honors option for most of its courses. Students must take 25.5 courses in 4 years, including at least 4 mathematics courses, 4 English courses, 4 theology courses, 3 science courses, 3 foreign language courses (continuing within the same language), and 3 social studies courses.
Notable alumni
*
Joseph E. Brennan
Joseph Edward Brennan (November 2, 1934 – April 5, 2024) was an American lawyer and politician from Maine. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 70th governor of Maine from 1979 to 1987 and in the ...
, lawyer and politician
*
Ian Crocker
Ian Lowell Crocker (born August 31, 1982) is an American former competition swimmer, five-time Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder. During his career, he set world records in the 50- and 100-meter butterfly (long course and short ...
, swimmer
*
John Joubert, serial killer
*
Dick Joyce, MLB player
*
Charles J. Loring Jr., fighter pilot
*
Emily Durgin, distance runner
Notable faculty
*
Rodney S. Quinn, politician
*
John McLaughlin, television personality and political commentator
*
James Talbot, rapist
References
External links
*
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
High schools in Portland, Maine
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
Catholic secondary schools in Maine
Jesuit high schools in the United States
Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals in the United States
Educational institutions established in 1917
1917 establishments in Maine
Sexual abuse scandal in the Society of Jesus
Private schools in Portland, Maine