The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia is a four-year

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 ...

catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

for boys in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. It was founded by Thomas E. Cahill in 1890 as the first free Catholic high school in the nation. The school is located at the intersection of Broad and

Vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...

streets in

Center City Philadelphia Center City includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It comprises the area that made up the City of Philadelphia prior to the Act of Consolidation, 1854, which extended the ci ...

, and is managed by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

History

Roman Catholic High School was founded with funding provided by the estate of Thomas E. Cahill, a 19th-century

merchant. Cahill had envisioned the need to create a school that offered a free

Catholic education Catholic education may refer to: * Catholic school, primary and secondary education organised by the Roman Catholic Church or affiliated organisations * Catholic higher education, higher education run by the Catholic Church or affiliated organisat ...

for boys past their grammar school years. Cahill died before seeing that vision come to life. However, those wishes were followed and guided by a written will and his wife, Sophia Cahill. Roman Catholic opened its doors in 1890 and offered free education to boys. Due to increased staff and facilities costs, free admission to the school ended in the 1960s.

Founder

Thomas E. Cahill, born May 27, 1828, was the son of Thomas Cahill, a native of

County Louth County Louth ( ; ) is a coastal Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of County Meath, Meath to the ...

in Ireland, colloquially known as 'the Wee County' who came to America in 1817, and of Maria Elliott, daughter of one of the oldest colonial families of Delaware. His father was a railroad contractor who suffered heavy reverses in his business. His mother died at the age of 36. Thomas left school to do his share towards the support of a large family. At 17, he opened a small store in

, located between Pine and Spruce Streets on 26th at a wharf on the Schuylkill River. Successful from the start, he embarked in the wood, coal, and ice business with the proceeds of his first venture. He later organized the Cold Spring Ice and Coal Company. In 1854 he became the first president. In 1869 he effected a consolidation of the large ice firms of the city, incorporated under the name of the famous brand Knickerbocker Ice Company.

19th century

Roman Catholic High School was dedicated on September 6, 1890, in a ceremony conducted by Archbishop Ryan of Philadelphia. His dedication speech compared education in public schools, lacking the Christian recognition of the soul and the importance to teach that subject at this new catholic high school in the education of young men. A class numbering 105 boys were selected for entrance into the new high school. Later only 26 students survived economic hardships and became members of the first graduating class in 1894. Compared to the number who began as first-year students, the percentage of graduates was a little less than 25%. In 1928, one-half of those started received diplomas. During the 95 years of its opening, 16,228 students graduated from Roman Catholic High.

20th century

In 1985, the Archdiocese slated the school for closing due to lowering enrollment. However, the school's

alumni association An alumni association or alumnae association is an association of graduates or, more broadly, of former students ( alumni). In the United Kingdom and the United States, alumni of universities, colleges, school A school is the educati ...

, with the blessing of Philadelphia's John Cardinal Krol, embarked on a campaign to save the school. Roman's Alumni Association, which had existed for over 70 years, came together to raise funds and increase enrollment. The rector of the school even applied to have the building itself kept as a historic landmark, which was accepted. The significance of the historic landmark designation means the building on the corner of Broad and Vine Streets can never legally be torn down. Also, its exterior must always stay the same — though it does not have to remain a school. Prior to 1986, students who attended Roman were from "feeder

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

es"; Roman served as the school for the boys from the Center City,

Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...

East Falls East Falls (also The Falls, formerly the Falls of Schuylkill) is a neighborhood in Lower Northwest, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies on the east bank of the "Falls of the Schuylkill," cataracts submerged in 1822 by the Schu ...

, Fairmount, Manayunk,

North Philadelphia North Philadelphia, nicknamed North Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is immediately north of Center City, Philadelphia, Center City. Though the full extent of the region is somewhat vague, "North Philadelphia" is regarded as ...

, and Roxborough regions of Philadelphia. Roman enrolls boys from almost every Philadelphia neighborhood, including The Near and Far Northeast,

West Philadelphia West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of the city of Philadelphia. Although there are no officially defined boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Avenue to the n ...

, Fishtown, Port Richmond,

Mayfair Mayfair is an area of Westminster, London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. It is between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts ...

, South Philly, Fox Chase, Roxborough,

South Jersey South Jersey, also known as Southern New Jersey, comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located between Pennsylvania and the lower Delaware River to its west, the Atlantic Ocean to its east, Delaware to its south, ...

, and outlying suburbs. Roman Catholic High School was built to hold about 750 to 800 students. Because of high demand, the school is above capacity with approximately 1,100 students. The school holds an entrance test to select its students every October, November, and December. Of the 600 or 700 students that apply, roughly 300 to 350 are accepted. Students who do well on these tests also may receive scholarships ranging from a few hundred dollars to as much as $4000 a year. Usually, about 40 students receive scholarships. Like other high schools, Roman has a tracking system: that is, the first track (also called the honors track), the second track, and the third track. Roman, however, is unique in that it tracks its honors class into three classes. While students in the honors classes learn the same material at the same pace, it creates a better learning system to have students of the same level together.

21st century

Beginning with the 2012–2013 school year, Roman announced the implementation of a 1:1 iPad initiative, starting with the incoming first-year students. Due to the ever-changing face of education, students require different tools and strategies. The initiative allows students and teachers to individualize and differentiate instruction in a familiar way to today's students. Students work on essential 21st-century skill sets needed to meet state and national standards.

Sexual abuse scandal

In July 2011, ''

'' magazine published an article by Robert Huber regarding the 2011 grand jury report, which documented new charges of child sexual abuse by priests active in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The article included the story of Joe,Huber, Robert
"Catholics in Crisis: Sex and Deception in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia"
phillymag.com, July 2011; retrieved July 28, 2011. a 59-year-old who spoke of his abuse at the hands of Father McGuigan, in 1966, when a ninth grader at Roman Catholic High School.

Historical marker

Dedicated: Tuesday, September 29, 2009. Location: E side of N Broad St., between Vine & Pearl, Philadelphia by the Historical Commission as referenced on the

List of Pennsylvania state historical markers File:Pennsylvania counties map.png, 320px, Clickable map of Pennsylvania counties poly 453 491 516 491 516 472 522 467 522 465 517 460 521 457 519 452 514 439 506 437 503 432 497 430 491 436 463 443 453 451 454 491 Adams County poly 94 319 15 ...

. Marker Text: Thomas E. Cahill "Entrepreneur and philanthropist who bequeathed the bulk of his estate to establish Roman Catholic High School for Boys, the first free Catholic high school in the US. Founded here in 1890, the school initiated a diocesan high school system that became a model throughout the nation. Coming from a poor immigrant family, Cahill sought to provide young men from similar backgrounds with the secondary education denied him."

Campus

The campus consists of four structures, Two on Vine Street and two on Wood Street.

Main building (Broad and Vine Streets)

Located on the northeast corner intersection of Broad and Vine Streets. 1900 Roman

Dedicated on September 6, 1890, the school's original main building established the main entrance on the frontage of North Broad Street. The building's length was 140 feet and extended eastward on Vine Street for 115 feet, bordered on the north by the very narrow Pearl Street and bounded eastward by a ten-foot wide alley commonly known as Watts Street, rededicated to the school. The land was formerly a Railroad Depot moved just north to Cahowhill Street. The exterior is a three-story building of

Victorian Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

design, faced with "

Lee, Massachusetts Lee is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, metropolitan statistical area. The population was 5,788 at the 2020 census. Lee, which includes the villages of South and East Lee, is ...

" marble (the same as selected for

Philadelphia City Hall Philadelphia City Hall is the seat of the municipal government of the City of Philadelphia in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Built in the ornate Second Empire style, City Hall houses the chambers of the Philadelphia City Council and the office ...

), placed on a granite base (quarried from

Conshohocken, Pennsylvania Conshohocken ( ; ) is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough on the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in suburban Philadelphia. Historically a large mill town and industrial and manufacturing center, after the decline of industry in ...

) and sited to impact majestically at the intersection by prominent architect Edwin Forrest Durang. The building has two ornamental stone facades along Vine and Broad Streets joined at a square corner tower and two brick facades at the rear of the building. The building originally had a 150-foot marble tower topped in copper at the corner of Broad and Vine, destroyed by fire in 1959 and not replaced. Initially, there were 20 classrooms, each designed to accommodate between 24 and 42 pupils, the building contained offices, a library suite, mechanical arts workshops, and on the third floor, a hall with a 700-person seating capacity, a gymnasium, and studios with natural lighting for drawing and modeling. External fire towers provided access to lavatory facilities, but no provision was made for a lunchroom. The tower, not entirely ornamental, was fitted with instruments for astronomy classes. Historically Certified in 1986 by the Historical Commission, it is classified as

Gothic Revival architecture Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

and consistent with a number of important Catholic churches and institutions in the City.

Renaissance Hall-Main building addition (Vine Street)

In 1953 the original three-story building received an additional two-story wing along the eastside. It connected and integrated the exterior brick façade as part of the interior. The space was utilized for physics and biology labs and the cafeteria. in 1996 the school received permission form the Archdiocese to build a $3.5 million expansion to the school, which was funded by the many alumni, friends, and foundations who recognized the historical importance of sustaining a Catholic high school presence in Center City. This wing, which is dedicated as Renaissance Hall housed an expansion of the cafeteria, a new discipline office, one classroom, and an information center which housed the library, computer lab, and television studio (named after broadcaster and alumnus John Facenda). Also during this project, the labs in the 1954 wing were completely gutted and remodeled with new technology, furniture, and equipment. The Library and Information Center was renovated in the summer of 2013 upgrading computers, copiers, printers and furniture named in honor of John and Mary McShain.

Annex Building (Wood Street)

In 2006, the school opened an additional building acquired from the City which had historical significance related to the City's Medical Examiner. The 13th Street Annex was dedicated to James McSherry, an alumnus and benefactor to the school. This new facility housed a sports training center, creative art studio, a multi-purpose room and the alumni association offices.

Arts Building-Howard Center for the Arts (Wood Street)

As part of "A Vision of Promise” on May 30, 2017, the school held a breaking ground ceremony on an additional new building with anticipated completion sometime in 2018. The initial stage is the construction of a 40,000-square foot building. The arts center is named for Barry and Elayne Howard, longtime supporters and benefactors of Roman Catholic. This new expanded academic facility is located about a block away at 1212 Wood Street, and includes band rooms, instrument storage space, a computer-aided design lab, a digital photography studio, a piano lab, a small theater and an expansion for art programs. More additions to the school in the Vision of Promise are planned."History"
romancatholichs.com; accessed August 17, 2016. The School had an unveiling ceremony at the Howard Center on Jan. 26 2023 in the Arts Center’s Black Box Theater and renamed the theater after award winning playwright Charles Fuller Jr. The theater’s new name was suggested by a student and adopted by the Board to be “The Charles H. Fuller Jr., ‘56 Theater. “ Fuller, is an alumni member of the Roman Catholic Class of 1956 and died in October 2022.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

Roman Catholic has been prominent in the

Philadelphia Catholic League The Philadelphia Catholic League is a high school sports league composed (as of the 2012-13 year) of 18 Catholic High Schools in Philadelphia and the surrounding Pennsylvania suburbs. The league itself was founded in the summer of 1920 on the step ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

since the League's inception, winning 34 championship games since 1920. In 2015, 2016, and 2018 Catholic High won the Philadelphia Catholic league Title (PCL), Philadelphia City Title (District XII), and Pennsylvania Boys Class AAAA (Large School) State Championship. Roman has also succeeded in

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

. In the 2006 playoffs, Roman finished with a strong 9–3 record while losing to La Salle in the second round of the Catholic League playoffs. In 2007, Roman defeated Northeast Catholic and Father Judge en route to winning the Catholic League Championship, 10–9 over St. Joseph's Prep. This was Roman's best record ever at 12–2. This marks the team's second Red Division championship since the inception of the new Catholic League format, which began in 1999 and ended in 2007. Roman Catholic H.S. also has a rivalry with the public high school Roxborough High. This rivalry has started an annual Thanksgiving Day football game; a game Roman Catholic has beaten Roxborough at for decades. Boys Catholic High School is home to one of the most successful crews in North America, practicing for over ten months a year. Roman's crew team sculls (using two oars per man while rowing) rather than sweeps (using one oar a man while rowing). Recently it contributed a Lightweight Four to the Philadelphia Catholic League Rowing championships, finishing second in 2005 to Monsignor Bonner High School by six-tenths of a second. Roman's major sculling rivals are

The Haverford School The Haverford School is a Independent school, private, non-sectarian, all-boys college preparatory day school, junior kindergarten through grade twelve. Founded in 1884 as The Haverford College Grammar School, it is located in Haverford, Penns ...

Conestoga High School Conestoga High School, located in Tredyffrin Township, Pennsylvania, is the only upper secondary school in the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District. It has a Berwyn post office address, though it is not in the Berwyn census-designated place. ...

, and

Malvern Preparatory School Malvern Preparatory School, commonly referred to as Malvern Prep, is an independent, all-boys Catholic middle school and college preparatory high school in Malvern, Pennsylvania, within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The school is operated by O ...

. In 2003 and 2005, two Roman students represented the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

at the Junior World Championships in Athens, Greece, & Brandenburg, Germany. In 2006, 2010, 2012, and 2016 the team won the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship. The school's golf team has enjoyed many years of success as one of the top teams in the league. The school's ice hockey team started in 1993. Since then, they have won 4 championships; 2000, 2002, 2010, and 2013. The school's baseball team has won two Catholic League Championships; in 1978 and 1992. The 1992 team had the best record in school history, finishing the season 15-1 (27-1 overall, losing only the final game of the regular season) after beating Bishop Kenrick in the Catholic League Championship game.

Mock Trial - School Competition

Mock Trial A mock trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisti ...

is a competitive club activity offered at the High School that is intended to simulate actual courtroom proceedings and allow students to assume the roles of attorneys and witnesses. The team argues a case problem provided by the

Pennsylvania Bar Association The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students in Pennsylvania, United States. The association offers membership benefits, including publications, practice support, networking, and continuing ...

and competes against teams from across the state. Roman Catholic students have a winning championship record and has won the state's Pennsylvania Mock Trial Competition. The club has expanded to distinguish itself in awards for both National and International competitions. City Champions: 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 State Champions: 2023

Notable alumni

Sports

1890–1950

* John "Rube" Cashman, head men's basketball coach for Villanova from 1926 to 1929 * Frank Schell (1899), Gold Medal American rower who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics * Charles McIlvaine (honorary diploma awarded 2014), member and gold-medallist of the 1928 U.S. Olympic rowing team * Matt Guokas Sr. (1934), played for the Philadelphia Warriors 1947 championship team; father of Matt Guokas Jr. * Tom Conley (1928), football and basketball coach; captain of the 1930 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team; pall-bearer for

Knute Rockne Knute Kenneth Rockne (; March 4, 1888 – March 31, 1931) was an American football player and coach at the University of Notre Dame. Leading Notre Dame for 13 seasons, Rockne accumulated over 100 wins and three national championships. Rockne is ...

Art McNally Arthur Ignatius McNally (July 1, 1925 – January 1, 2023) was an American professional football executive who was director of officiating for the National Football League (NFL) from 1968 to 1991. Before becoming director of officiating—succ ...

(1943), former Director of Officiating for the National Football League (NFL) (1968–90),

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

1951–1990

* Bob Schafer (1951),

Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Saint Thom ...

player,

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

player *

Jim Katcavage James Richard Katcavage (October 28, 1934 – February 22, 1995) was an American professional football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) who played thirteen seasons for the New York Giants. Biography From 1952 until 195 ...

(1952), 13-year

player with the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

and three-time Pro Bowl participant * William "Speedy" Morris (1960), famed Roman Catholic High School and

La Salle University La Salle University () is a private university, private, Catholic university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The university was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and named for St. Jean-Bapt ...

basketball coach * Michael Bantom (1969), member of the 1972 Olympic Basketball team, NBA player, and later NBA executive * Dallas Comegys (1983),

DePaul University DePaul University is a private university, private Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission, Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from ...

, an NBA basketball player

1991–present

Marvin Harrison Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13 year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...

(1991),

Wide Receiver *

Marc Jackson Marc Anthony Jackson (born January 16, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player who played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2000 to 2007. He is a current television analyst of the Philadelphia 76 ...

(1993),

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...

and

basketball player * Lari Ketner (1995),

University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) is a public land-grant research university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system and was founded in 1863 as the ...

and NBA basketball player *

Rasual Butler Rasual Butler (born Felix Rasual Cheeseborough; May 23, 1979 – January 31, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. In his 14-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career, he played for the Miami Heat, New Orleans Hornets, Lo ...

(1998), Selected by the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

with the 53rd pick of the

2002 NBA draft The 2002 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2002, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. In this draft, National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting 57 amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, ...

Eddie Griffin Edward Rubin Griffin (born July 15, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for portraying Eddie Sherman in the sitcom '' Malcolm & Eddie'', the title character in the 2002 comedy film '' Undercover Brother'', and Tib ...

(2000),

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizab ...

, drafted by the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

in the first round of the

2001 NBA draft The 2001 NBA draft took place on June 27, 2001, in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player to be drafted with the first overall pick in the history of the NBA. The selection of Kwame Brown by the Washington Wizar ...

Scott Paxson Scott M. Paxson (born February 3, 1983) is an American former professional football defensive tackle. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He won Super Bowl XLIII with the Steelers over Kurt Warner and the ...

(2001) former Penn State all conference defensive tackle * Glenn Ochal (2004), US Olympian; 2012 Bronze medalist (4-man crew); 2016 member (8-man crew) * Brad Wanamaker (2007), NBA and

Euroleague The EuroLeague is a European men's professional basketball club competition. The league is widely recognised as the top-tier and the most prestigious men's basketball league in Europe. The league consists of 20 teams, of which 16 are given lon ...

player *

Maalik Wayns Maalik Benjamin Wayns (born May 2, 1991) is an American-Belarusian basketball coach and former professional player. He played high school basketball for Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia, where he was a Parade All-America Boys Basketball ...

(2009), NBA basketball player * Will Fuller (2013), NFL player *

Tony Carr Anthony Carr Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 5 September 1950) is an English sports coach and former Director of Youth Development at the West Ham United F.C., West Ham United football club's West Ham United F.C. Reserves and Academy, yo ...

(2016), basketball player in the Israeli Premier Basketball League * Lamar Stevens (2016), NBA basketball player * Seth Lundy, (2019), NBA basketball player *

Jalen Duren Jalen Montez Duren ( ; born November 18, 2003) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Memphis Tigers. A center, he stands and wei ...

(2022), NBA basketball player

Government

James P. McGranery James Patrick McGranery (July 8, 1895 – December 23, 1962) was a United States representative from Pennsylvania, a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Attorney General of ...

(1913),

United States Attorney General The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the Federal government of the United States, federal government. The attorney general acts as the princi ...

under

U.S. president The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

* Daniel J. Terra (1927), United States' first and only Ambassador at Large for Cultural Affairs * Albert F. Sabo (1938), judge who presided over the

Mumia Abu-Jamal Mumia Abu-Jamal (born Wesley Cook; April 24, 1954) is an American political activist and journalist who was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 1982 for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia police officer C ...

murder case. * Raymond F. Lederer (1957),

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

1974–1977

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

(1977 to 1981) * Charles Hammock, Member of the

* Eugene F. McGill, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1995 to 2006)

Religion

* Peter Keenan Guilday (1901), monsignor, Catholic Church historian in U.S. * John J. Bonner (1908), monsignor, Educator, Superintendent of Schools Archdioceses of Philadelphia (1926-1945), Founder of the

* Joseph A. Pepe (1960), former bishop of the Diocese of Las Vegas * Michael Joseph Bransfield, former bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, permanently excluded from engaging in any form of public ministry in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

* Daniel E. Thomas (1977), current bishop of the Diocese of Toledo

Entertainment

* Joseph I. Breen (1906), public relations agent and film censor * John Facenda (1931), radio and television broadcaster from the 1930s through the early 1980s * Charles Fuller (1955), African American playwright and screenwriter won the 1982

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

for ''

A Soldier's Play ''A Soldier's Play'' is a play by American playwright Charles Fuller. Set on a US Army installation in the segregation-era South, the play is a loose adaptation of Herman Melville's novella ''Billy Budd'', and follows the murder investigation o ...

'', a story about racism in the military *

Larry Neal Larry Neal or Lawrence Neal (September 5, 1937 – January 6, 1981) was an American writer, poet, critic and academic. He was a notable scholar of African-American theater, well known for his contributions to the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s ...

(1956), scholar of African American theater, professor at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, and playwright who was a leader of the

Black Arts Movement The Black Arts Movement (BAM) was an African Americans, African-American-led art movement that was active during the 1960s and 1970s. Through activism and art, BAM created new cultural institutions and conveyed a message of black pride. The mov ...

Rectors and Presidents

* Msgr. Nevin F. Fisher (1890–1902) * Msgr. Hugh T. Henry (1902–1919) * Msgr. William P. McNally (1919–1933) * Rev. Leo D. Burns (1933–1938) * Rev. John A. Cartin (1938–1952) * Msgr. James T. Dolan (1952–1966) * Msgr. Charles V. Gallen (1966–1975) * Rev. Edward Cahill (1975–1981) * Rev. Richard J. McLoughlin (1981–1990) * Msgr. Francis W. Beach `67 (1990–1997) * Rev. Paul C. Brandt (1997–2006) * Rev. Joseph W. Bongard `77 (2006–2010) * Rev. John B. Flanagan (2010–2014) * Rev. Joseph W. Bongard `77 (2014–2023) * Mr. John A. Prendergast `08 (2024-Present)

References

External links

Roman Catholic High School for BoysRoman Catholic High School Alumni Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic High School For Boys 1890 establishments in Pennsylvania Boys' schools in the United States Broad Street (Philadelphia) Callowhill, Philadelphia Educational institutions established in 1890 Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia Roman Catholic secondary schools in Philadelphia Vine Street (Philadelphia)