Carroll College - Hilltopper Yearbook (Helena, MT)

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gave promise of being one of the most beautiful buildings in the Capital City, already a city of beautiful homes and buildings. The outer walls were of red porphyry, quarried from the neighboring mountains. The selection of an appropriate name for the college was another pioblem. At the laying of the cornerstone it was thought well to name the new institution Capitol Hill College. This would well fit the history and tradition of Montana and Helena. It was soon realized, however, that the new college should not be without a celestial patron. At this time there appeared the great encyclical of Pius X, commemorating the three hundredth anniversary of St. Charles P»orromeo, the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan. St. Charles had, through the Council of Trent, originated and firmly established in the legislation of the Church the idea of the diocesan college. And thus, was named Mount St. Charles College, after him, whose life and name are all that is implied in the terms, saint, scholar, and gentleman, with the hope that those students who should enjoy the advantages of the institution might become in all things like unto their patron. The College and its naming were approved by the Holy Father in the following letter: Dal Vaticano, Sept. 23, 1910. My dear Lord Bishop: The Holy Father has heard with great satisfaction of your successful efforts in erecting a college and preparatory seminary, and it is with special benevolence that He regards your lordship’s placing it under the patronage of the great Archbishop of Milan, St. Charles Borromeo. His Holiness expresses the fervent hope that, under such patronage, the college will become a center of learning and devotion. Moreover, the Holy Father most cordially bestows His Apostolic Benediction on your lordship, on the priests and faithful of your diocese, on the faculty and pupils of your new college, and lastly on all those who cooperate with you in promoting the good of your college. Assuring your lordship of my esteem, and wishing you every blessing. I am, My dear lord Bishop, Yours very sincerely in J. C., R. Cardinal Merry del Val. On August 8, 1910, Bishop Carroll had sent a letter to all the pastors cf the diocese, to plead the cause of higher education and the aim to beget a native priesthood. The response to the letter and to the efforts that had already been put forth was most encouraging. Though the scheduled date for the opening of the institution was September 14, it was delayed thirty

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Plans were immediately made for the erection of the new building. Fortunately, Providence favored the Bishop in his undertaking. On May 10, 1893, Mr. James Twohy of Butte, the owner of extensive mining claims throughout the state, made a will, in which he bequeathed to Bishop Brondel the “Burke and Balaklava lodes situated northwest of Meader-ville and adjacent the Modoc Mine, Silver Bow County, Butte.” A few months later Mr. Twohy died, and in the settlement of the estate, the property, later known as the Butte and Balaklava Mine, passed into the hands of Bishop Brondel, who at his death left it to his successor. Bishop Car-roll later sold the property, and from the proceeds was enabled to begin the new college. The site having been so happily secured, the services of Mr. A. O. Von Herbulis of Washington, D. C.. who had previously designed the St. Helena Cathedral and the St. Helena School, were secured as architect for the new building. The new institution was to be five stories high with a frontage of 180 feet and a depth of fifty-five feet. On June 16, 1909, in the presence of the little student body of St. Aloysius Institute, the friends of the new and the old institutions, and the priests of the city, ground was broken for the new building. Early that same fall, on September 27, 1909, the Honorable William Howard Taft, President of the United States, laid the cornerstone of the College. After the ceremony, the President said in part: ‘‘It gives me great pleasure to participate in the laying of cornerstones of institutions of learning, whether of Church or State. We are liberal enough in this country to be willing to help along educational work of all denominations. The College you are building here will be a blessing to Helena and to the whole State of Montana. The only trouble is, we have not institutions enough of this kind in the United States. “Though not of your faith. I cannot but appreciate the good work your Church is doing in this country. I am intimately acquainted with many members of the hierarchy, and I must say that our relations have always been most pleasant. I feel at home among them. I assure you. Bishop, I regard it as an honor and a pleasure both to have made your acquaintance and to have been asked to take part in the laying of the conerstone of your college. I wish you Godspeed in the completion of the institution.” On April 16, 1910, the college structure on Capitol Hill was already a story and a half high. The work was progressing rapidly through the efforts of a corps of men employed by Mr. Peter Jungers, sub-contractor under Mr. Charles T. Gunn of Hamlin and Gunn. Already the structure 1‘agc 1 went g-nine

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to September 22 on account of a lack of furniture and school equipment, which had been delayed in shipment. Even on September 22, the entire building was not completed, and the boys pursued their studies under difficulties for some weeks. However, after a month the classes were in order, and the great work of the College had begun in earnest. For over a year efforts had been made to gather a Faculty that could successfully launch the new enterprise on its journey. The learning, zeal, and self-sacrifice of those early professors have been no small element in the growth and development of Mount St. Charles. Their names will be found in another part of this book. Necessarily, the beginnings of the institution were small. Classes were conducted from the sixth grade of elementary work through the work of High School. As yet, there were no students of College grade. The registrants for the fourth year of High School were the following: Charles Gabisch, Albert Wiegand. and Angus McKinnon of Helena; Emmet Riley and Will McDermott of Butte; Frank E. Sheehan of Lewistown, and Cecil Carolan of Forsyth. It is significant that of these, three, Charles Gabisch (now Father Thomas, O.P.) Will McDermott (now Father Stanislaus, O.P.), and Emmet Riley later pursued their studies to the priesthood. , The problem of the curriculum had been studied for over a year before the opening of the college. It embraced in its scope all the branches of commercial, English, scientific, classical, and philosophical training, though the teaching of all these branches, because of lack of students, was not put into effect immediately. It was the purpose of these interested in the College to gradually eliminate the lower classes as the years went on. The elementary classes were finally discontinued in 1919. It has been found that the lower classes gradually decreased in numbers as those of higher grade increased. The recreational activities of the students were not neglected. A whole section of the lower floor of the building was reserved for indoor sports; a hand ball alley had been erected to the northeast of the main building; a splendid baseball field had been prepared at the northwest end of the campus. In gratitude for the use of the baseball park, the Helena Baseball Association of the Intermountain League had erected a capacious grandstand and bleacher seats in the form of an ampitheater, which served its purpose until the fall of 1928. The recreational activities were under the direction of Mr. Charles Scullon, later ordained and as Father Scullon, a member of the Faculty of the College. It was in recognition of the pioneer work of Father Scullon in the field of athletics that the new athletic field of Mount St. Charles was called Scullon Field. Page thirty-one