Cathedral Preparatory School - Literulae Yearbook (Erie, PA)

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The fall of 1921 was momentous for the city of Erie, Pennsylvania. In August of that year, as the schools of the city prepared to open, the pastors of Erie's twelve Catholic Churches were summoned to a meeting with Bishop John Mark Gannon. At that meeting they were introduced to a project whose tremendous import they scarcely realized. The project? The founding of a Catholic high school Aa high school that would give all boys of the city an opportunity to establish a firm foundation for a future college education, a high school to be called Cathedral Preparatory School for Boys. A Bnshop's Dream With the promised support and cooperation of the assembled priests, Bishop Gannon initiated immediate action. Aided by Rev. Joseph J. Wehrle, S. T.D., then superintendent of diocesan schools, the Bishop planned to open classes in September. lt sounded impossible. But, open Cathedral Prep did, with classes held in the basement of St. Peter's Cathedral. The area provided four classrooms, a study hall, and a partitioned section which served as an office for the first headmaster, Father Wehrle. Under Father Wehrle's guidance, with Bt'shop Gannon providing the vital t'nspiration, Cathedral Prep and its one hundred boys were off to a propitious start. Front the very beginning the school endeavored to fulfill its promise to provide a sound Catholic education and to prepare boys for higher studies. The vert' first year saw the birth of the yearbook, The Lilcrulac, which was edited by the freshmen. It contained only one picturee ethat of Bishop Gannon. i rep 's Golden Years

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Cathedral Preparatory School 1921 'L 3 1971 I

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Monsignor Joseph J. Wehrle. Headmaster Named now to head this new institution, Doc Wehrle re- signed fronz Prep and Father Victor Miller was named head- nzaster during the summer of 1941. ln October of 1941, the new headnzaster broke ground for the long awaited new Ca- thedral Prep annex and on October 29th of the following year Bishop Gannon laid its cornerstone. In 1925 Prep prouclll' gradttatetl its ft'r.s't senior class qfort-1'-two young C'l1l'l'Xlll1l1 gentlemen. Among them was a ,future Bishop of the Erie Diocese, Alfred Michael Watson, bttsines'.s' manager lor the Lilcrulzlc .lor four years. In the years that 'followed that l't'rst commeneement the administrators came to realize that the f7l1Yl'SI'- cal plant was inadequate to meet the growing en- rollment. The subsequent purchase of the Downing building on West Ninth Street provided admint'.s'tra- tive offices, sc'ienee laboratorie.s, and ct librari' a temporary measure that would serve until a new building could be erected: at that time the Downing building would be razed. Ever planning, ever dreaming, Bishop Gannon launched in 1940-41 another of his ambitious edu- cational projects efjannon College. X1 fy'51f! ' The Downing Building