Catholic Central High School - Shamrock Yearbook (Detroit, MI)

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weniy yeam of Catlnofic fentraf LEO BRODERICK The eminent and Celtic-tinged institution, which today is Catholic Central, had its beginnings twenty years ago when Msgr. Van Antwerp, Pastor of Holy Rosary Church, invited the Basilians to take over his High School. The invitation was accepted, and Frs, D. L. Dillon, Principal, W. C. Sharpe, C. P. Donovan, E. L. Rush, and F. S. Ruth were sent to the Harper Avenue school along with the Scholas- tics, Messrs. S. Murphy, 1. Embser and F. Burns. The first enrollment was two hundred-sixty boys. The staff resided at Saint Anne's Rectory at the foot of the Ambassador Bridge for the first year and drove back and forth in a 1920 Buick, driven alter- nately by Frs. Sharpe and Rush. This situation was remedied when the residence was changed to 79 Medbury Avenue the following year. During the first years, Frank Mcllhargey was the coach. Although good, he didn't seem to have much material, and the football team didn't win a game the first year. ln 1931 Fr. Forestell replaced Fr. Dillon as principal, in which year the total enrollment was two hundred-ninety-two. ln Au- gust, l932 three Catholic Central graduates, Fran- cis Kelly, Ralph Koehler, and Florian Pacher, the first to do so, entered Saint Basil's Novitiate and each has since returned to take a position on the present staff. Detroit's first glimpse of Catholic Central at its present site came in 1932 when Father Connolly, Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish, asked the Basilians to take charge of his Holy Name lnstitute, Whose direction had changed hands many times during the previous ten years. Frs. E. L. Rush, I. H. Whelan, and 1. W. Embser were assigned with two Scholastics, Messrs. Diemer and French. At first, Catholic Central and Holy Name lnstitute were The original Catholic Central High School at E0 Harper Avenue 1928-1934 separate schools, but in 1934 the two united and became Catholic Central High School. A third story was then added fthe present senior roomsl. Father Whelan was the next principal and was assisted by Frs. Lowrey, I. C. Mclntyre, Embser, Martin, F. Burns, and three Scholastics, Messrs. Sheehy, Doherty and Petrey. The football team first gained great prominence in 1936 when it won the Catholic League Cham- pionship under the expert guidance of Mr. Iohn Hackett. They went on from there to take many more through the years under Hackett, Mr. Alex Chesney and Mr. Hal Shields. All during this period Father Martin held the Athletic Directorship, besides coaching the baseball teams, which won twelve straight championships. A few firsts: The Spectrum. official publication of the students of Catholic Central was inaugurated in 1936, after a contest was held among the stu- dents to select an original name. ln 1937, the first Yearbook, the Shamrock, was published, and in 1942 the Bulletin Board had its beginnings. lt was necessary in 1937 to make rooms from the then existing gymnasium. These are now the tenth grade classrooms, Nine-four, and the Physics Laboratory. ln September, 1940, work on the con- struction of the gymnasium building was begun, and the dedication held in Ianuary, 1941. On lune 5, 1940, Fr. Whelan died suddenly after six years at the helm. He was succeeded by Father Embser who held office until 1946. The original staff of 1928 are now occupying the following positions: Fr. Dillon is the Assistant Su- perior General of the Basilian Order, Fr. Sharpe is Master of Novices at Rochester, N. Y., Fr. Rush is Superior of Holy Rosary Seminary, Toronto, Fr. Donovan is at Aquinas lnstitute in Rochester, Fr. Ruth, at Assumption, is Supervisor of Scientific Research and Statistics , Fr. Murphy is well known for the Christian Culture Series at Assumption, Fr. Burns is Professor of Economics at Assumption, and Fr. Embser is principal of St. Thomas High School in Houston, Texas. The Basilians who have labored at Catholic Central and have since died are: Fr. S. Nicholson, Fr. 1. B. Flanagan, Fr. Cornelius Sheehan, Fr. 1. Whelan, Fr. lohn Mclntyre, and Fr. Harvey Wilbur. Mr. Charles Roe, a Catholic Central graduate, who entered the Basilians, died in 1938 in Toronto. Catholic Central was started between the two wars. Many of her sons gave their lives in the Second World War. We sincerely hope that these have not died in vain. For two decades the Basilians have endeavored to teach Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge. Always at Catholic Central there has been an esprit de corps existing between the faculty and student body. lt is our hope that this will always continue to be so.

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U' It's Catholic Central through the line at Briggs Stadium against Boystown while the huge crowd looks on. Mr. Ritz gives Ronayne a few pointers in the fine art of typing while the rest of the class slaves away. 1-af A cross section of the cafeteria: the boys are shoveling down the grub to beat the band for is it the bell?D. SHAMROCKS