St Mary of the Mount High School - St Mary Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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For example, pupils of the Mount ' s 1956 graduating class, through competitive examinations opened to all the high schools of the city of Pittsburgh, received one full and two half scholarships to Duquesne University. One of the winners, Marilyn Hays, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hays of Amabell Street, received the highest rating of all those Avho took the examinations. This distinction merited for her not only a full tuition scholarship to the University but also the coveted General Motors scholarship which covers all expenses — tuition, board, books and fees. Half scholar- ships to the University were awarded to Greta Gilmartin, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. A. J. Gilmartin of Grandview Avenue and Paul Michel, son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Michel of Homestead. May God continue to hold our school in the Palm of His Hand! Because of the increased enrollment and the addition of a four year high school cotirse, it was necessary for Father Griffin to apply to Marywood, the Motherhouse of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for more sisters. More sistei ' s, of course, necessitated more room and the convent that had served the sisters since 1910 now proved most inadequate. In 1914, Father Griffin was fortunate in being able to purchase through the serv- ices of a Mr. King, property across from the school. The house, known as The Cliff House was a very beautiful and attractive home owned by the Riehl family. Much renovating and remodeling was necessary before the sisters could move into their new convent. About two years later a new wing which provided a very lovely and spacious com- munity room and additional sleeping quarters for the sisters was added. Then in 1924, the Malloy Residence, just adjacent to the convent, was procured. The first floor of this hotise was used for the music department, while the second and third floors sup- plied more sleeping quarters to the ever-growing community of sisters. These two houses served as comfortable quarters for the sisters tmtil 1955 when both building? were razed to make way for the new and modern St. Mary of the Mount Convent and High School. When the sisters were established in their new convent at 710 Grandview Avenue, the former convent was converted into classrooms. These classrooms were used for all high school classes. This arrangement was most beneficial in relieving the over- crowded conditions of the grade school. However, the high school continued to grow; state requirements became more stringent. If St. Mary of the Mount were to main- tain its high scholastic prestige, further expansion was necessary. The difficulty was tentatively overcome by the ptnxhase of two portable buildings which vere erected on the space formerly used as the tennis courts. Both these buildings were used for fresh- men classrooms.

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Champion Baseball Team 1909 Standing: T. Burke, pitcher; M. Burke, left field; M. Jennings, 1st base; R. Tiegel, center field and pitcher; J. H. Wayman, catcher; E. Byers, right field. Seated: Wm. Kennedy, 3rd base; A. Ruckert, short stop; Wm. J. Higgins, presi- dent; S. Kennedy, infield; P. Cawley, 2nd base. Today St. Mary of the Mount ranks among the leading high schools of the state and serves as an enduring monument to its founder, Father Griffin, and to the early parishioners of St. Mary of the Mount. Realizing that education must include the whole man, Father Griffin provided not only for the spiritual and intellectual welfare of his flock but, through the found- ing of the Mt. Washington Lyceum, both he and his assisting priests. Father S. J. Ren- son and Father W. J. Munster gave to their people the opportunity for physical development and social activity. The Lyceum was a society of the men of the parish and was controlled by a board of directors, ten in number, with Rev. Wm. J. Munster as its president. The follow- ing gentlemen were elected to serve as the first board of directors: Messrs. R. J. Phil- pott, John B. Sullivan, W. J. Higgins, E. J. Kappler, Milburne Sill, John J. Murray, Thos. C. Smythe, Joseph A. Beck, and E. L. Sullivan.