St Stephens Academy - Academician Yearbook (Port Huron, MI)

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The Portal Senior and Junior Assembly But like all other growing institutions, St. St ephen ' s oak had outgrown its tiny aeorn cup, and a new school was discussed and planned. In a short time Father McCormick having viewed the plans of Donaldson and Meier, Detroit architects, called upon them to build, the realization of his dreams, a New and Modern St. Stephen’s High School. However, Father McManus, our venerable pastor, was compelled to leave the scene of his thirty years of labor and take up his residence in Lake Worth, Florida, because of ill health. He did not remain to see the erection of our New School, which is today affiliated with the State University, of Ann Arbor. He, however, returned to St. Stephen to be the first to touch the switch to light the new school. He is Pasor Emeritus, and accepts the allotted salary of his position. This burden is a labor of love borne willingly by his grateful parishioners. After the completion of the new building the task that now faced our Pastor was the money to furnish the various rooms, but however like other calls this, too, Physical Library Page Seven

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— The Portal — HISTORY OF ST. STEPHEN SCHOOL The Office The Old Order Cliangeth and Yieldeth Place to New ' once spoke the poet Tennyson. Several times has this quotation successfully shown the foundations and advancing history of various institutions. However no other quotation could possibly illustrate fully the title “St. Steph- ens Old and New.” The first St. Stephen ' s School was built in 1879 under the direction of the Pastor, Rev. Father Edward E. Van Lowe. I hrough his untiring efforts he viewed the results of his labors when in Sep- tember, 1880, he saw St. Stephen’s Catholic School open her portals for the first time to the little ones of his generous Hock. I he school was erected at a cost of $7,000.00, but soon however it became necessary to build an addition to the present structure in order to accommodate four hundred more children. This school was under the guidance of Sisters of Providence from St. Mary’s of Terra Haute, Indiana, and these Sisters conducted a boarding school for vourig ladies known as the Academy of the Sacred Heart. It was the Nelson Roberts home at 809 Park street, that served as the convent and academy for the first few years until 1884, when the present bu ilding was erected. This is a brick veneer 72 ft. by 40 ft. and still serves as a home for the present teachers. Since 1896, the school has been in charge of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary from Monroe. They came to replace the nuns of the Order of Providence, since it was against their rules to teach boys. In August, 1891, Rev. Father Edward E. Van Lowe, after seeing his labors crowned, was taken by death and was immediately succeeded by Rev. J.P. McManus. Steadily the school grew and in the columns of our annual under the heading of Alumni, we will trace the fortune of the many graduates who have passed through her venerable portals. Page Six

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The Portal Library was readily answered by the Parishioners of Old St. Stephen s and the list of room and other gift donors are as follows: First Grade --------- - Joseph Honan Second Grade - - - - - - D. W. Bonnah, of Detroit Third Grade ------- Mr. and Mrs. John W. Fead Fourth Grade - -- - John Hayes Fifth Grade - -- -- - - Mary Reilly Sixth Grade ------- Mr. Finn (In memory of) Seventh Grade - - - - - - - - - - P. H. Mahar E ighth Grade -------- - Margaret Sharpe Ninth Grade ( 203 ) ------- Andrew J. Murphy Ninth Grade ( 207 ) ------ Memory of Thos. Walsh Tenth Grade - -- -- -- - Rev. E. J. McCormick Eleventh Grade ------ Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Wilson Chemical Library Page Eight