Fordham Preparatory School

Fordham Preparatory School (commonly known as Fordham Prep) is an American, independent, Jesuit, boys' college-preparatory school located on the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University in the Bronx, a borough of New York City. From its founding in 1841 until 1970, the school was under the direction of the university. In 1970, it separated from the university, establishing itself as an independent preparatory school with its own administration, endowment, and Board of Trustees.

History

Fordham Preparatory School was established in 1841 by bishop John Hughes, later Archbishop of New York, as the Second Division of St. John's College, on the Feast of St. John the Baptist. In 1846, the Society of Jesus was chosen to preside over the institution. The Second Division's curriculum consisted of four years of study in Latin, Greek, grammar, literature, history, geography, mathematics, and religion, followed by three years of study in the First Division (equivalent to present-day Fordham University). The degree of Artium Baccalaureus was awarded for completion of both curricula. The Second Division was a boarding school from its founding until 1920 when it ceased boarding operations and assumed its present form as a day school. St. John's College was re-chartered under its current name of Fordham University in 1907, and the school officially became known as Fordham Preparatory School in 1937, having been unofficially known as "Fordham Prep" for some years prior. In 1970, Fordham Preparatory School formally separated from the university, establishing itself as an independent preparatory school with its own administration, endowment, and Board of Trustees.

Fordham Preparatory School was originally housed in a wing of the Fordham University Administration Building, since been demolished. In 1890, the school was relocated to the recently constructed Hughes Hall, originally called Second Division Hall or Junior Hall. Hughes Hall now houses the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business. After formally separating with the university, the Prep moved to then-new Shea Hall in 1972, erected on what were once fields at the northwestern corner of the campus. Rising construction costs, coupled with the recent separation from the university, brought the Prep into poor financial standing by the early 1970s. Generous donations by alumni, including those of aerosol-valve inventor and 1939 alumnus Robert Abplanalp, and a series of benefit concerts given by entertainers such as Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, were instrumental in funding the expansion to Shea Hall. By the end of the decade, however, the school still remained burdened by the immensity of its debt, which was subsequently reduced after the failure of its mortgage-holder, Franklin National Bank, and a compromise bartered by 1929 alumnus and former Governor of New York Malcolm Wilson. A second building, Maloney Hall which comprises the Hall of Honor and the Leonard Theater, was completed in 1991 to form the present iteration of the Prep grounds.

Academics

Fordham Preparatory School instructs students in a classical liberal arts curriculum, in the disciplines of classical languages, English, history, mathematics, modern languages, science, theology, and fine arts. Students are given the option to study Latin or Ancient Greek freshman year, after which they may also begin studying French, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, or Spanish. Most subjects typically require four years of study.

There are twenty-four Advanced Placement courses offered, in addition to a variety of advanced courses in other disciplines. Certain students are also invited to take courses at Fordham University.

The Leonard Theatre

Constructed in 1991 as part of the Maloney Hall addition, The Leonard Theatre is a one-thousand-seat performing arts venue. In addition to hosting Fordham Prep Dramatic Society productions and other performances and assemblies, the theatre has hosted the MSNBC news program Hardball with Chris Matthews twice, and Irish tenor Ronan Tynan in concert.

Administration

Presidents

(Since the creation of the position in 1975.)

• Rev. Eugene O'Brien, SJ (1975–1980)
• Rev. Edward Maloney, SJ (1980–1996)
• Rev. Joseph Parkes, SJ (1996–2004)
• Rev. Kenneth Boller, SJ (2004–2013)
• Rev. Christopher J. Devron, SJ (2013–2022)
• Mr. Brian Carney (Interim President, 2022–2023)
• Mr. Anthony Day (2023– )

Headmasters/Principals

(Since separation from the university in 1970.)

The title changed from headmaster to principal in 1999.

• Rev. Eugene O'Brien, SJ (1960–1975)
• Dr. Bernard Bouillette, PhD (1975–1982)
• Dr. Cornelius F. McCarthy, PhD '53 (1982–1994)
• Mr. Robert Gomprecht '65 (1994–2015)
• Mr. Brian Carney (Interim Principal, 2015–2016)
• Dr. Joseph Petriello, PhD '98 (2016– )

Athletics

The school has teams that participate in eighteen different sports, with forty teams altogether. The athletic facilities include Fordham Prep's playing fields and running track, the university's adjacent fields and tennis courts, and some other facilities, such as the boathouse located in nearby New Rochelle.

Autumn

• Baseball (autumn varsity)
• Bowling (varsity)
• Crew (freshmen, lightweight, junior varsity, varsity)
• Cross country (freshmen, varsity)
• Football (freshmen, junior varsity, varsity)
• Swimming and diving (freshmen only)

Winter

• Basketball (freshmen, junior varsity, varsity)
• Ice hockey (junior varsity, varsity)
• Squash (varsity)
• Swimming and diving (varsity only)
• Indoor track and field (freshmen, junior varsity, varsity)
• Wrestling (junior varsity, varsity)

Spring

• Baseball (freshmen, junior varsity, varsity)
• Crew (freshmen, lightweight, junior varsity, varsity)
• Golf (varsity)
• Lacrosse (junior varsity, varsity)
• Rugby (junior varsity, varsity)
• Tennis (junior varsity, varsity)
• Track and field (freshmen, junior varsity, varsity)
• Volleyball (varsity)

Notable alumni

• Robert Abplanalp (1939) – inventor of the aerosol valve; founder of the Precision Valve Corporation
• Joseph Bastianich (1985) – winemaker; restaurateur; judge on the television series MasterChef
• Emil Bavasi (1932) – baseball executive
• Martin Beck (1918) – former professional football player
• Esteban Bellan (1868) – first Latin American professional baseball player
• Thomas V. Bermingham, S.J. (1936) – scholar, professor at Georgetown University, actor
• Loring M. Black (1903) – lawyer and United States Congressman
• Matthew W. Brennan (1915) – former professional football player
• John M. Cunningham (1914) – lawyer and politician
• Leonard Curreri (1979) – actor and musician
• Arthur Daley (1922) – The New York Times sports columnist; Pulitzer Prize winner for journalism
• Rev. Patrick F. Dealy, SJ (1846) – 11th President of Fordham University, 1882–1885
• Ralph DeNunzio (1949) - Former chairman, New York Stock Exchange; Kidder, Peabody & Company
• Carmine DeSapio (1927) – Secretary of State of New York 1955–1959; Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall 1954–1961
• Joseph J. DioGuardi (1958) – U.S. Congressman
• Jorge I. Domínguez (1963) – scholar and professor, Harvard University
• Richard Foerster (1967) – poet
• Pete Fornatale (1963) – disk jockey; music historian
• Fred Frick (1934) – son of Major League Baseball commissioner Ford C. Frick
• Frankie Frisch (1916) – Major League Baseball Hall of Famer; known as "The Fordham Flash"
• Mario Gabelli (1961) – CEO and founder of Gabelli Asset Management Company
• Edward J. Glennon (1901) – Bronx County District Attorney and New York State Supreme Court Judge
• Anthony Guida (1959) – television and radio personality
• J. Hunter Guthrie (1917) – Jesuit philosopher; president of Georgetown University
• Robert Hackett (1977) – silver medalist in Swimming at the 1976 Summer Olympics
• John J. Halligan, SJ (1947) – humanitarian, founder of the Working Boy Center in Quito
• John Halligan (1959) – New York Rangers public relations director; NHL executive
• Desmond Harrington (1994) – actor
• Kenneth Hoffman (1961) – former president, Hart Schaffner Marx
• Myles Hogan (2022) – Nike Outdoor Nationals High School 2 Mile National Champion
• John Holland (2006) (born 1988), American-Puerto Rican basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League.
• George Jackson (1976) – movie producer, known for New Jack City, House Party 2, and A Thin Line Between Love and Hate
• James G. Kane (1944) – banking executive, Peoples Westchester Savings Bank
• Walter P. Kellenberg (1919) – Bishop of Rockville Center
• Walter Kinsella (1917) – actor
• Joseph E. Kinsley (1914) – lawyer and politician
• William Kuntz (1968) – United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
• John L. Lahey (1964) – president of Quinnipiac University
• John La Farge (1852) – artist; stained-glass innovator
• Thomas F. Leahy (1955) – former president of the CBS television network
• John Liscio (1967) – financial analyst and journalist
• John F. Loughran (1950) – senior officer of J.P. Morgan & Co. in Japan
• Walter A. Lynch (1911) – congressman from 22nd District of New York, 1940–1951; 1950 nominee for Governor of New York
• Gerald W. Lynch (1954) – former president of John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• Juan Tomas Macmanus (1867) – banker, Senator in Mexico from Chihuahua
• William P. Magee Jr. (1962) – surgeon; founder of Operation Smile non-profit
• Francis J. McCaffrey (1935) – lawyer and politician
• Theodore McCarrick (1948) - former Cardinal and Archbishop of Washington
• Horace McKenna, S.J. (1916) – founder of S.O.M.E. (So Others Might Eat); advocate of the Sursum Corda Cooperative
• Martin T. McMahon (1855) – Union Army officer, politician, and ambassador to Paraguay
• Ryan Meara (2008) – professional soccer player
• Larry Miggins (1943) – former professional baseball player
• John Purroy Mitchel (1894) – 95th Mayor of New York City
• Colman Mockler (1947) – CEO of the Gillette Company, 1975–1991
• Joseph H. Moglia (1967) – CEO of TD Ameritrade
• William J. Moore (1936) – attorney, Fordham University School of Law Dean of Admissions
• John J. Murphy (1925) – New York Yankees pitcher who appeared in eight World Series games
• SSgt. Robert C. Murray (1964) – Medal of Honor recipient
• John J. F. Mulcahy (1891) – Olympic medalist in rowing, politician
• Rafael Novoa (1985) – former professional baseball player
• Bill O'Donnell (1943) – sports announcer for the Baltimore Orioles
• Lester W. Patterson (1911) – lawyer, politician, and judge
• Louis A. Perrotta (1920) – surgeon, Metropolitan Opera house physician
• Frank J. Petrilli (1968) – former president and CEO of American Express Centurion Bank; former president and CEO of TD Waterhouse; former CEO of E-Trade
• Vincent Richards (1920) – Olympic medalist in tennis
• Norbert Sander (1960) – physician; runner who was the first male New Yorker to win the New York City Marathon in 1974; founder of the Fort Washington Avenue Armory Foundation

• Vin Scully (1944) – sports announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers; Ford C. Frick Award honoree; Radio Hall of Fame inductee
• Robert Gould Shaw (ex-1854, did not graduate) – commanding officer of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first all African-American regiment during the American Civil War; portrayed by Matthew Broderick in the 1989 movie Glory
• George Stirnweiss (1936) – professional baseball player for the New York Yankees; American League batting champion in 1945
• Andrew Velazquez (2012) – professional baseball player
• Donnie Walsh (1958) – president of basketball operations for the New York Knicks; former general manager for the Indiana Pacers
• Edward J. Walsh (1908) – lawyer and politician
• Malcolm Wilson (1929) – Lieutenant Governor of New York; Governor of New York
• Rev. Victor R. Yanitelli, SJ (1933) – former president of Saint Peter's University
• Cameron Young (2015) – professional golfer

Notable faculty

• Timothy Healy, S.J.; Faculty 1950s
• John Cardinal McCloskey; Rector of Fordham 1841–43
• Martin Joseph Neylon, S.J.; Faculty 1944–46
• William O'Malley, S.J.; Faculty 1986–2012
• Heiner Wilmer, S.C.J.; Faculty 1997–98

Notable trustees

See also

• List of Jesuit sites

References

External links

• Official website