Loyola Blakefield

Loyola Blakefield is a private Catholic, college preparatory school run by the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus in Towson, Maryland and within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. It was established in 1852 by the Jesuits as an all-boys school for students from Baltimore, Baltimore County, Harford County, Carroll County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, and Southern Pennsylvania. It enrolls over 900 students in grades six through twelve. The school was originally called Loyola High School when it was established in 1852. The name change occurred when it added a middle school.

Loyola Blakefield
Location
500 Chestnut Avenue Towson
,
Baltimore County
,
Maryland

United States
Coordinates39°24′13″N 76°37′36″W
Information
Former nameLoyola High School (1852-)
TypePrivate Roman Catholic Non-profit All-boys Secondary education institution
MottoLatin: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam[1]
English: For the Greater Glory of God
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic (Jesuit)
Established1852 (1852)
FounderRev. John Early, S.J.
CEEB code211030
PresidentAnthony I. Day
ChairmanBrian P. Hartman
DeanBob Schlichtig
Director
List
  • Chantal Cross
    (Director of Human Resources and Auxiliary Services)
  • Stephen Morrill
    (Director of Technology)
  • Brendan O'Kane
    (Director of Ignatian Mission and Identity)
  • Robert Robinson
    (Director of Marketing and Communications)
  • Adam Trice
    (Director of Development)
  • Beth Ann Szczepaniak
    (Director of Ignatian Service and Justice)
  • Bernard Bowers
    (Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion)
PrincipalBrian Maraña
ChaplainRev. Bruce Steggert, SJ
Faculty150
Grades6–12
GenderMale
Enrollment1,000
Average class size18
Campus size60 acres (240,000 m2)
Campus typeSuburban
Color(s) Blue  and  Gold 
Slogan"Roll, Dons, Roll"
SongLoyola Alma Mater
Fight song"Come On You Dons to the Fight"
Athletics conferenceMIAA
Sports17 varsity teams in the MIAA
List
  • baseball
  • basketball
  • volleyball
  • football
  • soccer
  • cross-country
  • golf
  • ice-hockey
  • Lacrosse
  • rugby
  • squash
  • swimming
  • tennis
  • indoor track
  • track & field
  • water polo
  • wrestling
MascotLoyola Dons
NicknameDon
Team nameDons
RivalCalvert Hall
AccreditationAIMS
PublicationThe Blakefield Magazine
NewspaperThe Loyolan
YearbookThe Loyola
Endowment$25,000,000
School fees$725
Tuition$21,100
AffiliationArchdiocese of Baltimore
JSEA
Websiteloyolablakefield.org

History

Irish-American Archbishop Francis Kenrick asked the Jesuits to oversee the formation of a school for laymen that would incorporate the Jesuit standards of excellence and build new men conscious of a religious purpose. His request was prompted by the 1852 closure of nearby St. Mary's College. Construction of Loyola High School began on Holliday Street in Baltimore, Maryland, in early 1852, and on September 15, 1852, the school enrolled its first students. Irish-American Rev. John Early, S.J. and eight other Jesuits are credited with the founding of the Loyola.[2][3] Loyola operated as a component of Loyola University Maryland until its separation in 1921.[2]

In the early 1930s the growing and cramped high school began to look toward moving north of the city. In 1933, with the support of the Blake family, Loyola purchased the land known today as Blakefield in Towson, Maryland.[2] In 1941, the downtown campus officially closed.[2] Between 1981 and 1988, a Middle School was gradually introduced, and in recognition of the two levels of education, Loyola High School officially became known as Loyola Blakefield. Kenneth Montague became the first African-American student at Loyola in 1956.[4]

Physical improvements in recent years have included the construction of Knott Hall which houses the student commons and dining hall, athletic center, and alumni areas, Burk Hall academic wing, renovations to the 60-year-old science laboratories, construction of St. Ignatius Hall, and construction of an additional section to Wheeler Hall.[2]

Loyola Blakefield has a tradition of honoring alumni from 50 years earlier at its graduation ceremony. "Bring back the men from 50 years before to see a new generation graduate," writes James Maliszewski, whose grandfather died a year before they could have attended together as 1937 and 1987 graduates.[5]

Athletics

Loyola Blakefield competes in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) for all interscholastic sports. In addition to the MIAA, the basketball team is also a member of the Baltimore Catholic League.

Football

The football program won seven conference championships.[6] The Loyola Blakefield football team plays every Thanksgiving Day in one of the oldest continual national Catholic high school football rivalries, against cross-town rival Calvert Hall College. The game, known as the Turkey Bowl, is held at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore and broadcast on television and radio by WMAR-TV.

Lacrosse

The Loyola lacrosse program is among its most successful. It has won a total of 14 championships, including 8 in the 1980s and victories in 2001, 2007, 2008, and 2013.[7] In 2007, they defeated Boys' Latin 10–6 in the MIAA championship game. In 2008, they defeated previously undefeated Gilman 12–11 in the championship game at Towson University's Johnny Unitas Stadium before over 8,000 spectators.[8] Loyola has produced numerous players who have continued on to play collegiate lacrosse, including National Lacrosse Hall of Famer John Stewart.[9][10]

Baseball

Loyola's baseball team won the MIAA "A" Conference title in 2017, its first in 71 years.[11] It has produced Major League baseball players including current Baltimore Oriole, Bruce Zimmermann[12] and Tim Nordbrook.[13]

Swimming

Loyola's swimming and diving team has also achieved success, having recorded a record run of 20 Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association state titles in 21 years and six National Catholic Swimming Championships crowns, whilst consistently being ranked within the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association national Top-25 Poll for best high school swimming teams.[14]

Soccer

The soccer program won the Maryland Championship in 2001, 2012, and 2014 and has produced Division I talent. Coach Lee Tschantret, a former longtime player in the Major Indoor Soccer League, won several championships with the Baltimore Blast.[15] The program has produced several professional players including Akira Fitzgerald, Grant Robinson, and Avionne Flanagan.[16]

Basketball

The Loyola basketball program reached regional prominence in the 1970s when it was led by head coach Jerry Savage, who won over 600 games from 1969 to 2003. He produced several Division I players. Savage also coached the 1997 MIAA Championship team, the last championship of any sort for the Dons basketball program. Loyola has been in the most Baltimore Catholic League finals with 13 total and 6 championships. More recently, the program had several disappointing seasons and experienced a four-year period with four different head coaches. Since then Josh Davalli, an All-Metro player at Cardinal Gibbons in the mid-1990s, served as varsity head coach while also teaching in the Middle School.

Cross-country

The Loyola cross-country program has had much success, being the first and only team in the MIAA to complete the "three-peat", then continuing to win six consecutive individual and team titles at the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association championship meet. Under the coaching of Jose Albornoz and Chris Cucuzzella, the Dons have won 17 MIAA/MSA championships to bring the program's total championships to 18 (1983,1989,1991,1997–98, 2000, 2003, 2005–06, 2009–14, 2017–18, and 2021) since its inception.[17]

Rugby

The Loyola Dons have won the Rugby MIAA Championship a total of nine times: 2008–2010, 2013, 2015–2016, 2018, and 2021–2022.[18][19][20] The rugby program has been ranked among the top 50 high schools in the nation.[21][22]

Notable alumni

Journalism and entertainment

Catholicism

Athletes and athletics

Notable Maryland alumni

Science and technology

Accolades

Loyola was voted Best Private School in the Baltimore Sun's 2022 Readers’ Choice Contest.[25] It is also ranked the number one Catholic High School in the Baltimore Area according to the 2022 Niche rankings.[26] Once again in 2023 Loyola was voted Best Private High School in The Baltimore Sun's Best 2023 Readers' Choice Contest.[27] Loyola was named the 2023 Best Independent School for Boys by Baltimore's Child Magazine.[28][29]

See also

References
  1. "President's Message - Loyola Blakefield". Loyolablakefield.org. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  2. "History". Loyola Blakefield. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  3. "99 Years of Blood, Sweat, and Turkey". Staffordshire Realty. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  4. "At Loyola Blakefield in Maryland, Black alumni pave the way for future students". America The Jesuit Review. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  5. James Maliszewski (May 11, 2002). "May. 11th, 2002 journal entry". Archived from the original on July 9, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  6. "TEAM DETAIL". Loyola Blakefield. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  7. "TEAM DETAIL". Loyola Blakefield. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  8. "Loyola tops Gilman for 'A' title". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  9. "Lacrosse". Loyola Blakefield. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  10. "'The quintessential Don': Longtime Blakefield dean transitions to new role". archbalt. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  11. "Baseball". Loyola Blakefield. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  12. "'Just fantastic': After missing debut, Bruce Zimmermann's family soaks in Maryland native's first major league win". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  13. "From Baltimore's sandlots, former Oriole Nordbrook has come full circle".
  14. "Home - Loyola Blakefield".
  15. "Lee Tschantret Named to Baltimore Blast Hall of Fame". Loyola Blakefield. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  16. "SOCCER". Loyola Blakefield. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  17. "Loyola Blakefield | Team Detail". www.loyolablakefield.org. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  18. "Past MIAA Varsity Rugby Champions". Miaasports.net. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  19. "LOYOLA BLAKEFIELD RUGBY". MIAA Sports. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  20. "TEAM DETAIL". Loyola Blakefield. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  21. "Boys 2021 School HS Rankings Week 12". Goff Rugby Report. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  22. "Boys School HS Rugby Rankings Week 13". Goff Rugby Report. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  23. "Here's the truth: The new American TV villain is the liar". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  24. "Edward H. Burke". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. 2003-03-11. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  25. "Baltimore Sun's Best: Readers' Choice 2022 activities & arts". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  26. "2022 Best Catholic High Schools in the Baltimore Area". Niche. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  27. "Loyola Blakefield Named Baltimore's Best Private School". Loyola Blakefield. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  28. "Baltimore's Child Readers' Choice 2023". Baltimore's Child. Baltimore's Child Magazine. July 2023. p. 23. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  29. "Loyola Blakefield Named Best Independent School for Boys by Baltimore's Child Magazine". Loyola Blakefield. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
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