The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia is a Catholic high school for boys in Philadelphia. It was founded by Thomas E. Cahill in 1890 as the first Catholic high school in the nation. The school is located at the intersection of Broad and Vine Streets in Center City Philadelphia, and is managed by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
History
Roman Catholic High School was founded with funding provided by the estate of Thomas E. Cahill, a 19th-century Philadelphia merchant. Cahill had envisioned the need to create a school that offered a free Catholic education for boys past their grammar school years. Cahill died before seeing that vision come to life. However, those wishes were followed and guided by a written will and his wife, Sophia Cahill. Roman Catholic opened its doors in 1890 and offered free education to boys. Due to increased staff and facilities costs, free admission to the school ended in the 1960s.
Founder
Thomas E. Cahill, born May 27, 1828, was the son of Thomas Cahill, a native of County Louth in Ireland, colloquially known as 'the Wee County' who came to America in 1817, and of Maria Elliott, daughter of one of the oldest colonial families of Delaware. His father was a railroad contractor who suffered heavy reverses in his business. His mother died at the age of 36. Thomas left school to do his share towards the support of a large family. At 17, he opened a small store in Philadelphia, located between Pine and Spruce Streets on 26th at a wharf on the Schuylkill River.
Successful from the start, he embarked in the wood, coal, and ice business with the proceeds of his first venture. He later organized the Cold Spring Ice and Coal Company. In 1854 he became the first president. In 1869 he effected a consolidation of the large ice firms of the city, incorporated under the name of the famous brand Knickerbocker Ice Company.
19th century
Roman Catholic High School was dedicated on September 6, 1890, in a ceremony conducted by Archbishop Ryan of Philadelphia. His dedication speech compared education in public schools, lacking the Christian recognition of the soul and the importance to teach that subject at this new catholic high school in the education of young men. A class numbering 105 boys were selected for entrance into the new high school. Later only 26 students survived economic hardships and became members of the first graduating class in 1894. Compared to the number who began as first-year students, the percentage of graduates was a little less than 25%. In 1928, one-half of those started received diplomas. During the 95 years of its opening, 16,228 students graduated from Roman Catholic High.
20th century
In 1985, the Archdiocese slated the school for closing due to lowering enrollment. However, the school's alumni association, with the blessing of Philadelphia's John Cardinal Krol, embarked on a campaign to save the school. Roman's Alumni Association, which had existed for over 70 years, came together to raise funds and increase enrollment. The rector of the school even applied to have the building itself kept as a historic landmark, which was accepted. The significance of the historic landmark designation means the building on the corner of Broad and Vine Streets can never legally be torn down. Also, its exterior must always stay the same — though it does not have to remain a school.
Prior to 1986, students who attended Roman were from "feeder parishes"; Roman served as the school for the boys from the Center City, Chinatown, East Falls, Fairmount, Manayunk, North Philadelphia, and Roxborough regions of Philadelphia.
Roman enrolls boys from almost every Philadelphia neighborhood, including The Near and Far Northeast, West Philadelphia, Fishtown, Port Richmond, Mayfair, South Philly, Fox Chase, Roxborough, South Jersey, and outlying suburbs.
Roman Catholic High School was built to hold about 750 to 800 students. Because of high demand, the school is above capacity with approximately 1,100 students. The school holds an entrance test to select its students every October, November, and December. Of the 600 or 700 students that apply, roughly 300 to 350 are accepted. Students who do well on these tests also may receive scholarships ranging from a few hundred dollars to as much as $4000 a year. Usually, about 40 students receive scholarships.