THE DETROIT CATHOLIC SCHOOL HERITAGE PROJECT

THE BREAKFAST CLUB, CATHOLIC CENTRAL STYLE-1960s "JUG"

Before there was the Breakfast Club, Detroit Catholic Central had JUG (Justice Under God).  JUG was a three hour "sentence" of manual labor handed down for various student transgressions at CC.  One unexcused absence, three late slips, not wearing a "spirit" shirt on assembly days, a smart (not to be confused with intelligent) remark in class, etc., could result in a JUG.  JUG sessions were always held early Saturday morning. 

Sometimes, back in the 60s and 70s, teachers took justice into their own hands.  Several homeroom teachers had weapons (hockey stick, sawed-off baseball bat, rubber hose to name but a few) to mete out hometown justice when necessary.

I understand that currently CC has something called "detention", which does not involve manual labor or corporal punishment.  It might be described as an enforced study hall.  Deprivation of internet or smartphone access was once tried, I am told, but such extreme pyschological torture was soon abandoned as possibly violative of the Geneva Convention.

So, the raking of leaves, supervised by a Basilian priest in full cassock and fedora, ala the 1963 photo above, is indeed a thing of the past.

DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL BOXING TEAM-THEY DON'T DO IT LIKE THIS ANYMORE

One of my favorite Detroit Catholic Central pictures.  Certainly from a by-gone era.  I don't know if there is currently a high school in Michigan that sponsors a boxing team.  From the logo on the trunks of a couple of the boys, it looks like the Detroit Catholic Youth Organization ran the competitions at the time.  Vic Michaels, the Director of the Detroit Catholic High School League confirms the CYO sponsorship, but cannot find records indicating the dates boxing was a CYO sport.  Vic indicates that Emanual Steward, the legendary Detroit boxer and manager, who died earlier this year, credited the Catholic Youth Organization for getting him started in boxing.

This picture does seem to be 40s-50s vintage, a time when priests at CC coached many of the athletic teams.  On the left is Fr. Gerard French, CSB, a CC legend.

I will continue to hunt for the picture of CC alum, John Ward '59, in his Gold Gloves winning stance.  John Ward later on became Fr. John Ward CSB, a long time teacher and track coach at CC. 

CATHOLIC CENTRAL BAND AND CHEERLEADERS-FOOTBALL IN THE SNOW AT BRIGGS STADIUM 1939

One of my favorite CC photos.  Taken during the 1939 football season, it looks like like a production still from a movie like  "Andy Hardy Finds the End Zone".

Taken at Briggs Stadium, which later became Tiger Stadium, and even later became an empty lot, it is not clear what game was being played in the snow that day.  Catholic Central won the Catholic League football championship in 1939, but I don't know if the game was played at Briggs.  The Detroit City Championship game that year was played between Catholic Central and U of D Jesuit High School, with U of D the victor. 

How Catholic Central won the Catholic League City Championship and then later had to play a Catholic school for the City Championship in the Goodfellow game is one of those mysteries I haven't yet solved.  Where was the Detroit Public School League champion?

 A terrific football picture even without football players.

Anyway, a great Swing Era picture no matter who won.  "All reet, you hep cats.  Jump in the groove and go!"

 

HISTORY'S MYSTERIES 1-BORIS KARLOFF COMES TO CATHOLIC CENTRAL

I recently received a group of photos from the archive room at my high school alma mater, Detroit Catholic Central.  Lots of great stuff, some of which I will be posting to this site in the near future.  One of the most interesting was the photo shown above.  Name of the digital photo file:  merely-"Karloff".

It looks to be 1940s vintage, when Catholic Central was located on Belmont Avenue off of Woodward Avenue, in what is now the Boston-Edison Historic District and next to Detroit's Blessed Sacrament Cathedral .

While CC had a thriving dramatics program at the time, exactly when and why Boris Karloff came to the school is a mystery.  And, unfortunately, a mystery with a trail that has grown rather cold in the approximatelyy 65-70 intervening years.

But the call has gone out and a few amateur Shamrock detectives may yet find the answer.

The Karloff mystery is a minor example of some of the issues confronting those interested in historic preservation of any kind.  Here, there is a photograph, and it hasn't been buried in some attic, deteriorated, or destroyed.  But the identity of the boys, and the context and explanation of the event may never be recovered.

It is important to preserve our heritage, with archival photos and documents, but also with the recorded memories of those who made our history.

So, while we watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas and listen to the Boris Karloff narration, some of us can try to remember when and why he paid a visit to a Detroit Catholic boy's high school during the age of radio.

2012 BISHOP GALLAGHER AWARDS DINNER PHOTO ALBUM ON-LINE

An album of 189 pictures from the November 8, 2012 Bishop Michael J. Gallagher Society Awards Dinner at Bloomfield Academy of the Sacred Heart is now on-line and can be found here.

The event began with a concelebrated Mass in the school chapel, followed by dinner and awards program.  There were three new inductees into the Order of St. Bede, in recognition of contributions to Catholic education and the preservation of its heritage.  In addition, three closed Catholic schools (Redford Our Lady of Loretto, Detroit St. Casimir and Harper Woods Notre Dame) were added to the Society's "Honor Roll".

A more detailed account of the event will appear on this site soon.

Fr. Socorro Fernandes, Fr. George Charnley, and Fr. Alberto Bondy concelebrate.

 
The evening's first keynote speaker, Mike Duggan (Detroit CC).  Mr. Duggan is CEO of the Detroit Medical Center.  Earlier in the day on November 8, he announced that he is stepping down from that position at the end of the year to further consider running for Mayor of Detroit.

US District Judge Gershwin Drain (Detroit St. Gregory) speaks of his "Attitude of Gratitude" to St. Gregory High School for the opportunities his education there provided for him in college and professional life.

Order of St. Bede inductee Sr. Joan Chanley IHM with Vic Michaels, Director of the Detroit Catholic High School League.

The Bishop Michael J. Gallagher Society is dedicated to preservation of Detroit area Catholic school heritage and the support of current Catholic schools.  Its website is www.bishopgallagher.org .

DETROIT GOODFELLOWS

 

Though not really a Detroit Catholic education topic, references on this site have been made to Detroit's Goodfellow football game.  With the Christmas season upon us, it is good to remind ourselves of a great Detroit tradition.

In February of 1996, the Detroit News, as part of it Michigan History series ran an article on the origins of the Goodfellows, whose motto, since its founding in 1914, has been "No kiddie without a Christmas".

The article itself is fascinating, and a real tribute to the great work of this organization at this time of year.  The News also has a gallery of old photos showing the work of the Goodfellows over the years.  Here are a few:

 

A quote from the story gives the background of the organization, as well as the cartoons, "Forgotten" that appears at the top of this piece, and "The Boy He Used To Be", below. 

More than half a century ago a Detroit cartoonist sat down at his drawing board intending to "spoil Christmas for every man and woman in Detroit who had remembered only themselves."

      The artist was Thomas May. Whether his 1906 drawing of a little girl sobbing in a grimly furnished garret accomplished its purpose is not recorded.

      But since 1923, the cartoon had been the official emblem of the Old Newsboys' Goodfellow Fund. The Old Newsboys take to the streets again this season to carry on their message: "No Child Without a Christmas."

      May's cartoon, simply titled Forgotten, was drawn for the old Detroit Journal. It's now in Detroit's Historical Museum, along with another similar message drawn eight years later.

      The second cartoon, drawn by Burt Thomas in 1914 for The Detroit News, actually led to the organization of the Old Newsboys.

      Thomas' cartoon portrays an affluent business man in an expensive derby and fur-collared coat taking Christmas packages to the poor. He is walking hand-in-hand with the spirit of an ill-clothed newsboy.

      Thomas labeled the youth "The Boy He Used To Be."

Support the Goodfellows and buy a newspaper from one of the Old Newsboys this holiday season.   Help with their work and help to keep a unique part of Detroit history alive.

And speaking of Detoroit Heritage Lost, does anyone remember the Detroit Journal newspaper?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE BG SOCIETY

Given today's weather, this photo seems a little bit too early, but here is the Presentation Chapel of the Felician Sisters'  Livonia Mother House in Livonia, built in 1936, tastefully decked out at holiday time. 

The Mother House is part of the Felician "campus" that includes Ladywood High School, Madonna University, St. Mary Mercy Hospital, Angela Hospice and several other institutions sponsored by the Felician Sisters.

The Felicians have a long history of service to Catholic education in the Detroit area and the picture below is taken from a 1910 memorial booklet of Catholic institutions in the then Diocese of Detroit.  The picture shows the Felician Mother House, which was at that time located in the City of Detroit.  A history of the Felicians in Michigan can be found here.

Have a happy Holiday.

DETROIT ST. JOSEPH HIGH SCHOOL

St. Joseph parish in Detroit was founded in 1865, as a German parish.  It was a daughter parish of St. Mary’s in today’s Greektown neighborhood.  The present church building was dedicated in 1873 and still stands at 1828 Jay Street in Detroit. 

We have this history of St. Joseph High School from Brother Pat McNally, a St. Joseph alum, currently teaching at Warren DeLaSalle:

"St Joe's opened in the mid-1880's, as a Commercial School, all-boys.  We have no records that a grade school was ever involved.  Just prior to the war years, the Sisters of Mercy opened a two-yeargirls' school, specializing in typing, shorthand, etc.--some alumnae are still alive, and quietly active in the Association.   When the war ended (1945?) St. Joe's Christian Brothers took over the girls' facilities, and St. Joe's became, once again, an all-boys' school, until its closing in 1964  (due to major repairs required by the State for fire inspection). Approximately 60 St. Joe's students transferred to De La Salle for the 1964-65 school year), and finished their education, earning a De La Salle diploma. Several others transferred to St. Anthony's or St. Catherine's.

The St. Joe's Dads' Club continues to exist, conducting a monthly raffle, with proceeds going to charitable groups, including tuition-assistance at De La Salle Collegiate, and Regina High School.  The St. Joe's Alumni Acssociation meets three times a year at De La Salle; the SJ alumni members are on the DLS mailing list, are invited to all DLS Alumni events.  The SJ Alumni Association collects annual dues and donations, and makes a contribution to St. Joseph's Church, to the Retirement Fund of the De La Salle Christian Brothers (Lincroft, NJ), and makes a major annual donation to the DLS Tuition-Assistance Fund."

The school crest, I have to admit one of the best we have, was submitted last week and is now in the Bishop Gallagher Collage.  The Blue Jays, the school colors come, in part from this part of the school fight song:  "Here comes that big blue wave right down the field...".  They don't write like that any more.  (Thank goodness.  For reference see MSU fight song lyric-"Spartan Teams are bound to win, they're fighting with a vim.")

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN'S 1984 VISIT TO REDFORD ST. AGATHA HIGH SCHOOL

Redford St. Agatha parish was founded in 1948, on Beech Road just north of Grand River.  A grade school and high school opened shortly thereafter.  I really can't recall hearing of many parishes, founded after World War II that supported both a grade school and high school.  Though the St. Agatha high school, grade school and parish closed in the early 2000's, the school alumni maintain an active association and website. 

I have been supplied with some of the St. Agatha elementary school yearbooks, and I am slowly scanning them.  The 1991 yearbook can be found on the sidebar of this site, or by clicking this link.

On October 10, 1984, St. Agatha High School enjoyed the unique honor of hosting a visit from President Ronald Reagan.  To show you how fast we can forget, and/or be totally unaware of history being made in our backyard, I had no recollection of this visit at all.  This even though I was raised at Our Lady of Loretto just about a mile away, and my parents still lived in at Six Mile and Beech Road when the visit occurred. 

Fortunately, the BG site has been supplied with photos of the event for this piece, showing the President accepting an Aggie jersey, addressing the student body and saying the Pledge of Allegiance (which looks like a Norman Rockwell painting):

A Redford Observer article recalling the visit was written on the occasion of President Reagan's death in 2004 and can be found here.

An amazing piece of Detroit Catholic School heritage, destined to be lost if not for the efforts of dedicated alumni.  Go Aggies.

 

JUDGE GERSHWIN DRAIN ON HIS CATHOLIC EDUCATION

 

Judge Gershwin Drain, a graduate of Detroit St. Gregory High School, was recently sworn in as a US District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan.  Judge Drain had previously served as a Wayne County Circuit Court Judge, since 1997, and prior to that as a judge in 36th District Court.

The Bishop Michael J. Gallagher Society is pleased that Judge Drain has agreed to be one of the keynote speakers at this year's Awards Dinner to be held on November 8, at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield.  Registration information can be found here.

Judge Drain talked about his Catholic education at Detroit St. Gregory High School in a recent article which appeared in the Detroit Legal News.

“The city of my childhood had a lot of small Catholic schools,” Drain says. “Students like myself, because the schools were so small, had opportunities we might not have had at a large public school. I’m not a great athlete, but I did real well in the small environment of St. Gregory. We were Class C and that meant you could play all the sports … football, basketball, track. That led to additional opportunities. For example, I was able to get a football scholarship to Western Michigan University. That scholarship might not have come if I hadn’t been able to stand out in the smaller environment.”

He also found himself thrust into leadership roles in a school where everybody knew everybody.

“I was also president of my senior class. In a different environment with a bigger class, that might not have happened either.”

The citizens of Michigan are lucky to have Judge Drain on the Federal Bench.  And the Bisop Gallagher Society looks forward to his appearance on November 8.

Judge Drain's 1966 St. Gregory graduation composite is shown below.  My cousin John Butler appears in the 4th row.