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McQuaid Jesuit, named for the first Catholic bishop of Rochester, the Most Reverend Bernard J. McQuaid, D.D., is a private, Jesuit college preparatory school for young men in grades 7 to 12. It is located at the southeast corner of Clinton Avenue and Elmwood Avenue in Brighton.
 
More than 100 years ago, McQuaid Jesuit was an idea and a hope in the heart and mind of then Rochester Bishop, the Most Rev. Bernard J. McQuaid. Fifty-four years ago that idea and hope became a reality when McQuaid Jesuit opened its doors to 129 young men who exemplified the Jesuit ideal of leaders in service both personally and professionally. Since that time, more than 8,000 alumni have graduated from McQuaid Jesuit, and have distinguished themselves in areas of law, medicine, engineering, computer technology, writing, religious life, the military, and the arts. You need go no further than Rochester to discover more than 3,000 alumni with careers in every one of these areas.
McQuaid Jesuit has been readying young men for productive, rewarding lives for nearly half a century. McQuaid Jesuit does more than prepare students for further education; it develops a love of learning, enduring friendships, and an enthusiasm for life and the opportunities that lie ahead. While founded in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition, it welcomes young men of all faiths and backgrounds.
Ground was broken for the 32 acre campus on 23 June 1953, and the building was completed by September, 1955. The total cost exceeded two and one-half million dollars. While the new school was under construction, temporary quarters were found in the former St. Andrew’s Seminary building in Rochester. Here, the first class of McQuaid Jesuit (196 students) was admitted on 8 September 1954. That group of young men, together with the new first year class, started the school’s second year in the new complex on 7 September 1955.
As a Jesuit school, McQuaid Jesuit shares in a network of 48 Jesuit secondary schools in the United States and almost 4,000 educational institutions sponsored by the Jesuits throughout the world. In the Jesuit tradition, there is no life without learning, no learning without love, and no love without God. Everything at McQuaid Jesuit is based on this belief. McQuaid Jesuit students are invited – indeed challenged – to become “Men for Others,” dedicated to serving God and humanity and guided by a profound sense of justice.
McQuaid Jesuit's reputation for excellence is a tribute to its faculty and its focus on academics, complemented by athletics, the arts, and community service. Financial aid for qualified students in grades 7-12 makes a McQuaid Jesuit education available to many young men, regardless of a family's ability to pay.
McQuaid Jesuit is accredited by The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the Jesuit Secondary Educational Associations (JSEA), and the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA).
As the school enters its 54th anniversary year, the McQuaid of yesteryear, while the same in its core values and mission, is also dramatically different. Our total enrollment is 869 students.
A little more than two years ago, McQuaid Jesuit quietly launched the second phase of its "Prepare to Soar" Capital Campaign. Phase II is the result of the school's current strategic plan, which was updated in 2001. In 1997, the board of trustees developed a strategic plan, which addressed the long-term visibility of the school. That plan served as a basis for the first phase of the school's capital campaign, which called for the construction of a fine arts annex to be completed by 2001. Called "Prepare to Soar" Phase I, this capital campaign also embraced other strategic needs from technology, to athletics, to increased annual giving and endowment growth. The campaign raised more than $10 million.
Phase II, which is now in full swing, contains several elements, three of which have been completed: the renovation of the school's gymnasium in the summer of 2002, and the renovation of the chapel and outside stadium bleachers in the fall of 2004. Other elements of the campaign include the construction of a field house, renovation and expansion of the locker rooms, showers, and team rooms, the establishment of an endowment for faculty development, and continued growth of the annual fund and endowment. The campaign goal of Phase II is $9.25 million.
In July 2003, James E. Whelehan was named president of McQuaid Jesuit, the first layperson to assume the position in the school's history. Mr. Whelehan, who served as the school's vice president of advancement from September 1998 - June 2003, continues to sustain the tradition of Ignatian preparation for our young men.
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