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60 YEARS AND COUNTING...THE HISTORY OF NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL

The 2006 Notre Dame "Knights of Honor" - The Brothers of Holy Cross

Notre Dame High School of West Haven celebrated a significant milestone in its history during the 2006-07 academic year: the attainment of 60 years of Holy Cross education 'On the Hill' in West Haven. Notre Dame has a tradition that belies its relatively youthful status. This historical sketch first will outline the growth of the school's facilities and then discuss the human services dimension of the school.

1946 to Today

Founded in 1946, the Brothers of Holy Cross felt that a school in the Archdiocese of Hartford would be very desirable. The Reverend John Heller, pastor of St. Boniface Church, New Haven, was asked to find a suitable parcel of land for the new school. A wooded hill, rising above Campbell Avenue in West Haven, formerly known as the Leopold Braun Estate, was chosen.

Father Heller directed the purchase of a large brick building on the property known as Harugari Hall, which belonged to a German-American social club, at the cost of $1.00. The sale was made by Mary Braun on behalf of her husband, Leo Braun.

Leo and Mary Braun were hard-working people dedicated and devoted to the Catholic Church. This was the driving force behind their gift to Notre Dame. As a result of his honesty and devotion to business Leo Braun acquired considerable real estate and a legion of friends. He was ever ready to aid the cause of charity. In May of 1946, the Braun Family sold Harugari Hall, a former German-American social club, and eight acres of land to the Brothers of Holy Cross for $1. Harugari Hall became the original site of Notre Dame High School . This generous gift would be the building blocks of our fine institution.

Requiring significant renovation and aided by the labor of construction workers and the Brothers themselves, the renovated Harugari Hall building contained five large classrooms, which could be partitioned into smaller ones, a laboratory, a bowling alley, living quarters and a chapel. This building, which still stands, became home to the first Notre Dame class of one hundred students (the Class of 1950).

In February 1947, Brother John Baptist, C.S.C., Notre Dame's first principal, announced plans for expansion. Those plans called for a facility that would accommodate 750 students. Harugari Hall subsequently was used for living quarters and a chapel for faculty and administrative staff.

In 1955, the present gymnasium was added. In 1957, the east wing was constructed including 12 additional classrooms. At that time, Principal Brother Donatus Schmitz, C.S.C. purchased several parcels of land surrounding the school.

The 1960s, 1970s and 1980s: Responding to the Challenges of the Times

The next addition to the school came in 1965 with the occasion of the dedication of the west wing. This area included a bandroom, storage area and athletic locker rooms. By the mid-1970s, it became apparent that the library needed to be modernized. Completed in 1977, the renovated library facility was dedicated by Brother Renatus Foldenauer, C.SC. provincial of the Eastern Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Under the direction of Brother George Schmitz, C.S.C. '65, who was principal, the second floor was reconstructed into a modern science facility in 1982. All science classrooms and labs were relocated to this area in order to provide additional space for classes, prep rooms and offices. This was made possible in part through the generous gift of Luca Celentano, MD, a prominent New Haven physician and contributions made by local businesses, parents, alumni and friends of the school.

During the summer of 1987, under the direction of Principal, Brother Francis Leary, C.S.C., nearly one million dollars in renovations, additions and improvements were made to the school. Updating the interior of the building included the replacing of doors, floors and furniture, the lowering of ceilings and the establishment of a Campus Ministry Center with a Chapel large enough to accommodate a class of students. This remodeling, along with other aesthetic changes helped give Notre Dame a more modern look. As part of this continuing capital project, the school received a gift from the DiMeo Family of Hamden for the renovation of the gymnasium.

Recent Developments: 1990's to Today

In anticipation of the celebration of Notre Dame's Golden Anniversary, the school embarked on a capital campaign entitled "The Light on the Hill". The campaign had the goal of raising two million dollars under the direction of Headmaster Brother Thomas Dziekan, C.S.C. '66. Because of its history of success and achievement and because of the economic and sociological realities of the times, Notre Dame had to plan to affect its mission in the new millennium.

To do this, it was necessary to increase its endowment so that the many young men who want but cannot afford to attend, will realize their dream: to be Notre Dame men, bearing the light to others. Additional funds were also needed to enhance the Fine Arts Wing, upgrade the Library and establish an endowment for the professional development of faculty and staff. Brother James Branigan, C.S.C., who became Headmaster in 1996, was pleased to announce in the summer of 1997 that the Light on the Hill Campaign was a success, surpassing the two million-dollar goal during our fiftieth anniversary year.

One of the direct results of the capital campaign was the latest physical upgrade made during the 1996-97 school year when the infrastructure was wired to create a local area computer network. Alumni, friends and Southern New England Telephone Company employees accomplished this task. This has allowed Notre Dame to establish two new technology labs with state-of-the-art equipment. More than seventy-five computers are now located in various areas of the school. Students and staff were given access to the Internet through the installation of a "T-1" line that allows for rapid transfer of information and connection to the World Wide Web. At the present time, every classroom and office is wired and can be connected to the established network.

Challenge 2000: A Campaign For Athletics and Physical Education
In 1998, Notre Dame announced a capital campaign called Challenge 2000: A Campaign for Athletics and Physical Education. This campaign was to be completed in three phases.

The first phase included the complete re-sodding of the athletic fields in front of the school and on the side. The side field also was equipped with infield cutouts, a pitcher's mound area and batting cages for the baseball program. In addition, an all-weather track replaced the gravel track in the front of the school and other track amenities such as a long-jump, high jump and discus areas were created. This was completed in the summer of 1999.

The second phase took place in the summer of 1999 and saw the complete renovation of the Gymnasium. The synthetic surface floor was replaced with wood. Other improvements included new lighting, bleachers, scoreboard, baskets and stage curtain.

Phase III saw the complete renovation of the locker and training room areas, including the addition of a training room. The weight room was also upgraded and a locker room for physical education classes was aslo built. This was completed in the Fall of 2003.

This completed the Challenge 2000 Campaign and Notre Dame thanks its many donors to help upgrade our facilities for the betterment of our current students.

Looking to Future: Campaign for Notre Dame

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