OUR HISTORY
A Tradition of Excellence in Catholic Education
When Cardinal Gibbons School opened in September, 1962, it was not totally unfamiliar to Baltimore as some new institutions are to their community. On the corner of Wilkens and Caton Avenues, where the school now stands, another Catholic institution, St. Mary’s Industrial School had performed almost a century of service for the community.
St. Mary’s was an orphanage, a foster home, a reformatory, and a vocational school. Between 1866 and 1950, it guided some 20,423 problem boys, including baseball’s immortal “Babe” Ruth. However, it was closed after World War II when state support was withdrawn in favor of public reformatories.
In 1959, Archbishop Francis P. Keough chose the ground of the vacant St. Mary’s for a high school campus, with room for athletic fields and religious community housing. Archbishop Keough contacted the Marianists, who previously taught at several grammar schools. The Marianists agreed to return to Baltimore and take charge of the new high school. Brother Matthew Betz, S.M., was appointed the first principal of the new school.
In September, 1962, the school was operating with a working faculty of nine, including a secretary, janitor and 150 freshmen. On September 8, 1963, Archbishop Lawrence Shehan presided over the sealing of the main building’s cornerstone and the dedication of the school to Baltimore’s most distinguished churchman, James Cardinal Gibbons.
Since then until the present, the school has continued to be a growing tradition in Baltimore. Although its student body has become more diverse than it originally was in the 1960’s, the School Administration and Faculty has continuously worked to meet the needs of the student as an individual, while continuing to enhance the total educational program.
In May 1997, under the direction of William Cardinal Keeler, Cardinal Gibbons School established two partnerships which enhanced the school’s position as an educational institution moving towards the twenty-first century. The first partnership was made with the Christian Brothers, who accepted Cardinal Gibbons School into the Lasallian Network of Schools. Secondly, the school was invited by his Eminence to participate in the Partners In Excellence (PIE) initiative. Participation in the PIE program provided students with tuition assistance based on the financial need of families. This program continues today due to the generosity of corporations such as Citi-Financial and the private foundation of Mr. John Erickson.
Today, a traditional, but demanding curriculum required of every student, a self-discipline developed through behavioral standards, a structured daily schedule and the dedication and the stability of the faculty continue to make an education at Cardinal Gibbons School a quality education.
