Damien High School
Encyclopedia
Damien High School is a private, all-male Roman Catholic high school
in La Verne, California
named for Saint Damien
of Molokai
. The school had its first graduating class in 1963. Each of Damien's freshmen classes draws from an average of over 75 different elementary and junior high schools for youths from Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
.
, closed its doors in June 1949. In September of that year, it was reopened by Monsignor English, pastor of St. Joseph Church, as a high school for both boys and girls of the parish and surrounding parishes. Newly staffed by the Felician Sisters
, it was named Pomona Catholic High School
. Despite the expanding population, it was able to provide Catholic education for the next ten years.
With the completion of the new Bonita High School
in 1959, the Bonita Unified School District
moved the public high school from their old campus on Bonita Avenue to their new location on D Street in La Verne. Cardinal James Francis McIntyre purchased the old campus site, and in September 1959, the newly named Pomona Catholic Boys High School welcomed its first freshman class.
In 1962, Pomona Catholic Boys' was accredited by the University of California
for the maximum period of five years. In 1967, 1972, 1977, 1983, 1989, 1995, 2001 and 2007, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges granted accreditation to the school for the maximum term.
In the fall of 1967. The school was given the name “Damien High School” in honor of St. Damien de Veuster, SS.CC., who was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI
on Sunday October 11, 2009. The Sacred Heart Fathers
have staffed and administered the school since its beginning in La Verne. The courage and capacity for self-sacrifice in the cause of others, is encouraged as an impetus toward social causes in the lives of Damien's students.
In the beginning, classes were held in many of the buildings, which were as yet relics of the Works Progress Administration
of the 1930s. By 1962 marked changes had begun to take place. In October of that year, a newly constructed wing was opened including eight classrooms and science labs. Spartan Stadium was also completed. During 1964 , many of the older buildings were demolished and the campus received a face-lift. Parking facilities were completed during 1965, and early 1966 saw the completion of the priests' residence. The 1970s and 1980s were also a time of growth for Damien, witnessing the completion of a new gymnasium, the four new classrooms of the 500 wing and, most recently, the Administration and Science building, which includes six new classrooms, two science labs, and entirely new administration offices. In 1995, a music room was added and a library renovation was also completed. In 1996, a new swimming pool and locker room were constructed. Six new tennis courts were also built near the priests’ residence and a new ticket/snack bar/rest room facility was built in Spartan Stadium. A new gymnasium, The Travers Cronin Athletic Center, was opened in 2006. In 2008, the Spartan Stadium was renovated. It now includes an all weather track and FieldTurf
. 2010 brought a renovation of the baseball stadium, including the installation of a new scoreboard and stadium seating. The stadium was officially named "Tom Carroll Stadium," in honor of Damien's Athletic Director of 37 years.
team has consistently achieved local and national success. The Damien debate team won the 2009 National Debate Coach's Association National Championship and the 2009 National Forensic League
National Tournament. Those victories, as well as their semi-finals showing at The University of Kentucky
's Tournament of Champions, netted Damien the inaugural Unger Cup, the award given to the "nation’s most successful high school debate squad." Their longtime Director of Forensics, Mr. Chuck Ballingall, was inducted into the National Forensic League
Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2011,the debate team won the National Debate Coaches Association (NDCA) Tournament a second time, and became the first school in history to win the NDCA twice.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in La Verne, California
La Verne, California
La Verne is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 31,063 at the 2010 census, down from 31,638 at the 2000 census.-History:...
named for Saint Damien
Father Damien
Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai, SS.CC. , born Jozef De Veuster, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary religious order...
of Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
. The school had its first graduating class in 1963. Each of Damien's freshmen classes draws from an average of over 75 different elementary and junior high schools for youths from Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the archdiocese comprises the California counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the...
.
History
Holy Name Academy, a boarding high school for girls, located on Holt Avenue in Pomona, CaliforniaPomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
, closed its doors in June 1949. In September of that year, it was reopened by Monsignor English, pastor of St. Joseph Church, as a high school for both boys and girls of the parish and surrounding parishes. Newly staffed by the Felician Sisters
Felician Sisters
The Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice, or Felician Sisters, are one branch of the Third Order of St. Francis. The active-contemplative order was founded in Warsaw, Poland, in 1855, by Sophia Truszkowska, and named for a shrine of St. Felix, a 16th century Franciscan saint especially devoted to...
, it was named Pomona Catholic High School
Pomona Catholic High School
Pomona Catholic High School is a four-year Archdiocesan high school for girls in Pomona on Holt and White. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.-History:...
. Despite the expanding population, it was able to provide Catholic education for the next ten years.
With the completion of the new Bonita High School
Bonita High School
Bonita High School is a high school located in the city of La Verne, California in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Opened in 1903, it was the first high school in the Bonita Unified School District. It moved to its current campus in 1959. The majority of its students come from Ramona...
in 1959, the Bonita Unified School District
Bonita Unified School District
Bonita Unified School District is based in San Dimas, California serving San Dimas, La Verne, and parts of Glendora in Los Angeles County. The Bonita Unified School District has over 10,000 students in 14 schools.-Elementary schools :...
moved the public high school from their old campus on Bonita Avenue to their new location on D Street in La Verne. Cardinal James Francis McIntyre purchased the old campus site, and in September 1959, the newly named Pomona Catholic Boys High School welcomed its first freshman class.
In 1962, Pomona Catholic Boys' was accredited by the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
for the maximum period of five years. In 1967, 1972, 1977, 1983, 1989, 1995, 2001 and 2007, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges granted accreditation to the school for the maximum term.
In the fall of 1967. The school was given the name “Damien High School” in honor of St. Damien de Veuster, SS.CC., who was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
on Sunday October 11, 2009. The Sacred Heart Fathers
Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and of the Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers, priests, and nuns...
have staffed and administered the school since its beginning in La Verne. The courage and capacity for self-sacrifice in the cause of others, is encouraged as an impetus toward social causes in the lives of Damien's students.
In the beginning, classes were held in many of the buildings, which were as yet relics of the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
of the 1930s. By 1962 marked changes had begun to take place. In October of that year, a newly constructed wing was opened including eight classrooms and science labs. Spartan Stadium was also completed. During 1964 , many of the older buildings were demolished and the campus received a face-lift. Parking facilities were completed during 1965, and early 1966 saw the completion of the priests' residence. The 1970s and 1980s were also a time of growth for Damien, witnessing the completion of a new gymnasium, the four new classrooms of the 500 wing and, most recently, the Administration and Science building, which includes six new classrooms, two science labs, and entirely new administration offices. In 1995, a music room was added and a library renovation was also completed. In 1996, a new swimming pool and locker room were constructed. Six new tennis courts were also built near the priests’ residence and a new ticket/snack bar/rest room facility was built in Spartan Stadium. A new gymnasium, The Travers Cronin Athletic Center, was opened in 2006. In 2008, the Spartan Stadium was renovated. It now includes an all weather track and FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
. 2010 brought a renovation of the baseball stadium, including the installation of a new scoreboard and stadium seating. The stadium was officially named "Tom Carroll Stadium," in honor of Damien's Athletic Director of 37 years.
Policy Debate Team
The Damien Policy DebatePolicy debate
Policy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
team has consistently achieved local and national success. The Damien debate team won the 2009 National Debate Coach's Association National Championship and the 2009 National Forensic League
National Forensic League
The National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
National Tournament. Those victories, as well as their semi-finals showing at The University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
's Tournament of Champions, netted Damien the inaugural Unger Cup, the award given to the "nation’s most successful high school debate squad." Their longtime Director of Forensics, Mr. Chuck Ballingall, was inducted into the National Forensic League
National Forensic League
The National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2011,the debate team won the National Debate Coaches Association (NDCA) Tournament a second time, and became the first school in history to win the NDCA twice.
Notable alumni
- Stephen G. LarsonStephen G. LarsonStephen Gerard Larson is a former United States District Court judge.Larson was born in Fontana, California. He received a B.S. from Georgetown University in 1986. He received a J.D. from the University of Southern California Law School and was admitted to the California State Bar in 1989. He was...
– Attorney, former United States Federal Judge - Larry WilmoreLarry WilmoreLarry Wilmore is an American writer, actor and television producer.-Early life:Wilmore grew up in suburban Los Angeles, the child of a Catholic family. His father is a doctor...
- Comedian/Writer, currently appearing on The Daily ShowThe Daily ShowThe Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998... - Ian JohnsonIan Johnson (American football)-Minnesota Vikings:He ran the fastest 40 yard dash time for a running back at the 2009 NFL Combine with a 4.46. He was signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings. In Week 4 of the Preseason Johnson ran for 2 touchdowns in 17 carries against the Dallas Cowboys...
– Professional football player, San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... - Chukwudi ChijinduChukwudi ChijinduChukwudi Chijindu is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Blues of the USL Professional Division, on loan from Chivas USA.-Youth:...
- Professional Soccer Player, Chivas USA - Chris JakubauskasChris JakubauskasChristopher James "Chris" Jakubauskas is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball.-College career:...
– Professional baseball player, Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league... - Rick DavisRick DavisRichard Dean Davis is a retired American soccer midfielder, and former captain of the U.S. National Team for much of the 1980s...
– Professional soccer player, 1984 Olympic team captain, member of the National Soccer Hall of FameNational Soccer Hall of FameThe National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:... - Frank PastoreFrank PastoreFrank Pastore is a former professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds from 1979 until 1985, and for the Minnesota Twins in 1986. He then began a long schooling, earning degrees in business administration, philosophy of religion and ethics, political philosophy, and American government...
- Professional baseball player, talk radio host - Bill Duffy - Sports agent
- Dennis ShawDennis ShawDennis Wendell Shaw is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, and the Kansas City Chiefs.-College career:...
- Professional football player. 1970 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year - Mark McGwireMark McGwireMark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
– Professional baseball player, Current Hitting Coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, 1984 Olympic team captain - Daniel MoskosDaniel MoskosDaniel Ross Moskos is an American baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. A left-handed pitcher, Moskos was drafted with the 4th overall pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates....
- pitcher for the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, former ClemsonClemson UniversityClemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
pitcher. Drafted 4th overall in 2007 Amateur MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions... - Cory LekkerkerkerCory LekkerkerkerCory Lekkerkerker is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
- Professional football player - Joe FranchinoJoe FranchinoJoe Franchino is a retired American soccer player.-College:Franchino played youth club ball in Alta Loma, CA for such competitive teams as the Aztecs and Arsenal. His first club team, the Aztecs, won the State Cup Championships the first year the Under-10 age bracket started...
- Retired professional Soccer player - Brian DunsethBrian DunsethBrian William Dunseth is a TV soccer commentator and former American soccer player.-Career:Dunseth played college soccer at California State University, Fullerton, and was one of the first players to sign a Project-40 contract, doing so in 1997...
- Retired professional Soccer player and TV commentator - Mike HunterMike Hunter (soccer)Mike Hunter is a retired U.S. soccer defender who played five seasons in the North American Soccer League as well as one in the Western Soccer Alliance and three in the Major Indoor Soccer League....
- Retired professional Soccer player - Freddie Brown- Wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals