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| Fordham Preparatory School | |
|---|---|
| File:Fpseal.png | |
| Location | |
| The Bronx, New York, New York USA | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private all-male secondary |
| Motto | Amor et Conscia Virtus ("Love and an Aware Virtue") |
| Established | 1841 |
| President | Rev. Kenneth Boller, S.J. |
| Principal | Mr. Robert Gomprecht |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 900 (approx) |
| Color(s) | Maroon and white |
| Mascot | Rams |
| Affiliations | Catholic, Jesuit |
| Website | www.fordhamprep.org |
Fordham Preparatory School (also known as Fordham Prep, or just "The Prep" to alums and some students) is a private Jesuit all-boys high school located in the The Bronx, New York City, with an enrollment of approximately 900 students.
School history
The Fordham Preparatory School was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1841 and is currently located on the Rose Hill Campus of Fordham University.
In 1972-73, the Prep was separated from Fordham University and built its own new state-of-the-art structure in the northwest corner of the University campus. The school obtained financing for the new building from The Franklin National Bank. In 1978, the school was threatened with closure when Franklin National, which held its mortgage, went into receivership. The FDIC sold the mortgage back to the school for 10 cents on the dollar. A scandal erupted thereafter when the ties between Fordham Prep and the Banco Ambrosiano, Franklin National Bank and the Vatican Bank were disclosed. Senior members of the Prep staff were relocated to Austria, which does not have an extradition treaty with the United States. The matter climaxed with the sucide of Roberto Calvi who was found hanging from the Blackfriers Bridge in London in 1982. The true nature of the relationship between Fordham Prep, the Franklin National Bank, the 90% discount on the mortgage and the FDIC has never been resolved, though it remains a topic of discussion amongst alumni.
During the late 1970's and 1980's, a number of allegations concering abuse by clerical staff arose. All claims were settled quietly.
Academics
Fordham Prep has a rigorous curriculum which focuses on English studies, history, mathematics, the sciences, foreign and ancient languages, and religion. Every student takes several of these classes a day and is expected to complete several hours of homework a night. Students are allowed to take Honors or Advanced Placement classes depending on their grades in the previous course. All freshman students take a classical language: Latin, or Ancient Greek. As they move on to their sophomore year, the students can choose to continue with Latin or Greek, or study a foreign language, such as Spanish, French, Italian, or German. All students are required to take four years of English, four years of Religion, four years of any language, three years of history, three years of mathematics, and three years of science. Senior students have the choice of taking elective courses. Seniors are also required to plan and implement a senior service project at an approved site. They then reflect on their service and journal their experiences for a senior service essay to be completed at the end of the year.
Extracurricular Activities
Fordham Prep has many extracurricular activities for students. There are nearly forty clubs, each pertaining to a specific interest. There are clubs for students who enjoy computers, cartoons, business, coin collecting, studying marine biology, or even discussing The Simpsons. There are also clubs pertaining to specific ethnic groups, such as the Irish club, Italian club, Asian club, Kawaida club, and more. Fordham Prep also has a theatre and drama club, hosting two shows a year in The Leonard Theatre.
Fordham Prep also has a large number of athletic teams. It is a member of the CHSAA. Fordham Prep has its own practice field, track, and weight room for the students to use. In 2005, in concert with Fordham University, the back track and practice field were refurbished with MONDO and true grass respectively, vastly updating and improving the facilities. The track is now named in honor of one of the Prep's track coaches, Joe Fox. Additionally, lights were installed for the University's night time use. Fordham Prep has several competitive teams in baseball, football, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, swimming, golf, lacrosse, cross country, track and field, tennis, wrestling, bowling, and crew. The team name is the "Fordham Rams".
Notable Fordham Prep Alumni
- Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (did not graduate) - attended for a brief time; Commanding officer of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first all African-American regiment during the American Civil War; portrayed by Matthew Broderick in the 1989 movie Glory
- Esteban Bellan (class of 1859) - first Latin American professional baseball player
- Frankie Frisch (class of 1916) - Major League Baseball Hall of Famer a.k.a. "The Fordham Flash," he is third all-time on the list for Series hits, behind Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle and just ahead of Joe DiMaggio.
- Arthur Daley (class of 1922) - New York Times columnist and 1956 Pulitzer Prize winner, one of only three sportswriters to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for journalism.
- Johnny Murphy (class of 1925) - former New York Yankees pitcher who appeared in a total of 8 World Series games, pitched 16.1 innings, and had an E.R.A. of 1.10.
- Malcolm Wilson (class of 1929) - Lieutenant Governor and Governor of New York.
- George Stirnwiess (class of 1936) - former second baseman for the New York Yankees who also was the American League batting champion in 1945.
- Robert Abplanalp (class of 1939) - inventor of the aerosol spray can, Founder of Precision Valve Corporation. It was Mr. Abplanalp who saved the school when its capital debt threatened to close it in 1978.
- Vin Scully (class of 1944) - baseball announcer in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Radio Hall of Fame, American Sportscasters Hall of Fame. He has been broadcasting Dodger games, first in Brooklyn and then in Los Angeles, since 1950.
- Theodore Cardinal McCarrick (class of 1949) - Archbishop of Washington D.C.
- Donnie Walsh (class of 1958) - President and CEO of the Indiana Pacers
- Mario J. Gabelli (class of 1961) - CEO and Founder of Gabelli Asset Management
- Sgt. Robert C. Murray (class of 1964) - posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during the Vietnam War.
- Joseph Moglia (class of 1968) - CEO of Ameritrade Inc.
- Tim Brosnan (class of 1976) - Executive Vice President for Business for Major League Baseball
- Robert Hackett (class of 1977) - Olympic silver medalist who has earned the distinction of being the only Prepster to earn a medal in Olympic competition. His 15:03.91 performance in the men's 1500m Freestyle swimming event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal was just a second off the winning time. (See Swimming at the 1976 Summer Olympics.)
- Samuel Redding (class of 1983) - Broke the wheelchair top speed record during his time competing in the 1990 Special Olympics. After a shoulder injury in 1991, he was forced to retire. However, Redding remains the only Prep alumni to participate in the Special Olympics.
