La Salle Academy
Encyclopedia
La Salle Academy is a private, all boys high school
in the New York City
borough
of Manhattan
. It is a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
.
Founded in 1848 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools
, La Salle was first known as Saint Vincent's School when it first opened on Canal Street
. It moved to Second Avenue in 1856 and changed its name to La Salle Academy in 1887. In 2010, La Salle relocated to 215 East 6th Street, sharing the building with St. George Ukrainian Catholic School. Various offices are still located in the Second Street building. Throughout its history, La Salle has been home to anywhere from 90 to 950 "Brothers' Boys."
, then Bishop of New York, invited the Christian Brothers
to establish a school in the city. They opened St. Vincent's School in a church basement on Canal Street
. In 1856, St. Vincent's School moved to East Second Street and Second Avenue
, a plot of land that once belonged to Washington Irving
. The brothers renamed the school La Salle Academy in 1887. The New York State Board of Regents
granted La Salle a charter
in 1896. In 1936, the brothers built a five-story building in order to accommodate increasing enrollment. Over the first half of the 20th century, La Salle's enrollment grew immensely, from 98 in 1906 to 950 in 1948.
and 2nd Street. This became the school's annex that housed the Guidance Department, the Academic Support Center, the Art Department, Drama Club activities, Music Department and more classrooms.
In recent years, the decline in the number of religious brothers led to the integration of many lay faculty members. Laity now comprise over 90% of the teaching staff. In 1997. La Salle received accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
and in 1998 celebrated its 150th Anniversary. In 2000, La Salle was named a Blue Ribbon School
by the U.S. Department of Education for excellence in education.
of the Catholic Church graduated from La Salle: Patrick Hayes and George Mundelein, Archbishops of New York and Chicago, respectively. For this reason, La Salle athletes are known as the Cardinals.
As a testament to La Salle's strong athletic heritage, Ron Artest
, a basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers
and an NBA Champion and Bakary Soumare
, a current pro soccer player for the Chicago Fire
of Major League Soccer
and a member of the Mali
national soccer team, are both La Salle alumni. Other notable alums include John Roche, John Candelaria
, and John F. Kennedy (writer).
in 1965. Today, extracurricular activities include: Culinary Club, Photography Club, African-American Club, Asian-American Club, Drama Club, Student Council, Campus Ministry, LaSallian youth, Chorus, Choir, Chess Club, Guitar Club, the Cardinal Student Newspaper, Yearbook Club and The Video Game Club.
Athletic offerings are Handball, Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Track and Field, Cross-Country, and Bowling.
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 the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. It is a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
.
Founded in 1848 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome...
, La Salle was first known as Saint Vincent's School when it first opened on Canal Street
Canal Street (Manhattan)
Canal Street is a major street in New York City, crossing lower Manhattan to join New Jersey in the west to Brooklyn in the east . It forms the main spine of Chinatown, and separates it from Little Italy...
. It moved to Second Avenue in 1856 and changed its name to La Salle Academy in 1887. In 2010, La Salle relocated to 215 East 6th Street, sharing the building with St. George Ukrainian Catholic School. Various offices are still located in the Second Street building. Throughout its history, La Salle has been home to anywhere from 90 to 950 "Brothers' Boys."
The Early Years
La Salle Academy was founded in 1848 when John HughesJohn Hughes (archbishop)
John Joseph Hughes , was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fourth Bishop and first Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York, serving between 1842 and his death in 1864....
, then Bishop of New York, invited the Christian Brothers
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome...
to establish a school in the city. They opened St. Vincent's School in a church basement on Canal Street
Canal Street (Manhattan)
Canal Street is a major street in New York City, crossing lower Manhattan to join New Jersey in the west to Brooklyn in the east . It forms the main spine of Chinatown, and separates it from Little Italy...
. In 1856, St. Vincent's School moved to East Second Street and Second Avenue
Second Avenue (Manhattan)
Second Avenue is an avenue on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan extending from Houston Street at its south end to the Harlem River Drive at 128th Street at its north end. A one-way street, vehicular traffic runs only downtown. A bicycle lane in the left hand portion from 55th...
, a plot of land that once belonged to Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
. The brothers renamed the school La Salle Academy in 1887. The New York State Board of Regents
University of the State of New York
The University of the State of New York is the State of New York's governmental umbrella organization responsible for most institutions and people in any way connected with formal educational functions, public and private, in New York State...
granted La Salle a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
in 1896. In 1936, the brothers built a five-story building in order to accommodate increasing enrollment. Over the first half of the 20th century, La Salle's enrollment grew immensely, from 98 in 1906 to 950 in 1948.
Later 20th Century
In 1966 the school purchased the Moskowitz and Lupowitz Restaurant on the corner of Second AvenueSecond Avenue (Manhattan)
Second Avenue is an avenue on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan extending from Houston Street at its south end to the Harlem River Drive at 128th Street at its north end. A one-way street, vehicular traffic runs only downtown. A bicycle lane in the left hand portion from 55th...
and 2nd Street. This became the school's annex that housed the Guidance Department, the Academic Support Center, the Art Department, Drama Club activities, Music Department and more classrooms.
In recent years, the decline in the number of religious brothers led to the integration of many lay faculty members. Laity now comprise over 90% of the teaching staff. In 1997. La Salle received accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
and in 1998 celebrated its 150th Anniversary. In 2000, La Salle was named a Blue Ribbon School
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
by the U.S. Department of Education for excellence in education.
La Salle Academy Today
In 2008, the Board of Trustees hired the school's first lay president, Dr. William Hambleton. President Hambleton and the Board worked to create a strategic plan to keep La Salle open amidst declining enrollment and a global recession. In 2010, the school's main campus moved to 215 East 6th Street and shares the building with St. George Ukrainian Catholic School. La Salle occupies the fourth and fifth floors and shares common spaces such as the cafeteria and gymnasium. At the same time, La Salle leased the old campus to a for-profit school. This plan has enabled the school to continue offering accessible educational opportunities to young men of mixed socioeconomic backgrounds. The Second Street Annex currently houses the offices of the President, Vice President, Development Director, and Alumni Director.Notable alumni
Two cardinalsCardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of the Catholic Church graduated from La Salle: Patrick Hayes and George Mundelein, Archbishops of New York and Chicago, respectively. For this reason, La Salle athletes are known as the Cardinals.
As a testament to La Salle's strong athletic heritage, Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
, a basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and an NBA Champion and Bakary Soumare
Bakary Soumare
Bakary Soumaré is a Malian international footballer who plays professionally for US Boulogne in France's Ligue 2, as a defender.-Early life:Born in Bamako, Mali, Soumaré grew up in Paris and New York City.-Youth and College:...
, a current pro soccer player for the Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire (soccer)
Chicago Fire Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top soccer league in the United States and Canada...
of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
and a member of the Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
national soccer team, are both La Salle alumni. Other notable alums include John Roche, John Candelaria
John Candelaria
John Robert Candelaria . He attended The Caton School P.S. 249. Nicknamed "The Candy Man," is a former professional left-handed pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles...
, and John F. Kennedy (writer).
Extracurricular Activities
La Salle has a tradition of excellence in its extracurricular offerings. The school's Forensic Society won the 1945 state championship. La Salle's Glee Club, which was directed by Phil Carney, performed for Martin Luther King at New York City HallNew York City Hall
New York City Hall is located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA, between Broadway, Park Row, and Chambers Street. The building is the oldest City Hall in the United States that still houses its original governmental functions, such as...
in 1965. Today, extracurricular activities include: Culinary Club, Photography Club, African-American Club, Asian-American Club, Drama Club, Student Council, Campus Ministry, LaSallian youth, Chorus, Choir, Chess Club, Guitar Club, the Cardinal Student Newspaper, Yearbook Club and The Video Game Club.
Athletic offerings are Handball, Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Track and Field, Cross-Country, and Bowling.