John Carroll Catholic High School
John Carroll Catholic High School is a private high school located at 300 Lakeshore Parkway in Homewood. The school's motto is "Pro Deo et Patria," meaning "For God and Country." Enrollment in 2005 was approximately 650 students. The principal is David Chauvette.
History
Founding
When Archbishop Thomas J. Toolen was assigned to the former Mobile-Birmingham Diocese in 1927, he sought to establish Catholic high school in Birmingham. At a testimonial dinner for Archbishop Toolen, John Carroll started The Friends of Catholic Education to raise funds to do so. The school was named after Carroll in recognition of his leadership and dedication to the project.
The original campus was built on Highland Avenue, just east of where the Red Mountain Expressway would eventually be built. Construction was begun in November 1946 and the school opened on September 8, 1947. Additional facilities were added through the 1950s.
In the late 1950s, the school obtained land on Montclair Road across from the future site of Trinity Medical Center for their athletic facilities, including a football field. The facilities were completed in 1961.
Move to Homewood
Bishop Raymond Boland held a press conference on December 9, 1989 to announce plans to build a new facility for John Carroll Catholic High School next to the Wildwood development on Lakeshore Parkway, west of I-65 in Homewood. Construction began on April 8, 1990 and the new school opened in August 1992. The new campus includes athletic facilities on-site.
Sports
John Carroll's school colors are kelly green and white. Athletic teams are known as the Cavaliers. The school is a member of the Alabama High School Athletic Association and currently competes in the 5A division. The football team won the state championship in division 3A (then the second-highest division) in 1973.
Notable graduates
- Pat Sullivan (Heisman Trophy, Auburn University, 1971)
- Eric F. Wieschaus (Nobel Prize for Medicine, 1995)
References
- John Carroll Catholic High School Handbook. Accessed 1 Aug 2006.