History

1876: Thanksgiving Day, Mount Saint Joseph College is dedicated, fulfilling the dream of founder, Brother Bernardine, C.F.X.

1877: February 1, Douglas Walton, first student enrolls for the spring term.

1901: Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, dedicates the new "M" Building which contains the Mount Tower that stands today.

1917: Mount men enter the "Great War."

1926: First baseball game is played on Gibbons Field (now known as Plevyak Field) in honor of The Mount's 50th anniversary with the alumni holding the students runless and hitless.

1931: Founding of the Mount Saint Joseph Ladies' Auxiliary, later known as The Mount's Mothers' Club.

1935: Brother Edmund, C.F.X., assumes the reins, and oversees the graduation of what was, up until this time, The Mount's largest senior class of 100 students.

1939: Mount campus serves as host to Xaverian Brothers from all over the United States who came to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Xaverians.

1941: Mount men again rally to serve their nation in war, as Mount students and alumni enroll in the services of far-flung battlefronts. The Plevyak era begins with the arrival of John M. Plevyak as a teacher.

1944: Brother Bartholomew, C.F.X., becomes The Mount's headmaster, and oversees the transition of the post-World War II era on the campus; he initiates a drive to collect funds for the building of a new gymnasium on campus.

1949: The Mount football team completes an undefeated season, winning the MSA.

1954: Memorial Gymnasium is dedicated; Governor McKeldin is first to sink a basket on his fourth try.

1962: Saint Joseph Hall opens.

1974: Brother Peter Holland, C.F.X., becomes principal; Mount Saint Joseph begins a streak of MSA wrestling championships under coach Hal Sparks; the streak would last over twenty years.

1976: The Mount celebrates 100 years of Xaverian education at the Irvington campus; the "Second Century" campaign announces plans for campus building expansion.

1989: Charles Reiter '58 becomes The Mount's first lay principal; Mount Saint Joseph is named an "Exemplary School" by the United States Department of Education; the award is bestowed at a ceremony at the White House by President Bush.

1991: John Plevyak celebrates his 50th year teaching at The Mount; Brother Matthew Burke, C.F.X., the Xaverian Provincial makes John an Honorary Xaverian Brother.

2000: On June 9, students, faculty and staff, and friends of The Mount gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Technology and Media Center.

2001: Brother James Kelly, C.F.X., formerly principal of Xavier High School in Middletown, Connecticut, and formerly president of Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky, is named the Mount's president. Founders Hall is dedicated.

2008: First phase of Campaign for Mount Saint Joseph: Building Men Who Matter is completed. Includes brand new track, field, stadium and bridge. Plevyak Field is re-dedicated.

2012: George Andrews Jr. succeeds Brother James Kelly, C.F.X. as President of The Mount. He was previously Principal at York Catholic High School in York, Pennsylvania.

2013: Renovated 30,000 square foot Memorial Gymnasium and The Smith Center at 60,000 square feet opened in October. Changes made to Memorial include new roof, windows, heating unit, two classrooms, locker rooms, coaches’ offices, equipment room, and storage area. The Smith Center includes a performance gymnasium, locker rooms, weight training room, three-ring wrestling room, sports medicine facility, indoor batting cages/swing room, and alumni event room.

The Xaverian Brothers or Congregation of Saint Francis Xavier, C.F.X. are a religious institute founded by Theodore James Ryken in Bruges, Belgium in 1839 and named after Saint Francis Xavier. The institute is dedicated to Roman Catholic education in Belgium, England, and the United States. To learn more, visit the Xaverian Brothers website.