A Manhattan Jesuit high school that charges no tuition and has no alumni donors
In short: Founded in 1914 by a wealthy widow, this Manhattan institution operates on a unique premise: it provides a free Jesuit education to Catholic boys. For decades, the school was maintained as a private family charity, resisting outside financial support until the late 1960s. Today, it remains a tuition-free anomaly.
Regis High School, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side, was established in 1914 through the bequest of Julia M. Grant, the widow of former New York City mayor Hugh J. Grant. Following her husband's death in 1910, Grant approached David W. Hearn, S.J., with the funds to build a school for Catholic boys, stipulating that the education be provided free of charge. For over fifty years, the Grant family treated the school as their personal philanthropic project, maintaining strict control over its finances and resisting external contributions. It was only in the late 1960s that the family finally permitted alumni to assist in supporting the school's operations.
The building itself, designed by the firm Maginnis & Walsh, was intended to harmonize with the nearby Church of St. Ignatius Loyola. While partially completed in 1914, the construction of its 1700-seat auditorium faced delays due to World War I, which hindered the importation of necessary Italian marble. The school has since become a cultural fixture in New York, serving as a filming location for television shows and music videos, and counting figures like Anthony Fauci, John O’Keefe, and Colin Jost among its alumni. Its extracurricular programs are highly decorated; the Hearn Speech and Debate Society, for instance, has secured 34 state championships over the last 40 years.
Despite its prestigious reputation, the school has faced significant internal challenges in recent years. In 2021, the board of trustees terminated the school's president, Daniel Lahart, S.J., following an investigation into sexual misconduct involving subordinates. Two years later, in 2023, a teacher associated with the school's REACH program was arrested for attempting to film a pupil. These incidents contrast with the school's long-standing academic and athletic traditions, which include a fierce basketball rivalry with Xavier High School and a history of theatrical collaboration with neighboring institutions like the Marymount School.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Regis High School (New York City)
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