About Loyola Blakefield

Loyola Blakefield History

The Society of Jesus established Loyola Blakefield, formerly Loyola High School, in 1852 after St. Mary’s Seminary closed St. Mary’s College in order to concentrate on the education of future priests. On September 15, 1852 both Loyola College and Loyola High School opened their doors on Holliday Street under the tutelage of the Reverend John Early, S.J., the first president. In February 1855 the two schools moved to Calvert and Madison Streets, the present site of St. Ignatius Loyola Academy and Center Stage. In 1921, the schools split and the college moved to its new Evergreen Campus while the high school remained downtown. 

Under the leadership of the Reverend John Dustin, S.J. and his successor, the Reverend Ferdinand Wheeler, S.J., the high school set its sites on property north of the city to find a new home. In 1933, thanks to the financial support of a major benefactor, George Blake, the school purchased the land today known as Blakefield. One year later, upper classmen met there for the first time while the freshmen remained downtown.

By 1941, the downtown campus was closed and all classes moved to Blakefield.The school remained very much the same until 1981 when the seventh and eighth grades were added. The sixth grade was added in 1988. It was only recently that the school changed its name officially to Loyola Blakefield in order to recognize all of the grades.

In May, 2002, Loyola Blakefield celebrated its 150th anniversary. Our mission then and now is:

To graduate young men who are: Intellectually Competent, Open to Growth, Religious, Loving and Committed to Justice and Integrity. In short, to build ‘Men for Others.’ These are the true benchmarks by which we measure our educational success.