By Sean Bursk
The 75th Anniversary continues to be celebrated throughout the school year, headed by the McNicholas Advancement and Communications Departments, as well as the Student Executive Team. Archbishop McNicholas High School was approved for development by Archbishop Karl J. Alter in 1951, with the first co-ed class being accepted later that fall. This academic year, 2025-2026, marks 75 years since the renaming and introduction of males into then the former all-girls’ school of St. Joseph Academy.
“McNicholas High School appreciates the history. History is worth celebrating…We should celebrate the past 75 years but hopefully look forward to the next 75 years.” Todd Naumann, Student Culture Coordinator said. \
McNicholas’s history began before the 1951 anniversary date. In 1915, the construction of the “Convent” was completed, and the Sisters of St. Joseph began St. Joseph Academy. The school included elementary and middle school-aged girls and later expanded to teach high schoolers. The Sisters of St. Joseph lived in the Convent as well as the Heritage House which was constructed in the 1800’s. McNicholas High School would come to fruition after Archbishop Karl J. Alter approved the expansion and renaming. The name, McNicholas, would be in reverence to the previous Archbishop who supported St. Joseph Academy. McNicholas died at the age of 72 on April 22, 1950, prior to the dedication of the co-ed school named in his honor.
As the school opened, it quickly began to expand. In 1952, the McNicholas Hall (SAIL hallway) and Gym (which is now the library) were finished. In 1953, the first Mardi Gras was hosted. In 1956, Alter Hall (English hallway) was completed. The year 1960 brought St. Joesph Hall (science hallway), and 1964, Lower Marian(Social Studies hallway).
The final major iteration of the millennia would come in 1970, when the Bogenshultz Gym, Upper Marian (Theology hallway), Library, Counseling offices and biology labs were completed. Structural expansion would halt until 2006. Athleticism took precedence as the Auxiliary Gym and courtyard were finalized in that year. Clearing and construction would continue until Paradise finished development in 2010 with the addition of Penn Station Stadium.
Today, further expansion is “in the cards” said newly appointed principal Paul Romolo. He stated a “facilities wide masterplan review” was recently conducted on the premises. Updates and upgrades continue throughout the school, notably the removal of boiler heating and addition of air conditioning in recent years. This year’s additions include the 75th anniversary photo story timeline in the glass hallway, decals and posters throughout the school, and a full wall mural in the main lobby near the Bogenshutz Gym.
Senior Fletcher Pyles expressed interest in the new timeline. Seniors Maddie McPherson and Will Homan agreed that the timeline and mural were positive additions. Senior Bri Lach said she also enjoyed the new timeline, especially because, “My great-grandmother was in the first graduating class.”
Laurie Carigan, Director of Enrollment and Communications, Said that over the summer, the 75th Anniversary committee, which consists of alumni and McNicholas administrative staff, decided on the walkthrough experience. Carigan, with the help of Maddie Agresta and Ann Rieke of the Communications Department, and Angela Kramer, Alumni and Parent Engagement Manager, as well as the Department of Advancement (among others), began to source primary documents from McNicholas’s history. \ Combing the archives for photos, news stories, and yearbooks, the Communications Department gathered the story of McNicholas High School to use. The timeline in the glass hallway was finished in time for the 75th Anniversary’s Community Legacy Mass on August 10, where afterwards, alumni could view the timeline and mural in the lobby.
The goal of Saint Joseph Academy was to educate young women with the goal of sending them to college, which at the time of the 1920s, was uncommon and culturally controversial. When the Academy was expanded into McNick, it was the first co-educational Catholic high school in the Cincinnati region. Carigan said it’s important to make others aware of the history of McNicholas. “It honors all the people that created this place…To remind people where we came from is important,” Carigan said.
Kicking off the 75th Anniversary began with the Legacy Mass on August 10, and There are other events and celebration activities later in the school year. Val Combs, an Intervention Specialist in the SAIL Department summarized the 75th Anniversary as “A milestone that celebrates the history of McNick… it reflects the love and growth of 75 generations.”
The McNicholas Milestone 