University of San Diego High School


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The USDHS Crest

The University of San Diego High School (USDHS), also known as The University High School (UHS), and affectionately known as "Uni", was a Catholic, co-educational, college preparatory secondary school located in San Diego, California. In 2005, the school was closed down, and reopened in Del Mar as Cathedral Catholic High School.

Contents

History

The University High School, as the school was commonly known through the 80s, was founded in 1957 on a site overlooking the San Diego Bay to the west and Mission Valley to the south, and dedicated to providing a value-centered education to San Diego's young men. In 1970, it merged with sister school Cathedral Girls' High School and became a co-educational campus. The decided name for the combined schools was (and still is) The University of San Diego High School. It maintained its emphasis on teaching solid values and strong discipline, while at the same time, providing opportunities for each student to grow according to his/her individual potential. Over 10,000 students have graduated from the school.

Up until the transfer, the Linda Vista campus held 1,450 students who study a college preparatory curriculum in fulfillment of the school mission "...to assist parents in the spiritual, intellectual and physical development of their children." Students were also afforded opportunities to participate in a wide variety of extracurricular activities including fine arts, athletics, clubs, service organizations and leadership roles. Beginning with the 1998-99 school year, students were required to complete service hours for community organizations to fulfill their graduation requirements.

Alumni of USDHS and CGHS supported the educational process by sending their children to USDHS and enhancing the academic offerings. Brother Michael Wallgren, 1985-1991, assisted by a generous gift from the George Pflaum, Jr. Foundation, started the Learning Center at USDHS to provide necessary assistance for students with certified learning differences. Through the generous financial assistance of parents, this facility has increased its capacity to 90 students with two full-time and two part-time faculty.

Dr. Richard Kelly, Principal and President from 1991-2004, acted on the Strategic Plan prepared for USDHS with the assistance of the School Board, Parents Association, and Faculty. The Strategic Plan provides for academic, athletic, and social enhancement, often made possible only by physical plant improvements. Academically, there has been an expansion of the Fine Arts Program, the addition of eight new classrooms, and an increase of five Advanced Placement courses. The initial purchase of ten high-end research computers linked to the Internet and a new writing lab complemented the enhancement of the Campus Center building. The computer lab received all new iMac computers and all classrooms had a new computer and printer installed to allow teachers to write lessons, input grades, post homework and keep parents updated on student progress in 2000.

Awards

In 1998, the Secretary of Education, then Richard Riley, named University of San Diego High School a Blue Ribbon School. USDHS, and two other San Diego schools, are among 166 secondary schools nationwide being recognized for their excellence in teaching, student achievement and parental involvement.

Uni on the Road

In 1999, The Diocese of San Diego announced plans for relocating USDHS to a new site, offering the needed space to expand their educational efforts. The final few years of the USDHS Presidio (The school's yearbook) were dedicated especially to UNI's final farewell. Cathedral Catholic has picked up the Presidio tradition, and recently published the 50th annual copy.

Cathedral Catholic High School

The move to Cathedral Catholic High School has been a difficulty for students, teachers, and alumni to accept. Cathedral Catholic has attempted to continue all of the traditions founded at USDHS, from the mascot Dons to the academic, athletic and social awareness standards. Cathedral Catholic looks ahead, as always, to expand its educational efforts and continue its rigorous curriculum and legacy as the Dons. Even though some people fear that the move to Cathedral Catholic has weakened the Dons spirit overall, many students stand behind each team, group, and aspect as they do their best.

Many still refer Cathedral Catholic as USDHS or Uni. Although this is generally due to habit and memory, many still address to The University of San Diego High School, although the address to the Del Mar campus is listed with it.

USDHS 50th Anniversary and Final graduating class

September 2007 marked the 50th year of operation for the University of San Diego High School (now as Cathedral Catholic High School). To commemorate this, Cathedral Catholic has declared "The Golden Era of the Dons", which will provide for many themes celebrated this school year at CCHS, including the annual Star Gala in April 2008.

In addition, the weekend of February 1-3, 2008 honored the 50 year legacy held by USDHS and now Cathedral Catholic, with a weekend of celebration for all alumni from all three institutions.

The dedicated pavement of honor that was interred on the quad at USDHS was not brought to CCHS due to its deterioration from being outside and in the ground. Those who had names there were honored with a memorial display, which was hung in the USDHS Library at Cathedral during the 50th Anniversary Celebration. Notable dedications for faculty and family have been engraved into the stone benches and lamp posts around CCHS' quad as well.

On May 31, 2008, the final class to have ever walked the halls of USDHS graduated. The class of 2008 was the final freshmen class from the Uni Campus. Starting with the class of 2009, all students will have been at the Cathedral Catholic campus.

USDHS: The Official Documentary

In honor of the 50 year legacy of the University of San Diego High School, several students from Uni/CCHS worked together to produce a 45-minute documentary detailing the many decades that Uni and CCHS have celebrated so far. The documentary, which was fully student-written and produced, was a big hit at the 50th anniversary celebration.

The documentary featured over hundreds of photos from over the years at USDHS, as well as photos/videos from the campus in its final years. Interviews with many alumni, faculty, and staff were also filmed, and are included as well.

Notable Alumni

Academics

The curriculum guide for Cathedral Catholic High School can be found here: [1]

The Linda Vista Campus

From Fall to Winter 2005, the Linda Vista campus was home to the students, faculty, and administration of Notre Dame Academy (San Diego, California), while their new campus, also in Del Mar, was being completed.

From 2005 to 2007, security around the campus remains were tightened, due to gang vandalism and unapproved intruders. The portable classrooms which were added to USDHS have been removed, leaving only the solid buildings and gymnasium to remain. The statues and relics from the old campus were all moved to new locations around the Cathedral Catholic campus. The campus sign that overlooked the entrance of the school was taken in 2006 by alumni and students, and donated back to CCHS. The sign continued to make appearances at Grad Nights for the past 3 years as a memorial, but is rumored to be auctioned off in 2009.

The Dons Athletic Hall of Fame was moved to the gymnasium at CCHS, with exception of deteriorated plates, as well as the painted emblem, which hung in the gym at USDHS.

The campus received much activity between 2007 and 2008. A cleaning crew sanctioned by CCHS and the Diocese came to the campus following the October Wildfires to sweep up ash and any garbage that remained. The campus was also a filming location for many students of CCHS Multimedia, who had gained permission to enter the remains of the school to shoot for short-film projects, as well as the 50th Anniversary video.

On February 23, 2008, The San Diego Union Tribune confirmed the sale of the USDHS Campus to The Irvine Company for $50 million. The company plans to build 533 apartments on the 16 acre site of the former University High School.

On May 5, 2008, demolition began on the site of the USDHS campus. The gym and the campus center were the first to be torn down, followed by the south side of the campus, then moved north towards the rest of the school.


The reign of the Uni Campus came to an official end in July 2008, only several months after declaring its 50 standing years atop the 16 acre hill across from USD. The last visitors to the school while it was still standing were alum and long-time Uni teacher, Danny Wilson, accompanied by two of the students who had worked on the school's official documentary in the past year.

The campus wall was evidently destroyed in October 2008, contrary to belief that it was going to be preserved. The developers are working to level the land to the same height as the USD apartments, and it simply had to go.

The presence and spirit of USDHS no longer exists on Linda Vista Road, or at the beloved back road of Goshen and Mildred Street, and has moved on to Cathedral Catholic High School.

As of July 22nd, 2008, all that was left of Uni was crushed concrete and pavement. Every building had been demolished. A very sad day for Chris Fernandez (class of 1980), on his final tour of where the campus once stood.

References

  1. ^ The Daily Bruin - Water polo’s fifth title, school’s 100th






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