ST. MICHAEL’S HIGH SCHOOL
Brothers of the Christian Schools Santa Fe, New Mexico
A Brief History
Founded in 1859 as El Colegio de San Miguel, St. Michael’s High School opened in an adobe hut next to the San Miguel Mission. It was
established at the behest of Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy, who found that formal education in the territory was almost nonexistent.
Archbishop Lamy recruited four De La Salle Christian Brothers from France to open the school for boys, and St. Michael’s became one of
the oldest educational institutions in New Mexico.
In 1870, St. Michael’s nearly closed due to financial hardship just as Brother Botulph arrived to recruit additional Brothers to Santa Fe.
Under Botulph’s leadership, St. Michael’s began offering high school diplomas and teaching certificates, which were initially conferred in
1876. In 1874, the territorial legislature granted St. Michael’s a charter as the College of the Christian Brothers of New Mexico.
In 1878, St. Michael’s opened its first permanent building on College Street, which still exists in modified form as the Lamy Building. Later
that year the school completed a second building, known today as the Lew Wallace Building. In 1928, through a generous gift from Miguel
Chavez, St. Michael’s moved into the new school building depicted above, named the Miguel Chavez Memorial. Forever distinguishing the
Class of 1967, we were the last class to graduate from the venerable school building on College Street. In 1968, St. Michael’s moved to its
present location on Siringo Road. Soon thereafter, St. Michael’s became a co-educational high school when Loretto Academy closed in
1969.
Throughout its history, St. Michael’s has educated students in the tradition of St. John Baptiste de la Salle, emphasizing academic
excellence, faith formation, inclusion, respect for the individual, community service and social justice. Proudly, the graduates of the Class of
1967 are the product of these Lasallian values.
LORETTO ACADEMY
Sisters of Loretto
Santa Fe, New Mexico
A Brief History
Founded in 1852 by the Sisters of Loretto, Loretto Academy in Santa Fe, New Mexico, was established at the behest of Archbishop
Jean-Baptiste Lamy as a school for young women from throughout northern New Mexico. In that early time-period, religious orders of
women were at the forefront of Catholic education in the United States. Archbishop Lamy felt that a teaching sisterhood would best
accomplish the goals of bringing American-style schools, Catholic practices and beliefs, and American culture to residents of Santa Fe and
surrounding communities, who had only recently become American citizens. The Sisters of Loretto, a teaching order established in
Kentucky in 1812, immediately volunteered for the task.
Mother Magdalen and the Sisters of Loretto (1852–1969) were educators, spiritual leaders, and some of the first women to travel the
Santa Fe Trail by horse drawn wagons. They established education for women in the Territory of New Mexico at a time when public
education for women was virtually nonexistent. Reflecting Loretto Academy’s Catholic heritage, from 1852 to 1969 the Sisters of Loretto
provided young women with a rigorous, quality education and spiritual guidance, placing emphasis on community service and social
justice. For sixty years, these traditional values have been reflected in the hearts, lives and achievements of the Class of 1967 of Loretto
Academy.
The 1927 Loretto Academy Building located in downtown Santa Fe (depicted above), was constructed through a gift from Miguel Chavez
to the Sisters of Loretto. The building opened contemporaneously with the Loretto Academy’s Diamond Jubilee. The Loretto Academy
Class of 1967 graduated from the 1927 building at a time when the school was in transition. In 1969, Loretto Academy closed and became
a part of St. Michael’s High School.