John Bapst Memorial High School
UPCOMING COLLEGE FAIRS | 
History & Mission
History
The origins of John Bapst Memorial High School may be traced to the early 1920s. Overcrowding at St. John's School and Bangor Catholic High School for Girls inspired local pastors from St. John's and St. Mary's parishes to consider building a larger high school to meet their expanding needs. In 1926, plans were finalized for the construction of a new parochial high school, and on September 10, 1928, John Bapst High School, named for the great nineteenth century Swiss Jesuit priest and missionary in Maine, opened under the auspices of St. John's and St. Mary's Catholic Churches as a Catholic high school for both boys and girls. In 1929, its first class of 29 girls was graduated; although 40 boys were admitted to the school in 1928, none were part of the senior class. During the next four decades, boys and girls attended separate classes in a duplex building – essentially as two schools with two principals and two different schedules. During its Catholic years the school achieved a fine reputation both in academics and athletics (the Xavierian Brothers and Sisters of Mercy even taught courses in Greek!) and enjoyed the vigorous support of its alumni.
It was largely through this support and the tireless efforts of faculty, its administration, and especially its incorporators (Earle Edwin Hannigan, William Alexander Lindsay, John Francis Xavier MacKay, and Joseph Walter Sekera) that the school withstood the decision of the Bishop of Portland to close the school in June 1980. In the fall of that year, the historic landmark building at 100 Broadway in Bangor, Maine, reopened as John Bapst Memorial High School, a non-sectarian, private, coeducational, college preparatory secondary school. Since reopening its doors in 1980, the school has grown steadily from 193 students to near capacity at 498 in October 2003, and it has tenaciously retained – indeed, enhanced – its college preparatory mission.
In the spring of 1988, the institution purchased the original building from the Diocese of Portland, and in October 1993 it also purchased the Jewish Community Center building across the street on Somerset. Later, the building at 31 Somerset Street was purchased; that now houses the Business Department and the Office of Development and Public Relations. In 2001, the campus footprint was enlarged once again with the purchase of property at 255 French Street. Over the past 20 years in the main school itself, a new roof, new electrical and heating equipment, and many interior renovations have been completed. Two of the most significant projects include the expansion of computer facilities (from 2 computers in 1982 to 3 computer labs housing over 60 networked computers with additional computers in the library, offices, and individual classrooms) and completion of an ADA project (outside ramps, a 6-stop elevator, 2 fully accessible bathrooms at the auditorium level, and a unisex accessible shower/locker area at the gym level) offering handicapped accessibility to the school for the first time. Many of these improvements were made possible by "Proudly Forward", John Bapst's very successful 1990 capital campaign, and anonymous donations received after that date.
John Bapst's most important growth, however, has been in what it offers its students --outstanding academic, arts, athletic, and extracurricular programs. For instance, the school offers one of the largest interscholastic athletic programs in the state (offering 17 out of the 20 varsity sports sponsored by the Maine Principals' Association). Testaments to its success are the 13 State Championships in Boys and Girls Cross Country, Girls Indoor Track, Girls and Boys Basketball, Cheering, Girls Spring Track & Field, and Baseball since 1981. Athletic awards for which the school may well be prouder, however, are the 14 Good Sportsmanship plaques brought home by the Wrestling Team, the Swim Team, and the Girls Varsity, Boys Varsity, and Boys Freshmen Basketball Teams. Also on display in the Purple & White Room and Main Hall stand eight more State Championship trophies: two brought home by the Math Team, one by the Debate Team, and five by the Chess Team.
The arts as well have secured their place in the school. In 1991, for instance, the band gained national recognition for its warm welcome home to the first troops returning from the Gulf War. That early morning "at-a-moment's-notice" performance reflects the spirit of an arts program that has grown remarkably in a very short time. Years later, after midnight on the eve of the 1996 national presidential election, John Bapst's band played in Bangor for then-President Bill Clinton, who subsequently invited them to perform at his inauguration in January 1997. Today, over one-half the student body participates in instrumental or choral music at Bapst, and several art shows each year are devoted to the visual arts. The Spring Musical also continues to involve large numbers; in April 2002, for instance, over 120 students participated in a full-scale production of My Fair Lady. Many other co-curricular offerings, including the Student Senate, service organizations such as Key Club and National Honor Society, academic teams such as the Math Team, Chess Team, and the Junior Classical League, and student publications such as The Bapstonian Yearbook bring additional fulfillment to the young people who choose John Bapst Memorial High School.
Finally, for the last fifteen years, Bapst students have scored at or near the top in the Maine Educational Assessments (including first or second in all seven categories during the last two years). Furthermore, many students go on to earn Finalist, Semi-finalist, and Commended Scholar status for their performance on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test. In 2003, 98 percent of Bapst graduates continued their education beyond high school and can now be found in many of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country. What began as the insightful ambition of a few people dedicated to high quality education has become the reality of a school whose reputation for excellence extends throughout New England.
Mission
Integrity. Achievement. Respect.
John Bapst Memorial High School is an academically challenging, independent, college preparatory day school fostering in students a respect for learning, for themselves, and for others.
Strategic Plan
