Father Ryan High School, the co-educational Catholic high school located at 700 Norwood Drive in Nashville, turns 100 next month. A two- year-long celebration is in the works. The revelry kicks off on the school’s campus with a “100 Years of Father Ryan Community Celebration” on Saturday, Sept. 14. The celebration is for alumni, students, parents, grandparents, former and current faculty and staff and friends.
Father Ryan High School to Celebrate 100 Years!
Father Ryan was originally and all-boys Catholic school when it first opened in 1925.
From its humble beginnings as a Catholic school for boys to the present day, the high school has shown unwavering commitment to its mission of service. The school’s alumni served the community at large during World War II by purchasing enough War Bonds to procure a B-17. In 1954, Father Ryan was the first school in the South to integrate classrooms following the Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. Board of Education and it was also the first private school to integrate sports in Tennessee. Since the year 2000, 35 graduates have received appointments and attended military academies.
The school combines academics, arts and athletics with faith and service for all of its students. Notable graduates include Father Charles Strobel (Founder of The Room in the Inn, etc.); John Siegenthaler (journalist, political figure and former publisher of The Tennessean), Russ Wiggington (president of the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis) and countless others.
The impact of the school in the Middle Tennessee community has been significant from the beginning and shows no sign of stopping. Happy 100, Father Ryan!
Learn more about the school by visiting fatherryan.org.
