About

History

The oldest all-boys school in Washington, DC, Gonzaga has a rich legacy that stretches back more than 200 years. Over the course of that history, Gonzaga has demonstrated and reaffirmed a deep commitment to Jesuit education. And it has chosen to do so in the heart of the inner city—on a street shared with leaders of business and government, and on a block where it ministers to the least fortunate in society.

At times, our location was seen as a liability. But the decision to remain on Eye Street was driven by the recognition that where we are plays a major role in shaping who we are. Today, Gonzaga’s downtown location is one of the many reasons for our success. Three blocks from the Metro and the main railway line at Union Station, Gonzaga draws students from all over the Washington area. Our location also reinforces our commitment to service. Located on Gonzaga’s campus, The Father McKenna Center is a Catholic social service agency serving men struggling with homelessness as well as very low income families.
Throughout Gonzaga’s history, our mission has always been the same: educating Men for Others, and following the Jesuit vision as inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Founding and Early Years

List of 4 items.

  • 1821—Gonzaga College opens its doors.

    The original building, which was on the north side of F Street, NW, between 9th and 10th streets, was intended to become a House of Novices for the Jesuits. But after standing empty, the Jesuits started a House of Philosophy for Jesuit Scholastics in 1820. In the months that followed, Washingtonians began asking the Jesuits to allow their sons into the college (which was originally under the charter of Georgetown College), not to become Jesuits, but for a good basic education. The Jesuits agreed, and the Washington Seminary, as Gonzaga was originally called, began classes for lay students in 1821.

  • 1827—The Jesuits temporarily leave the Seminary.

    Although the school flourished, it was a day school only and was not endowed. The only way to pay for the running of the school was to charge tuition, which was against the rules of the Society of Jesus at that time. So after much prompting from Rome, and many attempts to disguise the fact that they were charging tuition, the Jesuits left the Washington Seminary.

  • 1848—The Seminary reopens.

    After the Jesuits left, the small school continued to operate in the building on F Street, where it stood next to the old St. Patrick's Church, the city's oldest Catholic parish. The rector, Fr. Matthews, tried to bring the Jesuits back to the school many times. Even though the rules against tuition were changed in Rome in 1833, it took another 15 years for the Jesuits to return.

  • 1858— President James Buchanan signs into law the Act of Congress creating the "President and Directors of Gonzaga College."

    Before that, the school had still been operating under the charter of Georgetown College. A copy of the signed Charter—dated May 4, 1858—hangs outside the Headmaster's Office today.

Move to Eye Street

List of 5 items.

  • 1859—The Jesuits build a church on North Capitol Street and dedicate it to St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a Jesuit saint of the 16th century.

    Jesuit Father Benedict Sestini, a Mathematics teacher at Georgetown University, was the church's architect. The painting above the altar, showing Aloysius Gonzaga receiving his first Holy Communion from Cardinal Charles Borromeo, was created by Constantino Brumidi, who is famous for painting the frescoes in the rotunda of the United States Capitol.
    When the church was formally dedicated in 1859, the New York Times wrote, "In internal architectural beauty, it is said not to be surpassed by any church in the world.''

  • 1871— Gonzaga leaves the center of Washington to take over a building near the new church.

    The building was located on Eye Street, N.W., and was built in the 1860s as an orphanage—today that building is Kohlmann Hall. At that time, there were very few buildings in the area, and the move turned out be nearly disastrous. There were so few people living in the area that enrollment dropped precipitously, and there was a real question about the survival of the school. But the neighborhood gradually expanded, the number of applicants increased, and by Gonzaga’s 75th anniversary in 1896, the school was ready to expand.

  • 1896—Sheehy Theater opens.

    The oldest continually operating theater in the old federal city of Washington, the Sheehy Theater has hosted hundreds of student performances. Even music luminaries such as John Philip Sousa and Kate Smith have graced its stage.

  • 1909—President Taft attends the 50th anniversary celebration of St. Al's.

    The celebration included a civic parade down North Capitol Street, which President Taft and others watched from the front steps of St. Al's. 

  • 1912—Dooley Hall opens.

    The facade, looking out onto Eye Street (which was a regular street, with houses on the other side until the 1970s) incorporated the old facade of the theater, so that the two buildings looked like one.

The 1920s through 1950s

List of 5 items.

  • 1921—Gonzaga celebrates its 100th anniversary.

    To mark the occassion, the school held a banquet on November 17, 1921, at the Wardman Park Inn.

  • 1926—Gonzaga Football has its greatest season.

    The 1926 Gonzaga Football team finished with a perfect record of 6-0. In addition to being unbeaten, no team scored on them, and no opponent crossed the 50 yard line the entire season.

  • 1942-1945—Gonzaga's "Greatest Generation" serves in World War II.

    In 1944, according to the Aetonian, there were 611 Gonzaga students serving in the Armed Forces. A well-known photo (which you can see at right) in that same edition of the yearbook shows a group of students standing on the stairs of Dooley Hall before they left for war. Beneath it the caption said:

    "We, who in January depart from the hallowed halls of Gonzaga in order to be ready to rally to the standard of our country, pause to pay tribute to the alumni of former years, now engaged in the momentous task of defending their Flag and the principles for which it stands. May we, proud in the possession of the same ideals and moulded by the same universally acclaimed educational system, also render insignis when our country beckons us."


  • 1942—Legendary coach, teacher, and mentor Joe Kozik begins his 50-year career.

    Known affectionately as "The Coach" to generations of Gonzaga students, Kozik coached football, baseball, and basketball, taught history, biology, religion, and physical education, and served as the school's athletic director. In 1951, he fielded D.C.'s first integrated football team.

  • 1954—Gabe Smith, Gonzaga's first African American student, graduates.

    Smith grew up in rural Ridge, Maryland, where his pastor at St. Peter Claver Church was Father Horace McKenna, SJ, who encouraged Smith to attend Gonzaga. In 1954, he became the school's first African American graduate. Click here to read a story from The Washington Post about Smith and his years at Gonzaga.

The 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s

List of 7 items.

An Enduring Legacy

List of 6 items.

  • 1994—St. Aloysius Church is restored.

    Today, St. Al’s continues to play a pivotal role in the life of Gonzaga—the entire student body gathers there for regular Mass and assemblies, and for commencement each year.

  • 2000—The campus is transformed through the renovation of the Ruesch and Cantwell courtyard.

  • 2013—Gonzaga’s historic Sheehy Theater is renovated.

    The renovation added an adjoining two-story Theater Arts Center, incorporated state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment, and reconfigured the space to accommodate 799 seats. As part of the same campaign, the Carmody Center was expanded and now includes locker rooms and a strength and conditioning center. 

  • 2015—The Eye Street Campus opens.

    The renovation project closed Eye Street to cars and transformed it into a gathering place. It also created a new stadium with a turf field and incorporated a 300-space underground parking garage.

  • 2021—Gonzaga celebrates its Bicentennial Anniversary

    Wednesday, September 8, 2021 marked the official 200th birthday of Gonzaga. Following that momentous occasion, the school continued to mark this milestone with a variety of events and festivities, including a Mass and Block Party, GDA Show, and Gala. 

    In addition, the Forever Gonzaga Bicentennial Campaign officially launched -- a historic fundraising effort that is a celebration of our school's history as well as a commitment to continued excellence on Eye Street. To read more about the campaign, please click here.

  • 2023—School successfully completes its Bicentennial Campaign

    On May 15, 2023 -- the same day that students celebrated Charter Day in St. Aloysius Church -- Father Lingan announced the successful completion of the Forever Gonzaga Bicentennial Campaign. In a letter to the community, he wrote: "I am honored to announce that through a combination of current gifts to capital projects, significant gifts to our endowment, as well as thoughtful estate or planned gifts that Gonzaga will receive in the years to come, we did not just meet our ambitious goal, but surpassed it. Thanks to the enormous generosity of so many members of our Gonzaga community, I am both tremendously heartened and humbled to announce that we raised more than $80 million during this historic campaign!"

    To read the full letter and watch a video expressing our gratitude, click here.
Celebrating 200 Years of Jesuit Education in the Nation's Capital

Gonzaga College High School

202-336-7100