Chronology of Important Dates in
              the History of Saint Vincent and the Prep

529 A.D.
St. Benedict founds the Abby of Monte Cassino

766
St. Michael Abby, Metten, Bavaria is founded.

1790
Saint Vincent Parish is established on the “Sportsman’s Hall Tract.”

1835
The Parish Church (later called Prep/Student Chapel) is dedicated under the patronage of Saint Vincent de Paul.

1846
Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B., and his band of Benedictine monks arrive at Saint Vincent and begin to provide instruction to at least one or two boys who came to Saint Vincent for secondary level education.

1847
Wimmer and his Benedictine monks open a Gymnasium/Latin School to provide secondary-level instruction for boys and young men ranging in age from ten to seventeen.

1849
Fr. Thaddeus Brunner, O.S.B., is placed in charge of the Gymnasium and its “commercial department” is opened when thirteen boys who did not plan to enter the priesthood arrived at Saint Vincent to begin their secondary education. This is traditionally regarded as the beginning of the schools of Saint Vincent, collectively known at that time as the “college” which evolved into the Prep.

1850
Fr. Utto Huber, O.S.B., assumes duties of Director of the Gymnasium.

1855
Saint Vincent Monastery is elevated to the dignity of Abby and Boniface Wimmer is appointed as Abbot.

Construction of first section of “old” Benedict Hall is completed.

1858
Saint Vincent monastic chapter confirms appointment and elects Boniface Wimmer as Abbot.

1870
Saint Vincent (Seminary, College, and Preparatory School) is incorporated by the legislature of Pennsylvania which empowers it “to grant and confer degrees in the arts and sciences as are granted in other colleges and universities in the United States.

1871-1872
The Bell Tower is built to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the arrival of the Benedictines at Saint Vincent.

1877
Construction of the final section of “old” Benedict Hall is completed.

1885 - 1888
Placid Hall is constructed.

1887
Boniface Wimmer dies.

1888
Andrew Hintenach, O.S.B., is elected as the second Abbot.

Saint Vincent’s core structure, a three-and-four-story quadrangle of brick buildings, intersected in the middle by the old Saint Vincent Parish Church (later the Prep/Student Chapel), which divided the space within the quadrangle into two courtyards, was finally completed.

1891
Construction of the Archabbey Church, known as the Basilica, begins.

1892
Saint Vincent Abbey is raised to the dignity of Archabbey and Leander Schnerr, O.S.B., is elected as the third Archabbot.

1893
The Sauerkraut Tower is built.

1894
Bede Hall, a freestanding athletic gymnasium southwest of the main quadrangle of buildings, was constructed.

1905
Commemoration of the Archabbey Church.

1918
Aurelius Stehle, O.S.B., is elected fourth Archabbot.

The grammar department of the Gymnasium ends its operations.

The second-level curriculum of the Gymnasium is reorganized into separate programs: i) the first four years of the eight-year “classical Course,” ii) the “Scientific High School,” and iii) the “Commercial High School.”

1921
The organization of the Gymnasium is reformed into the “College Preparatory School,” consisting of a classical course and a scientific course.

1923
A formal separation of the College Preparatory School from the College occurs with the creation of separate administrations for each.

Fr. Bertrand McFadden, O.S.B., named director of the College Preparatory School.

1925
Fr. Walter Stehle, O.S.B., is appointed to position of Director of the College Preparatory School.

1931
Benedictine Sisters from Bavaria, led by Mother Leonarda Fritz, O.S.B., arrive at Saint Vincent and begin to take charge of the kitchens.

1932
Fr. Edmund Cuneo, O.S.B., is appointed first Headmaster of the College Preparatory School with a direction to update the school into a modern, American institution which Prepsters now simply refer to as the Prep.

The Prep School faculty includes Benedictines, such as Fr. Jerome Rupprecht, O.S.B. (mathematics and Religion), in addition to laymen, notably William Rafferty (mathematics and Chemistry) who also served as head coach of the varsity football and basketball teams, known as the Bearkittens, until the 1960s.

Prep students begin to produce a weekly gazette, the “Beacon,” to chronicle events in the Prep.

1935
Prepster Hugh Kennedy sets a national record in winning first place in both oratorical and dramatic declaration on the same day at the National Forensic Tournament at Keut, Ohio.

First edition of the Prep yearbook called “The Chimes” is issued.

1936
The Beacon is replaced by the Saint Vincent Journalette (dedicated to news and notes from the Preparatory School).

Construction of the football stadium is completed.

First football game is held in the new stadium.

1942
William Ucker, Joseph Hurley, Robert Haight, and George Jaeger led the debate team to win the Pennsylvania State Debating Championship.

1945
Fr. Egbert Donovan, O.S.B., is appointed second Headmaster.

1946
Saint Vincent observes its centennial.

1948
The Prep varsity football team of the 1948-1949 academic year goes undefeated.

1949
Denis O. Strittmatter, O.S.B, is elected sixth Archabbot.

1950
Fr. Arden Pfister, O.S.B., is named Director of the Scholasticate.

1951
The Prep varsity basketball team of the 1950-1951 academic year wins Western Pennsylvania Championship.

Clair Mullen is selected All County Guard on the Westmorland County All Star Football Team of the 1950-1951 academic year.

1954
Fr. Warren Raub, O.S.B, replaces Fr. Egbert as Headmaster.

1956
Fr. Louis Sedlacko, O.S.B., is appointed Headmaster.

1960
Fr. Germain Lieb, O.S.B., is named Director of the Scholasticate.

1961
Students of the newly established diocesan Minor Seminary of St. Joseph’s Hill arrive at Saint Vincent Prep School to begin their academic program.

1963
Fire, believed to have started in the biology laboratory in the former Prep/Student Chapel building, destroys parts of “old” Benedict Hall and other buildings housing the Prep, including living quarters for the boarding students.

1964
The last graduating class of the Prep which included Prepsters who were not Scholasticates.

1967
Fr. Luke Callahan, O.S.B., is named Headmaster.

1971
The Prep School begins to close with the acceptance of the final freshman class of Scholasticates.

1974
The last senior class of Scholasticates graduates from the Saint Vincent College Preparatory School which finally closes her doors.

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