Scranton
Prep first opened its doors in the year of
1944.
Since that September day, the school has had
a rather unique history. The original building
was
located on the corner of Wyoming Avenue and Mulberry
Street. It had a peaceful existence there
until
1961, when the construction of an
expressway necessitated a move to a new location.
After making the Old Main Building of the University
of Scranton its temporary home for two years,
Prep moved to its permanent location, the former
Women’s Institute Building of the International
Correspondence Schools, at 1000 Wyoming Avenue.
Founded
as a boys' school, Scranton Prep became co-educational
in 1971 when a disastrous fire destroyed Marywood
Seminary, a local girls’ academy conducted
by the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters.
Scranton
Prep was established as a division of the University
of Scranton, but received its official charter
of separate incorporation in 1977.
Scranton
Preparatory School is one of 52 Jesuit secondary
schools in the United States. In 1986, Prep was
named a National Exemplary School by the United
States Department of Education.
What
Does Jesuit Education Mean Today?
"While
continuing to stress academic excellence, the
Society of Jesus has always sought to imbue students
with values that transcend the goals of money,
fame and success. We want graduates who will be
leaders concerned about the society and the world
in which they live, desirous of eliminating hunger
and conflict in the world, sensitive to the need
for more equitable distribution of God’s
bounty...eager to share their faith and love of
Christ with others.
"Recent
trends in education have focused exclusively on
self-actualization of the individual. Today it
must be the world community that forms the context
for growth and learning...There is no aspect of
education, not even the hard sciences, which is
neutral. All teaching imparts values and these
values can be such as to promote justice or to
work...at cross purposes to the mission of the
Society (of Jesus).
"The
objective of Jesuit education is to form men and
women for the service of others in the world community
of the 21st century."
Rev.
Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.
Superior General of the Society of Jesus
June 9, 1989
