100 years

Calvert High School marks the milestone of 100 years of Catholic high-school education this year. According to calvertcatholic.org, Catholic schooling began in Tiffin in 1847, when 20 students attended classes in a one-room log cabin at the current site of St. Joseph School. St. Mary School was started in 1851 in the original St. Mary Church, which was located where Calvert High School now stands, but a fire in 1861 forced the location to close. In 1863, Ursuline nuns from Germany arrived in Tiffin, educating students at the elementary schools and opening the Ursuline Academy for high school girls, which was located on the grassy area next to the Calvert's current high school site. In 1923, Bishop Samuel Alphonsus Stritch requested that boys be admitted into the academy, and that request was honored, the website states. Suzanne Hopple, whose father, Eugene Smith, was in the first graduating class from Calvert, said, "On Sept. 10, 1923, 42 girls and 32 boys were welcomed into the first class." Hopple said her dad and his six siblings all attended Calvert High School. According to Calvert's website, the Ursuline High School name was changed to Calvert High School in 1925, and the current Calvert building was built in the 1950s. "Catholic education has had a long-standing presence in the Tiffin community, educating students in a faith-based atmosphere to become devoted Christians, productive citizens, and community and global leaders of the future," the website states. In honor of 100 years of Catholic high-school education in Tiffin, Calvert is planning a number of events to celebrate the milestone. This fall, Calvert will participate with a float in the Heritage Parade, tours of the schools will be offered, and Mass will be celebrated Sept. 28 at the East Green Amphitheater. Other events include a "Taste of Calvert" lunch and the annual bonfire, pep rally and homecoming activities and game. A golf outing will take place Sept. 30 at Clinton Heights, and an Alumni & Friends Reverse Raffle and Casino Night also is planned for that date. An alumni and friends Mass, the Hall of Fame induction, and a black-tie 100th birthday Autumn Auction is planned for October.