The History of Saint Rose Academy San Francisco, California 1862-1906
Graduation Date
Summer 1955
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program Name
Education
Abstract
The history of St. Rose Academy in San Francisco provides practical demonstration of Catholic secondary education for girls in the first half of California's statehood. The Academy is conducted by the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Dominic of the Congregation of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, the first Sisterhood to come to California. A brief sketch of the historical and educ!3.tional background of early California provides a picture of the set-ting in which the Congregation laid its foundations. Throughout this study the contemporary progress in the public and Catholic schools of the city is presented as a means of evaluating the Academy's effort. Moreover, through the development of this school the reader will get a clearer understanding of the solid educational contributions made by the devoted religious women in the American period of California's history.
The Academy, established in May of 1862 on Brannan Street, moved from its inconvenient church-school-convent quarters to Golden Gate Avenue in 1868, where under the highly competent direction of Sister Mary Thomas Golden the school flourished and solidly established itself. This outstanding administrator is credited with the enrichment and extension of a full academic and cultural curriculum and the basic organization of the modern high school course of studies. After being destroyed by fire in 1893, the Academy was conducted at two temporary locations for nearly thirteen years until a permanent location could be secured. During that time significant curricular developments took place which are considered in this study. In 1906 the new St. Rose Academy was dedicated at its present location. Here it still stands, a monument to ninety-five years of education in the Golden West.