St. Joseph's High School (Camden, New Jersey)
| St. Joseph's High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
|
1770 Mt. Ephraim Avenue Camden, New Jersey |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Private, Coeducational |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1946 |
| Closed | 1979 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Color(s) |
Red White |
| Newspaper | Impressions |
| Yearbook | Cordon |
St. Joseph's High School was a four-year private high school founded in 1946 by St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Diocese of Camden, located in Camden, New Jersey, that was closed in 1979 in the face of declining enrollment.
The prime mover behind the creation of St. Joseph's High School was Monsignor Arthur B. Strenski, P.A., pastor of St. Joseph's Church from 1934 to 1966.
Initially located on church property at Tenth and Liberty Streets, the high school moved to a new three-story building at 1770 Mt. Ephraim Avenue in 1952. The new school building was designed by Earley & Houwen Associates, and its estimated $1 million cost borne by donors, including Catholic-owned businesses which donated materials and labor. The cornerstone was laid August 8, 1951, and the school formally dedicated November 27, 1952, while the wing containing the cafeteria, auditorium, and gymnasiums was still under construction.
Enrollment peaked at approximately 900 in the late 1950s. Enrollments declined sharply in the 1970s, mirroring Camden's economic reverses and "white flight," and the school closed at the end of the 1978-79 school year.
The school motto was Non Verbis, Sed Virtute (not by word, but by deed).
Like the founding church's membership, the co-ed student body was overwhelmingly white, primarily working-class, and heavily Polish Catholic. St. Joseph's also drew students from nearby communities such as Yorkship Village, Williamstown and Deptford, whose Catholic parishes could support an elementary school but not a high school.
St. Joseph's colors were red and white, the mascot the Bison, the yearbook the Cordon, and the student newspaper the Impressions. A student-created low-power radio station, WSJH-FM, began operation in 1971.
St. Joseph's High School received its initial accreditation in 1949. Throughout its history, curriculum offerings were constrained by both its size and its facilities. Students chose between a college preparatory track, a secretarial track, and a general track. Electives in all three "courses" were limited. Graduation requirements for all students included four years of Religion, English, and Physical Education, and two years of U.S. History.
St. Joseph's was initially staffed by members of the Felician Sisters (Congregation of the Sisters of St. Felix Cantalice), a teaching order affiliated with the Order of St. Francis and founded in Warsaw, Poland, in 1855. While priests from area parishes and lay faculty would make substantial contributions, St. Joseph's was heavily dependent on the Felicians throughout its history.
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