Gonzaga Preparatory School in Spokane, Washington, is a private, Catholic high school in the Inland Northwest. As a Jesuit institution, "G-Prep" has been recognized for its college preparation education and community service.
History
Gonzaga High School was founded in 1887 in the basement of the Gonzaga University administration building. In 1922, the high school became a formal department of Gonzaga University. In 1954, the school moved from the original campus to its present site in the Logan neighborhood of Spokane, Washington. In 1975, in response to changing educational conditions, Gonzaga Prep became a co-educational school. In 1992, the high school implemented the Fair Share tuition program. Currently the school is within the Diocese of Spokane and is administered separately from the university.
The current campus was extensively remodeled in the late 1990s. Then in 2006 $4.4 million was allotted for the construction of a new chapel (Chapel of the Three Companions), renovation of the academic wings, and a new football field. This was followed by a $6 million upgrade of the athletic complex in 2017.
Gonzaga Preparatory School was the first Jesuit school in the country to have a lay president, John Traynor.
Service
As a part of its extensive service program, Gonzaga requires a semester course on Christian service of all seniors.
The Gonzaga Prep Food Drive consistently gathers over 100,000 pounds of food each year before the Thanksgiving holiday. Recipients of collected groceries and turkeys include over two hundred families, the Colville Indian Reservation, the Spokane Tribe, the Morningstar Baptist Church, residents of Summit View Apartments, Second Harvest food bank, and many local food pantries.
Athletics
The Gonzaga Prep Bullpups compete in the 4A classification and are part of the GSL (Greater Spokane League), a league of 10 teams from around Spokane. As a member of the 4A Greater Spokane League, the Bullpups offer athletic opportunities in ten boys sports and ten girls sports: for boys, football, cross country, basketball, wrestling, soccer, tennis, baseball, track, lacrosse, robotics and golf; and for girls, volleyball, soccer, robotics, cross country, basketball, tennis, softball, track, golf, lacrosse, and cheerleading. Over sixty-five percent of Gonzaga Prep's student body participates in athletics.
Girls' Tennis
G-Prep won seven straight GSL Tennis championships from 1997-2003. The Bullpups tennis teams went undefeated for eight years. When Lewis and Clark High School defeated G-Prep on April 13, 2003, it was the Bullpups' first loss since 1996. The team continues to experience success.
Notable alumni
- Bing Crosby - singer/entertainer, winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Father Chuck O'Malley in the 1944 motion picture Going My Way
- Joe Danelo - NFL placekicker
- Timothy Egan - Pulitzer Prize-winning writer
- Ray Flaherty - NFL hall-of-famer
- Tom Foley - Speaker of the US House of Representatives
- Steve Gleason - New Orleans Saints special teams captain
- Max Krause - NFL running back
- Al Mengert - professional golfer
- Mike Redmond - baseball player and manager for the Miami Marlins
- Bishop Sankey - running back for the University of Washington Huskies and the New England Patriots
- John Stockton - NBA hall of famer - all-time NBA assists and steals leader
- Julia Sweeney - cast member of Saturday Night Live
- Chris Tormey - college football head coach
- Miriam Weeks - sex-positive feminist and award-winning pornographic actress known by her stage name Belle Knox
- John Yarno - NFL center, All-American at Idaho (attended G-Prep through junior year)
Notes and references
External links
- gprep.com - school website
- Video
