Over the past decades, Archbishop Mitty has continuously renovated and improved, reflecting its student body in its every action. This year, on our 60th anniversary, it’s a good time to reflect upon the decades, through the eyes of faculty and staff members.
On September 10, 1964, Archbishop Mitty High School was born. However, it did not exist as an institution: students took classes in the Queen of Apostles Chapel until the second semester when the 130 freshmen physically carried their desks to the newly built 100, 200, 300, and 400 wings. While there was an administrative complex, there was no designated theater venue or cafeteria. Simply put, the newly established Marianist institution set off to serve Catholic boys in the greater San Jose area. That was until it merged with the neighboring Mother Butler High School and the St. Lawrence Academy for Girls to create the co-educational Archbishop Mitty that exists today.
As the school grew in size, certain elements were added to fit the needs of the students and faculty. Mr. Keith Mathews, the Director of Advancement, and a member of the first lay administration of Archbishop Mitty said, “In 1990 when I came there were about 800 students, now we have almost 1800. So obviously we have had to add lots of classrooms…” Essentially, the creation of a co-ed institution, along with increased admission, generated a need for increased facilities, such as the Aymar Center, the 800 wing, the 500 wing, and Sobrato. With these new buildings and resources came new obstacles. For example, the addition of the McLean gym removed the ability of Mitty’s Tennis teams to practice on-site, while the 500 wing took the place of Mitty’s previous school busing facilities and gas station, forcing the school to rely on outsourced transportation services for retreats, games, and other activities.
Yet, what would be a consideration of Mitty’s history without embracing some of the “interesting” or “fascinating” parts of the school’s lore? In particular, Mr. Mathews, who serves as the school’s unofficial historian, recounts various events that have transpired over the decades. In particular, the cow patty bingo, a questionable yet undoubtedly spirited event that combined dividing up the football field into squares and waiting for a cow to choose a specific spot “do its business.” Or perhaps the student games of donkey basketball, a precursor to the class competitions of Monarch Madness, consisting of a unique combination of donkey riding and the familiar basketball setup.
Additionally, according to Mr. Mathews, Mitty once served as a concert venue for the mega rock band “Huey Lewis and the News” in 1982, creating a “jam-packed gym,” something that undoubtedly “would be unable to be recreated today”.
Furthermore, soon after Apple decided to release its computers as educational tools, Mr. Mathews remembers trailblazing this educational revolution as the “first high school to contract with Apple in California, if not nationally.” Indeed, while Mitty has served as a home to peculiar events and sensations alike, its core values of fostering a community for all and living in the image and likeness of God has never wavered.
Math teacher Mrs. Kayla Monk ’06 can attest to the consistency of these core values. At Mitty, she found a community, making friends that she still keeps in touch with today, and falling in love with both the subject of math and her classmate, who is now her husband. Years after her high school graduation, she returned as a math instructor working alongside her former teachers. She marvels at how much the campus and buildings have changed in those intervening years but remains comforted by the familiar atmosphere of Mitty. Just as she remembers it, the school continues to be a welcoming and spirited academic community.
Archbishop Mitty High School has had a long and interesting history, filled with community-building events, rare concerts, and continuous renovations. Through ups and downs, the mission statement has acted as a compass, guiding the school’s path. That same compass continues to orient Mitty’s next steps. Whatever direction the future takes, Mitty faculty and alumni all agree on one thing: there are many stories of the school’s history yet to come.