This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website
Sacred
Heart College
University
of Our Lady of Sacred Cross
Sacred
Heart Military
Academy
1877
Instruments of Richwood band sold to
Sacred Heart College boys in about 1877 or 1878. WG
1894
07 13 M. Franzen has secured the contract to build a new Sacred Heart College gymnasium. The building will cost from $5000 to $7000. WG
11 28 First
matched football game between the Northwestern University and Sacred Heart
College WG
1899
Adrian Joss played baseball for Watertown and Watertown’s Sacred Heart Team in 1899,
along with his future major league catcher Red Kleinow.
1908
10 23 Northwestern University football team
defeated Sacred Heart College WG
11 13 Students
gave dramatic entertainment for ladies of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church,
Richwood WG
11 27 Students gave a select reading and a one-act
comedy at St. Joseph's bazaar and festival
WG
1955
Watertown Daily Times, 07 14 1955
SACRED HEART
MILITARY ACADEMY HERE TO OPEN ITS DOORS ON SEPT. 6
Initial enrollment at new school to be limited to
about 50
Sacred Heart Military Academy here in Watertown
will open its doors on Tuesday, Sept. 6, according to announcement made today
by Brother Dominic Elder, C.S.C. Ph. D., the headmaster who has arrived in the
city to complete plans for the opening and assume his duties as head of the new
school.
Brother Dominic has just completed six years as
master of novices at St. Joseph’s Novitiate at Rolling Prairie, Ind. He is a native of Paducah, Ky., graduated
from Notre Dame University in 1936, received his master’s degree in 1941 and
his doctor of philosophy degree in political science in 1951. He was at one time stationed at Sacred Heart
College here and Watertown is not a stranger to him.
Sitting in his office at the academy today, Brother
Dominic spoke of the plans and hopes for the institution. First announcement of the new school was made
months ago, last year, when work was first begun on a vast building and alteration
program to convert the old college into new and required quarters for it new
purposes. Work has been underway for
months and is still not completed. It is
likely the work will continue right up to the day of the opening, since there
is much to be done, although a tremendous amount of work has already been
completed.
Junior Boarding School
Sacred Heart Military Academy will be operated by
the Brothers of Holy Cross as a junior boarding school. Its opening in September will mark the
fulfillment of a need in the Midwest which the Order felt for a resident grade
school of limited enrollment.
Brother Dominic said that for the first year of
operation the enrollment will be limited to some 50 boys in the age group of
fifth to eighth grade pupils. He said
that all indications point to a full enrollment and that some may have to be
turned away. The reason for limitation
at the 50 or so mark is that for the present the old college will continue to
be used in part for a postulate. It is
planned to move the postulate to some other area at a later date. When that is done the facilities here will
provide for an enrollment of 150 or more.
In addition to boarding students, the academy will
accept day students, Brother Dominic said.
He said that already somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 inquiries have
been received regarding enrollments and, he added, anyone else interested may
arrange for an interview by calling his office.
Registering cadets for the term starting Sept. 6 is now underway.
All of the new construction and the alterations at the
college have been carried out to meet all Wisconsin fire code and building
requirements, Brother Dominic said.
Christian Education
Christian education will be the dominant theme of
the academy. It will strive to
harmoniously develop “the whole-man-his physical, intellectual and religious
powers”.
The general purpose of education at Sacred Heart
Military Academy is to train boys to become, under the inspiration of divine
grace and the orderly pursuit of intellectual and moral truth, true Christian
gentlemen, and the means of
accomplishing this will be found in a well-balanced program which has been laid
out for the new academy and in its small classes which will permit individual
attention, close supervision and guidance, and above all, in its experienced
and understanding staff of faculty members.
The Brother of the Holy Cross were the first
teaching brotherhood to make a permanent foundation in the United States and
for more than a century they have been conducting grammar schools, high
schools, preparatory schools and colleges, both boarding and day, not only in
the United States but in other countries as well.
The Holy Cross Brothers have a definite philosophy
of life, education, and youth direction.
Their methods are tried and proved, best exemplified by their long
association with the University of Notre Dame since its founding in 1842 by a
priest and six Brothers of the Congregation.
The course of studies, the religious training, the
rules of discipline, athletic and social activities – all these are designed to
develop the soul and body, heart and mind of students so that they may fulfill
the purpose of their existence in this world and the next.
Approved Curriculum
The curriculum which is to be followed at the
academy is designed along the lines in elementary schools of the Diocese of
Madison of which the Rt. Rev. William P. O’Connor is bishop, and which has been
approved by the State Department of Education for Wisconsin for school grades
five to eight.
The military training will consist of the regular
U. S. Infantry drill and will be required of all students. Specially designed military uniforms will be
worn by the students.
The academy will provide a physical education and
sports program and all students will participate in the formal physical
education classes as well as in the year-around intramural program of games.
Activities, according to Brother Dominic, will be
numerous and varied. Declamation and
dramatics are to be correlated with the regular classroom work. Art, crafts, nature study, typing, choral and
instrumental music are elected subjects for students with these particular
interests. Billiards, pool, ping-pong,
chess and other indoor games will be available at all recreation periods. Hobbies of every sort will be encouraged and
developed to promote a vigorous but voluntary form of healthful recreation and
worthy employment of leisure time, Brother Dominic said.
Visiting Periods
Part of each Sunday will be devoted to visiting
hours for parents and others. These
hours will be from
Brother Dominic said that he will be happy to
provide any additional information anyone may wish to have. He will provide an illustrated leaflet giving
detailed information, enrollment fees, general expenses, etc. to anyone who
applies. He may be reached by telephone
or may be addressed by mail by sending a letter of inquiry to The Headmaster,
Sacred Heart Military Academy, Watertown, Wis.
He said that additional details concerning the
coming term, such as faculty members, etc. will be given in the Times before
the school formally opens in September.
1955
Watertown Daily Times, 08 05 1955
Plans for opening the new Sacred Heart Military
Academy here on Sept. 6 are progressing under the direction of Brother Dominic
Elder, C.S.C., recently assigned here as headmaster. To be conducted by the Brothers of Holy Cross
who have conducted a juniorate here for many years, the academy will be
operated as a boarding school with an enrollment of about 50. Day students will also be accepted, said
Brother Dominic, and the present old college will continue to be used in part
as a postulate. The military training
will consist of the regular U.S. Infantry drill and will be required of all
students, who will wear specially designed uniforms. There will be a physical education and sports
program with elective courses in declamation, dramatics, crafts, nature study,
typing, choral and instrumental music.
1955
Watertown Daily Times, 09 07 1955
Fifty young cadets arrived today at Sacred Heart
Military Academy for opening day ceremonies and the beginning of the school
year at Watertown's latest institution of learning. Muster of the cadet corps
on the parade ground at
1956
Watertown Daily Times, 09 06 1956
School has begun for 56 cadets at Sacred Heart
Military Academy, the boarding school opened last year in Watertown by the
Brothers of Holy Cross for boys from fifth through eighth grades. Yesterday, labeled opening day at the school,
Cadets and their parents arrived for registration and other routine procedures,
followed by a meeting and refreshments for parents, and in the evening, a movie
and party for the newly arrived Cadets.
The second cadet corps in the history of the academy comes, like the
first, mostly from the Chicago, Milwaukee and Twin Cities area, with several
boys from various towns in Wisconsin, and one each from Whiting, Indiana,
Michigan, Indiana, Detroit, Michigan, Owensboro, Kentucky, and Cleveland, Ohio.
_________________________________________________________________________
SACRED HEART
CAMPUS SITE
NOW
MARANATHA BAPTIST BIBLE COLLEGE
1968
Watertown Daily Times, 02 03
2001
Sacred
Heart and now Maranatha Baptist Bible College have a
long history and a close relationship with Watertown.
It was
in the fall of 1871 that the authorities of the Congregation of Holy Cross at
Notre Dame purchased the 65-acre site from Col. Henry Bertram who had purchased
it from Patrick Rogen. In addition to the land, the property consisted of a
large two-story residence of white brick and other smaller buildings. That was
the original school, and it later became a guest house.
One
year later, on Sept. 9, 1872, the facility opened as the University of Our Lady
of Sacred Cross. The first enrollment consisted of 27 students. The first
president of the school was the Rev. William Corby,
C.S.C., one of the original founders.
The
institution grew rapidly, and before the end of the first semester there were
66 students, five of whom were living on campus. To accommodate the increasing
numbers the Provincial Council a year later approved construction of the
central section of the main building.
Father
Corby was a pretty busy man that year. At the same time he was leading this construction
project, he was also pastor of St. Bernard's Catholic Church, and the huge
structure now at the corner of Church and Main streets was being constructed.
On May
25, 1874, the university was chartered by the state of Wisconsin, making the
college a fully recognized institution with the privilege of conferring degrees
in science arts and commerce.
Back
at that time the board of trustees of the university consisted of the Rev.
William Corby, president; the Rev. Patrick J. Colovin, vice president; the Rev.
John O'Connell, secretary; Bernard Smith, chancellor; and John Crowley,
treasurer.
Sacred
Heart College continued until 1886 when it was closed as a university by a
decree of the General Chapter of the Congregation of Holy Cross. At that time
it was converted to a normal school for the brothers as well as a preparatory
school for young men who aspired to become brothers.
This
new concept was short-lived, and in 1888 it was abandoned with 30 men planning
to become brothers transferred to the newly created St. Joseph Novitiate in
Notre Dame, Ind. At that point the school returned to being a university.
During
the next five years there was an ambitious building program. The entire east
wing was constructed in 1889. The northwest addition, which included the
refectory and chapel, was completed in 1891, and the southwest wing, which
housed the gymnasium and two bowling lanes, was constructed in 1894.
From
1888 to 1912 the school operated as a university, but it was closed that year
and once again it returned to the status of a normal school for young men who
planned to become brothers.
From
1928 to 1955 the school also operated a regular high school course of study
which was recognized by the University of Notre Dame. The graduates of that normal
school could then easily be accepted to Notre Dame to complete their training
as brothers.
The
school was operated just as the name indicates - as a military academy. The
young boys were taught strict discipline in addition to their academic and religious
studies. We can remember them dressed in military uniforms performing various
close order drills. They always looked pretty sharp as they went through their
drills on the campus.
These
young men came from all over the country and even some foreign countries. When
they completed their education here, they were well educated through the eighth
grade, well disciplined and well versed on the Bible.
Sacred
Heart continued with this mission until 1955 when it opened as a military
academy. It continued in that mission until 1968 when the Notre Dame officials
decided to move the school to Indiana and the buildings were put up for sale.
The
final class to graduate from Sacred Heart Military Academy consisted of 35
eighth-grade men. It was the 13th graduating class. The graduation took place
on Sunday afternoon, May 26, 1968, with over 700 well-wishers looking on. There
was a Mass at 10:45 a.m., a dinner for all of the guests at 11:30 a.m. and a
military review at 1:30 p.m.
That
review consisted of the honor drill platoon, drum corps and a competition drill
among the four platoons of the company. Declamation winners gave their
presentations, academic and citizenship awards were presented and diplomas were
issued to the 35 eighth-graders.
And by
the end of the day, the 17-member faculty, including the school's priest, had
completed their work, and the planned move to Indiana became the main order of
business.
It
didn't take long before Dr. B. Myron Cedarholm visited the site with a vision of
turning it into a Baptist Bible college, and by later that year the deal had
been consummated and Maranatha Baptist Bible College was born. Maranatha has a
rich history since that time. The list of improvements and new facilities on
the campus has been staggering since that time, and there is much more to come.
It's
kind of ironic that the brothers decided back in 1967 that the campus simply
needed too much money to make the facilities acceptable for the purpose
intended, but the Maranatha team a year later saw great opportunities when they
purchased the facility for what surely appeared as a bargain price of $150,000.
Since
that time Maranatha has expanded academically and is now an accredited college
offering bachelor's and master's degrees in a number of disciplines. It also
operates a child care and preschool and has plans for further expansions on the
site and on some recently acquired property just north of Main Street.
Maranatha also offers a full high school curriculum on the campus and has enjoyed
rising enrollments at both the high school and college levels. In addition, the
college has a close affiliation with Calvary Baptist Church which operates a
Christian elementary school. As a result, children can be educated in the
Baptist philosophy from preschool all the way through a master's degree.
Image Portfolio
Click upon to enlarge
Weltburger, 07 13 1889,
drawing
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1902 Postulate,
Brothers of Holy Cross, 1925
President's Home
1919
