We’re proud to present the new John W. Hallahan Girls’ High School exhibit at the ACHS headquarters. The Hallahan Alumni Association donated the artifacts on display to celebrate the proud history of the country’s first all-girls diocesan Catholic high school.
The school was opened to give girls from all backgrounds the opportunity to receive an education that was steeped in academics and faith. Their motto was, “Women of Faith, Purpose, and Vision.”
Items in the Hallahan High display
On the second floor of the ACHS HQ, the new display highlights the history and traditions of Hallahan High. It includes school uniforms, pins and rings, a yearbook, student handbook, diplomas, photos, and a history of the school.
The exhibit also features dolls representing the Orders of Religious Sisters who taught at the school including: the Sisters of Mercy, Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Sisters of Saint Joseph, School Sisters of Notre Dame, Sisters of Holy Family of Nazareth, Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, Sisters of Saint Francis, and the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul.
History of Hallahan Girls’ High School
The Catholic Girl’s High School opened its doors to students in September of 1912. The school traces it origins back to 1901 when five High School Centres were opened across the city to enable Catholic girls to continue their education beyond the parish grade schools.
The school officially opened on September 18, 1912, with 550 students enrolled. Of those, 223 would graduate the following spring. The school offered both a two-year commercial course to prepare girls for entering the workforce, as well as a traditional four-year program.
Their first yearbook was published in 1917 and was named the Silver Sands in 1927. The monthly paper, Sand Script, was first published in 1933.
In 1923, the school uniform was introduced. It consisted of a blue woolen jumper with a white blouse.
In the 1930s, the school asked the Walt Disney Company if they could use Mickey Mouse as its mascot. Walt Disney sent a personal letter granting permission, and Hallahan was the only school authorized to use Mickey as a mascot.
The tradition of students jumping into the fountain on the last day of the school year began in the 1970s in the fountain near City Hall, before moving to the Swann Fountain in Logan Circle.
The 1939 class was the largest, with 978 graduates and a total enrollment of 4,754 students. When the school closed in 2021, there were about 400 enrolled students.