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Messmer High School from 1926-2001 Rebecca A Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations (2009 -) Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Projects Doctrina, Fides, Gubernatio: Messmer High School from 1926-2001 Rebecca A. Lorentz Marquette University Recommended Citation Lorentz, Rebecca A., "Doctrina, Fides, Gubernatio: Messmer High School from 1926-2001" (2010). Dissertations (2009 -). Paper 75. http://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/75 DOCTRINA, FIDES, GUBERNATIO: MESSMER HIGH SCHOOL FROM 1926-2001 by Rebecca A. Lorentz, B.A., M.A. A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin December, 2010 i ABSTRACT DOCTRINA, FIDES, GUBERNATIO: MESSMER HIGH SCHOOL FROM 1926-2001 Rebecca A. Lorentz, BA, MA Marquette University, 2010 In 1926, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee opened its first Diocesan high school, hoping thereby to provide Milwaukee‟s north side with its own Catholic school. By 1984 the Archdiocese claimed that the combination of declining enrollment and rising operating costs left it no option other than permanently closing Messmer. In response, a small group of parents and community members aided by private philanthropy managed to reopen the school shortly thereafter as an independent Catholic school. This reemergence suggested a compelling portrait of the meaning given to a school, even as ethnic, religious, and racial boundaries shifted. Modern studies tend to regard Catholic schools as academically outstanding and socially just institutions. In particular, Bryk, Holland and Lee‟s Catholic Schools and the Common Good celebrates community and a belief in the importance of a Catholic education. They present extensive statistical evidence demonstrating the overall effectiveness of these schools and identify the three most significant features of Catholic schools - the emphasis on a rigorous academic curriculum for all students, an environment filled with caring, committed school personnel and parental support, and a strong identification with principles of social justice. Seemingly consistent with this view over time were Messmer‟s college-preparatory curriculum despite limited budgets, religious and lay instructors who felt strongly about both Catholic education and Christian values, and an expressed commitment to social justice that shifted with Vatican II directives from global politics to local concerns, especially in relation to neighborhood integration and community diversity. While Bryk, Holland, and Lee‟s assertions may be correct, it is important to examine these beliefs, and Messmer provides ample opportunity to study the widely held assumptions about a Catholic school. Therefore, this dissertation examines a seventy-five year period at Messmer High School to explore the extent to which it was able to meet these modern ideals. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Rebecca A. Lorentz, B.A., M.A. I wish to thank a number of people for their kindness, wisdom, and direction, even though my words inevitably become clumsy and insufficient. First, I thank my committee, three of the funniest, most thought-provoking, and inspiring people I've known. My advisor and director, Dr. Robert Lowe, has made me a better thinker and a better writer. His steady guidance and sage counsel have always been incredibly helpful and I have enjoyed his mentorship immensely, despite his disdain for my conjunctive adverbs. Dr. William Pink and Dr. Theresa Burant have consistently forced me to think not only about my writing, the form and function of schools, and our society, but also to consider ways in which they can be improved. I am a better teacher because of them. I am grateful to Dr. Joan Whipp and Dr. Sharon Chubbuck for their guidance early in my doctoral studies. Tim Cary‟s kind assistance and encouragement in the archives at the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and Robert Gottschalk‟s generosity at Messmer High School were essential to this research. I am indebted to my family and friends; the value of their support and encouragement cannot be overstated. Finally, in this and in all things, I am most thankful for Michelle L'Estrange‟s unwavering belief in me that often exceeds my own. It is because of her love and support that I was able to begin and complete this journey. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgement………………………………………………………………………i List of Tables...................................................................................................................iii List of Photographs..........................................................................................................iv Chapter 1: Introduction.....................................................................................................1 Chapter 2: 1926-1934: We Seek New Trails.................................................................28 Chapter 3: 1935- 1947: Faith, Virtue, Knowledge……………………………………49 Chapter 4: 1948-1970: Tene Quod Habes…………………………………………….85 Chapter 5: 1971-1990: King in Your Kingdom or Shepherd to Your Flock?.............140 Chapter 6: 1991-2001: Let the State Pay Its Share ………………………………….180 iii LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS Figure Page 2.1 Cornerstone Address, 1926 30 2.2 Archbishop Sebastian Messmer 32 2.3 St. Elizabeth‟s School 36 2.4 Reverend Celestine Bittle 38 2.5 Rooftop View of Ceremony 41 2.7 Science Students at Work in 1930 45 3.1 Messmer in 1939 52 3.2 The Four Fathers 57 3.3 Female Graduates, 1947. 61 3.4 Father Voelker with Students 65 3.5 Gold Star Honor Roll 75 4.1 Aerial View West of Messmer 88 4.2 Louis Riedel, Principal from 1951-1954 94 4.3 Messmer in 1963 97 4.4 Vernon Kuehn – Principal 1955-1967 98 4.5 Messmer Chapel 119 4.6 Post Vatican II Mass 1967 122 4.7 Interracial Action Club – 1969 131 4.8 Formal Dance 132 4.9 Sr. Mary Genevieve in pre-Vatican II Habit 135 5.1 Messmer in the Seventies 142 5.2 Student Project 155 5.3 Student Pprotest 163 5.4 Art Class 174 6.1 Messmer with Gym Addition 180 6.2 Dedication of Thompson Athletic Center 183 6.3 Brother Bob Smith 184 iv LIST OF TABLES Table Page 4.1 MHS Enrollment and Faculty, 1950-1960 96 4.2 Approximate Enrollment of Students of Color 116 5.1 Messmer Faculty 147 5.2 Students of Color 173 6.1 Enrollment and Graduates 187 6.2 Messmer Graduates, 1997-2001 191 1 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION In 1926, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee opened its first Diocesan high school, hoping thereby to provide Milwaukee‟s north side with its own Catholic school. Later renamed Messmer High School after Sebastian Messmer, the archbishop who called for its creation, it thrived in its early years and enrollment peaked after World War II, forcing the school to operate in shifts to accommodate students enrolled at double the school‟s capacity. This prosperity did not last. As the city changed, so did the school. By 1984, the Archdiocese claimed that the combination of declining enrollment and rising operating costs left it no option other than permanently closing Messmer. In response, a coalition of parents, community members, and private philanthropy managed to reopen the school shortly thereafter as an independent Catholic school. This reemergence suggested a compelling portrait of the meaning a community gave to its school, even as ethnic, religious, and racial boundaries shifted. My first year as an English teacher at Messmer was in 1998. By this time, Messmer had regained state and national attention in part because of its participation in Milwaukee‟s controversial school choice program. My previous teaching experience had been in a public school in Atlanta, and I was fascinated by the way students who were infants at the time of the closing and faculty who were new to the school celebrated "the Messmer Community." Everyone seemed to take ownership of and pride in the fact that the school reopened and remained viable after Archbishop Weakland had determined it could not survive. 2 Contemporary studies tend to regard Catholic schools as academically outstanding and socially just institutions. For example, Bryk, Holland and Lee‟s Catholic Schools and the Common Good celebrates a school-centered community and a belief in the importance of a Catholic education. They present extensive statistical evidence demonstrating the overall effectiveness of these schools and identify three significant features of Catholic schools - an emphasis on a rigorous academic curriculum for all students, a school community filled with caring, committed school personnel and parental support, and a strong identification with principles of social justice.1 Seemingly consistent with this view were Messmer‟s college-preparatory curriculum despite limited budgets, religious and lay instructors who felt strongly about both Catholic education and Christian values, and an expressed commitment to social justice that shifted with Vatican II directives from global politics to local concerns, especially in relation to neighborhood integration and community diversity. However, Messmer High School can be viewed as at least two different schools, both in terms of its Archdiocesan affiliation and its educational philosophy. The school‟s unprecedented reopening resulted from a small but vocal coalition that managed to gain substantial financial support. This pairing reached beyond existing community and religious boundaries and suggests another look at community involvement and social justice as they relate to a single school. While Bryk, Holland, and Lee‟s assertions may be correct, it is important to examine these beliefs, and Messmer
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