Collection Finding Aid

Transcription

1 St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent (Walla Walla, Washington) records Collection Finding Aid Contents Overview of Records... 2 Historical Note... 2 Arrangement... 3 Administrative Information... 3 Box and Folder List... 5 History... 5 Administration... 5 Personnel... 5 Sub-series: Student Records Sub-series: Alumni Local Community... 6 Financial... 6 Sub-series: Acts of Council Sub-series: General Legal... 7 Sub-series: Common Safe Facility... 7 Reports... 7 Publications... 8 Subject Files... 8 Appendix St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent Time Line Appendix Catholic Schools in Walla Walla, Wash. Genealogy th Ave SW Seattle, Washington archives@providence.org

2 St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Washington 2 OVERVIEW OF RECORDS Repository: Providence Archives, Mother Joseph Province, Seattle, Washington Creator: Records created, received and collected by the religious community of the Sisters of Providence, Sacred Heart Province ( ) and Saint Ignatius Province ( ), its students and staff, relating to St. Vincent Academy and St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Washington. Record Group Name: St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Washington Record Group Number: 32 Dates: Scope and Content: The record group documents the history, activities, works and individuals of the local religious community and the administration and operation of St. Vincent Academy, Walla Walla, Washington. The records cover the years , the bulk dating from The Chronicles and various histories of St. Vincent Academy help to identify, name, and define the sometimes overlapping institutions in Walla Walla in which the sisters were involved. Extent: 3.5 linear feet; 9 document boxes; 3 oversized documents HISTORICAL NOTE Abstract: The sisters established the school on February 18, 1864, and operated it until August 25, From this date until September 18, 1967, the sisters continued to live in the academy building that was then known as St. Patrick Convent. When the academy building was scheduled for demolition at the end of 1967, St. Patrick Convent relocated to 384 South Palouse Street in Walla Walla. St. Patrick Convent closed June 27, In the summer of 1863, Father John Baptist Abraham Brouillet, Vicar General of the Nisqually Diocese, called on the Sisters of Providence to establish a school for St. Patrick Parish in Walla Walla, Washington. At the end of August Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart and Sister Catherine visited the site and quickly secured land on which to build the school. A Walla Walla banker by the name of Edmund Barron donated land to the sisters for the school, and construction began the following month. Sisters (10) Nativity, (157) Colomban, and (178) Paul Miki were sent to the Walla Walla Valley in December of 1863 as Foundresses of what would become St. Vincent Academy, the second permanent Catholic school in Washington. The three sisters arrived on February 18, The school opened on March 1, 1864 and by month s end there were forty-five children in attendance; by year s end enrollment reached 80. By fall of 1864, once a larger structure was completed, boarders were also accepted. Two more sisters were sent to St. Vincent s in 1865 as the academy continued to grow in size and in the scope of its mission. Besides normal teaching duties and providing care to boarders, the sisters began admitting the sick to be cared for on premises. As the health care side of the mission grew, the sisters established the beginnings of a hospital and in 1879 a separate facility was erected and named St. Mary Hospital (60). To accommodate the continued growth of St. Vincent Academy, wings were added to the structure in 1883 and again in St. Vincent Academy was primarily intended as a school for girls, but at various points throughout its history boys were taught when other schools were not available. Between 1864 and 1865, the sisters instructed boys in the primary grades. In 1865 St. Joseph s College was formed to educate the boys from the parish. The name of the school was soon changed to St. Patrick s School. In 1899, Father Flohr, the first permanent pastor at St. Patrick Parish Church, oversaw the building of a new school for the boys that would replace St. Patrick s School. This new school was known as La Salle Institute and was staffed by members of the Christian Brothers. This school closed in 1920 when the Christian Brothers withdrew from Walla Walla. At this time, the sisters were called in to assist in the education of both boys and girls from St. Patrick Parish. Due to space constrictions the sisters could only

3 St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Washington 3 accept boys through the sixth grade; older boys had to attend public schools. By 1928, St. Patrick Grade School was built and all of the younger student who had been attending school at St. Vincent Academy were transferred to this new elementary school. After the new school was finished, parts of the Academy building were renovated. In 1930, a boys high school was opened for 10 students. The new school was St. Patrick High School and its principal was Mr. E. J. Rinn. For four years between 1928 and 1932, the sisters at St. Vincent Academy instructed only high school girls until February of 1932 when Mr. Rinn died suddenly. Bishop White asked for a sister to replace Mr. Rinn until the end of the term. Financial pressures forced the boys and girls high schools to merge in In 1958, seventeen acres of land were purchased onto which the proposed Catholic Central High School would be built. The new high school, named De Sales by Bishop Bernard Topel, formally opened August 31, The opening of De Sales marked a transition for the Sisters of Providence. Since De Sales was under the diocesan administration, the sisters of Walla Walla were separated on the basis of grade levels. The sisters named for the high school faculty formed the community of De Sales Convent, located at St. Mary Hospital, and those named for faculty of the St. Patrick Grade School continued to live in the St. Vincent Academy building forming the community of St. Patrick Convent. In February of 1960, the superiors of St. Patrick Convent, St. Mary Hospital, and De Sales Convent each received a letter from the General Administration in Montreal disclosing the transfer of each of these communities from administration under Sacred Heart Province to administration under St. Ignatius Province. While this news came as a great surprise, the sisters apparently took it in stride after recovering from the initial shock. Other changes were on the horizon for the sisters: those residing at St. Vincent Academy for some years looked for a new location for St. Patrick Convent. On September 18, 1967, the sisters relocated to 384 South Palouse Street in Walla Walla. The academy building was scheduled for demolition at the end of In September of 1969, Central Catholic Middle School, which replaced St. Patrick Grade School, opened. Three Walla Walla parishes joined to financially support the new school. Since only five sisters were living at St. Patrick Convent, the sisters decided to move to a smaller residence. St. Patrick Parish purchased a five bedroom house at 1440 Avalon Street for the sisters. St. Patrick Convent closed June 27, 1974 though the house at Avalon continued to be housing for a small number of sisters until June 6, See time line and Catholic Schools in Walla Walla chart in the appendices for an overview of the institutional shifts. ARRANGEMENT The record group is divided into 10 series: History, Administration, Personnel, Local Community, Financial, Legal, Facility, Reports, Publications, and Subject Series. Within some series are further divisions into sub-series. At the folder level, records are arranged by corresponding institution (St. Vincent Academy, St. Patrick Grade School, St. Patrick High School, or St. Patrick Convent) and then in chronological order. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Restrictions: Providence Archives is a private repository. Access to some records is at the discretion of the archivist. Preferred Citation: [Title of cited item]. [Series Name]. St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Washington. Record Group 32.. Acquisition Information: Records were transferred to Providence Archives, Seattle from the St. Ignatius Province Archives, Spokane; St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Wash-

4 St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Washington 4 ington; Provincial Administration and other offices; sisters; and other interested parties. See also accession number Related Record Groups and Other Collections: The following record groups also contain records or information relating to St. Vincent Academy: Provincial Superior records; Provincial Council records; Sister Personnel records including (5891) Rosalie Locati, SP whose folder contains historical information about Walla Walla as described by her father; (60) St. Mary Hospital, Walla Walla records; The Little Journal volumes, and the historical reference library. There is also a small photograph collection relating to the academy. The Walla Walla Catholic School System holds transcripts and other student records from the 1940s to the present Processing Information: Records arranged and described by Emily Hughes Dominick, Associate Archivist; completed on February 4, Edited July 20, Some oversized material was separated for flat storage. Separation notes indicate accordingly their placement within the record group.

5 St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Washington 5 BOX AND FOLDER LIST History History record series contains two sets of Chronicles. The first set is divided into three volumes and one folder spanning from 1864 to 1974; the second set is bound in one volume spanning from 1864 to The Chronicles form the core of the record group providing a concise, authoritative, annual record of the Academy s activities, as well as financial, statistical and personnel information. The rest of this series contains written histories pertaining directly to St. Vincent Academy. Most notable is Catholic Institutions of the Walla Walla Valley, written by (3076) Anna Clare Duggar, SP. This work was presented to the Department of History at Seattle University in 1953 as part of the degree requirements for a Master of Arts degree. Other items in this series include history of the Catholic Church in Walla Walla and more general information pertaining to Walla Walla. 1 1 Chronicles, Vol. 1, , set 1, St. Vincent Academy 1 2 Chronicles, Vol. 2, , set 1, St. Vincent Academy 1 3 Chronicles, Vol. 3, , set 1, St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent 1 4 Chronicles, , set 1, St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent 2 1 Chronicles, , set 2, St. Vincent Academy 2 2 Centennial Souvenir of the Catholic Church in Walla Walla Valley, , Jubilee Souvenir Booklet: The Catholic Church in the Walla Walla Valley, General, 1914, 1943 and undated 3 1 Catholic Institutions of the Walla Walla Valley, , by Anna Clare Duggar, SP, Epilogue to Catholic Institutions, , by Anna Clare Duggar, SP, 1968 Administration The Administration record series contains a letter from the Provincial Secretary to the Pastor of St. Patrick Parish stating the conditions under which the Sisters of Providence would take over some of the teaching load for the parish school. This series also contains correspondence: first is a photocopied reproduction of the letter from J.B.A. Brouillet, the Vicar General, to the Superior General in Montreal in which Brouillet describes the situation of the land in Walla Walla (1867). This letter is from Providence Archives, Montreal. There is also correspondence between the General Administration, the Provincial Superior, pastors of St. Patrick Parish and with the Superior of St. Vincent Academy. In 1953, correspondence focuses on the possibility of building a parochial high school in conjunction with St. Patrick Parish. It is likely that this correspondence was kept by the Provincial Secretary of Sacred Heart Province and then transferred to St. Ignatius Province once St. Vincent Academy was transferred to that province in Agreement with Parish, Correspondence, 1867, 1894, Personnel Personnel record series is arranged into two sub-series: Student Records and Alumni. The Student Records sub-series contains registers of student attendance, ledgers containing scores on exams and in courses. Other items in the sub-series are lists of graduates, event programs, and news clippings about students. The Alumni sub-series contains a mixture of material relating to graduates of St. Vincent Academy and St. Patrick High School which consists of alumni lists, reunion information, the alumni association constitution, and a list of students from Walla Walla who went on to enter religious life.

6 St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Washington 6 Sub-series: Student Records 4 1 High School Records Ledger, , St. Vincent Academy 4 2 8th Grade Examination, , St. Vincent Academy 4 3 5th-6th Grade Register, , St. Vincent Academy 4 4 1st-2nd Grade Register, , St. Vincent Academy 4 5 5th-6th Grade Register, , St. Vincent Academy 4 6 4th-6th Grade Register, , St. Vincent Academy 4 7 5th-6th Grade Register, , St. Vincent Academy 4 8 3rd-4th Grade Register, , St. Vincent Academy 4 9 2nd Grade Register, , St. Vincent Academy th-8th Grade Register, , St. Vincent Academy 4 11 List of Graduates, , St. Vincent Academy 4 12 Recital Programs, 1936, , St. Vincent Academy 4 13 Commencement, 1941, 1945, St. Vincent Academy 4 14 News clippings, 1936, St. Vincent Academy st Grade Register, , St. Patrick School 4 16 News clippings, 1959, St. Patrick School 4 17 Transcript, ca. 1950s, St. Patrick High School Sub-series: Alumni 4 18 Alumni Association Constitution, 1919, St. Vincent Academy Class Reunion, 1965, St. Patrick School 4 20 News clippings, 1973, 1980, St. Vincent Academy 4 21 Class of 1948, undated, St. Patrick High School 4 22 Women Religious from Walla Walla, undated, St. Vincent Academy Local Community Local Community records concern the governance of the convent (local community) and the religious life of its resident sisters. The series contains proces verbal (reports of the regular official visitation of the provincial superior, superior general, or their representatives) and other general information pertaining to the community. 5 1 Proces Verbals of Official Visitations, 1881, St. Vincent Academy (reproduction) 5 2 Proces Verbals of Official Visitations, , St. Vincent Academy 5 3 Proces Verbals of Official Visitations, , St. Vincent Academy 5 4 Proces Verbals of Official Visitations, , St. Patrick Convent 5 5 General, , St. Vincent Academy Financial The Financial series includes two sub-series: Acts of Council and General. Within the Acts of Council sub-series are records relating to the deliberations of the local and provincial councils. Deliberations of the Local Council are records of monthly meetings in which financial account books are reviewed and expense proposals are stated. The deliberations are submitted to the Provincial Council for approval and, occasionally, to the General Council in Montreal, Quebec. An incomplete set of Deliberations of the Provincial Council is kept (see Provincial Council record group). Deliberations of the Provincial Council parallel those of the local council. In this sub-series, there are two groups of Deliberations of the Provincial Council, those that are sealed and those that are unsealed, or unofficial. The unsealed group was likely transferred from the Sacred Heart Provincial Administration to the St. Ignatius Provincial Administration when the academy was transferred from one province to the other

7 St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Washington 7 in The General sub-series contains correspondence and other financial information pertaining to St. Vincent Academy and St. Patrick School. Sub-series: Acts of Council 5 6 Deliberations of the Provincial Council (signed/sealed), , St. Vincent Academy 5 7 Deliberations of the Provincial Council (unsealed), , St. Vincent Academy 5 8 Deliberations of the Local Council, , St. Vincent Academy Sub-series: General 5 9 General, 1914, and undated, St. Vincent Academy and St. Patrick School Legal The Legal record series is comprised of records that were kept in the common safe, also known as the three-key box (each key held by three different sisters). The safe was used to store highly important and confidential documents and the archives of the academy, frequently dealing with incorporation, financial, property, loan, contractual, and other legal matters. Contents of the common safe were updated, removed, or added through time. Sub-series: Common Safe 6 1 Records of Loans, , St. Vincent Academy 6 2 Acts of Council, , St. Vincent Academy 6 3 Record of Payments on Street Assessment, , St. Vincent Academy 6 4 Contract for Heat and Laundry (St. Mary s Hospital), 1930, 1945, St. Vincent Academy 6 5 Application of Tax Exemptions, , St. Vincent Academy 6 6 Back Salary and Heat Reports, , St. Vincent Academy 6 7 Old Records of Money Borrowed, , 1952, St. Vincent Academy 6 8 Receipts of Notes Paid, , St. Vincent Academy 6 9 Copy of Deed and Plan of Property, (scattered), St. Vincent Academy 6 10 Other Records, , St. Vincent Academy Facility The Facility series contains only the survey plat of a new building proposed to be built where the St. Vincent Academy was standing at the time. The building was proposed, but never actually built. Other records pertaining to the St. Vincent Academy building can be found in the Legal and History record series Building Elevation and Floor Plans, John W. Maloney, Architect, 1930, St. Vincent Academy 6 12 Survey Plat of Proposed New Building, 1960, St. Vincent Academy Reports The Reports record series is made up primarily of Personnel and Works and Semi-Annual and Annual Financial Reports required by the religious community. Also contained within this series are reports from the State Board of Education that includes statistics on St. Vincent Academy and an assessment as to whether or not accreditation should be approved and continued State Board of Education Reports, , St. Vincent Academy

8 St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Washington Personnel and Works, , St. Vincent Academy 6 15 Personnel and Works, , St. Vincent Academy 6 16 Personnel and Works, , St. Vincent Academy 6 17 Personnel and Works, , St. Patrick Convent Publications The Publications record series is comprised of yearbooks from St. Vincent Academy, St. Patrick High School, and St. Patrick Grade School. 7 1 Yearbook: Memoirs, 1923, St. Vincent Academy 7 2 Yearbook: The Aquinan, 1948, St. Patrick High School 7 3 Yearbook: The Aquinan, 1949, St. Patrick High School 7 4 Yearbook: The Aquinan, 1950, St. Patrick High School 7 5 Yearbook: The Aquinan, 1951, St. Patrick High School 7 6 Yearbook: The Aquinan, 1952, St. Patrick High School 7 7 Yearbook: The Aquinan, 1953, St. Patrick High School 7 8 Yearbook: The Aquinan, 1954, St. Patrick High School 8 1 Yearbook: The Aquinan, 1955, St. Patrick High School 8 2 Yearbook: The Aquinan, 1958, St. Patrick High School 8 3 Yearbook: The Aquinan, 1959, St. Patrick High School 8 4 Yearbook: Irish, 1967, St. Patrick School Subject Files Subject series contains records dealing with various topics, events, memorabilia, and groups relating to St. Vincent Academy and Walla Walla. The subjects are arranged alphabetically. 8 5 Apostleship of Prayer, 1924, St. Vincent Academy 8 6 Centennial of Sisters of Providence in Walla Walla, compiled by (5176) Kathleen Cronin, SP, Centennial of Sisters of Providence in Walla Walla, Death of (257) Celestin, SP 8 9 Demolition of St. Vincent Academy, Lady of Lourdes Shrine, 1908, St. Vincent Academy 8 11 Mother Gamelin Tribute, News clippings, s 8 13 St. Patrick Parish, (scattered) 9 1 Visiting Priests Register, , St. Vincent Academy 9 2 Walla Walla Catholic Schools, 1984, Walla Walla City Directory, 1880

9 St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Washington 9 APPENDIX 1 St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent Time Line St. Vincent Academy ( ): At times a boarding school, grade school, high school; St. Vincent Academy also provides housing for sisters until St. Patrick Convent and De Sales Convent are established. St. Patrick School ( ): school for boys De Sales Convent ( ): Housing for sisters teaching at De Sales La Salle Institute ( ): Primary and secondary boys school staffed by Christian Brothers St. Patrick Convent ( ): Housing for sisters teaching at St. Patrick Grade School, Central Catholic Middle School, Assumption Grade School St. Patrick Grade School ( ): Lower grades from St. Vincent were transferred here in 1928 St. Patrick High School ( ): co-ed high school staffed by SPs and priests Central Catholic Middle School/Assumption Grade School (1969-present) De Sales High School (1959-present): Diocesan High School

10 St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Washington 10 APPENDIX 2 Catholic Schools in Walla Walla, Wash. Genealogy St. Vincent Academy/ La Salle Institute/St. Patrick Grade and High Schools/De Sales High School Catholic Schools in Walla Walla, Washington Information from (4698) Barbara Schiller, SP and Chronicles, February 2007 Date School Explanation 1863, Fall School for boys of St. Patrick Parish opened 1864, March 1 St. Vincent Academy opens for the girls of St. Patrick Parish 1865, July 10 St. Joseph College, a new school for boys, opened 1865, October St. Joseph College moves to a separate school house adjoining the church 1867 The name of St. Joseph College is changed to St. Patrick School sometime between 1865 and , September 4 Opening of La Salle Institute (LSI), operated by the Brothers of the Christian School 1910s Decline in enrollment at La Salle Institute 1920, June La Salle Institute closes. Christian Brothers leave. 1922, July St. Vincent Academy receives accreditation 1927 St. Vincent Academy closes dormitories for lack of space School is closed shortly thereafter because of illness of priest. Sponsored by the Sisters of Providence (Montreal foundation date, Feb 18, 1864) Opened through the impetus of JBA Brouillet, Vicar General and temporarily housed at the sister s academy building. Male teachers, not Sisters of Providence, are the faculty It is known as St. Patrick School until it is placed under the direction of the Brothers of the Christian School in Teachers were secular, primarily male. The parish pastors were making efforts to find male religious to teach the students. School was blessed on May 21, 1899 Tuition is blamed for loss of students. The parish decides to make both St. Vincent Academy and La Salle Institute tuition-free. Attendance picks up at La Salle Institute but then declines again because of reduced faculty and other factors. Sisters take over education of boys up to grade 6. Sisters teach them in the old LSI building. Middle and high school boys are taught by priests and laymen at St. Patrick. Mr. Rinn in principal.

11 St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Washington 11 St. Vincent Academy/ La Salle Institute/St. Patrick Grade and High Schools/De Sales High School Catholic Schools in Walla Walla, Washington Information from (4698) Barbara Schiller, SP and Chronicles, February 2007 Date School Explanation 1928, September 27 New St. Patrick Grade School opened on the site of the demolished La Salle Institute 1930, September St. Patrick High School for boys opens with 10 students 1932, August 10 St. Patrick High School and St. Vincent Academy combine to become one coeducational high school 1959, August 25 DeSales Catholic Central High School opens and includes St. Patrick High School Boys and girls (from St. Vincent Academy) go to the new school. When the LSI was demolished for construction of St. Patrick, the sisters put the grade 1-6 boys where ever they could in the St. Vincent Academy building. The building that housed the St. Patrick Grade School was also intended to eventually house the Catholic High School for boys. Mr. E. J. Rinn was principal of the school until his sudden death on February 19, Upon his death, Sister Bernard of Providence was named to replace Mr. Rinn until the end of the term. The Bishop brought the two schools together and asked the priests and sisters to staff the new High School. Allowing for co-ed classes was financially necessary since separate schools couldn t be funded. For some time, the school was still known as St. Vincent Academy. Since St. Vincent Academy was accredited by the state, the students technically graduated from there. According to the Chronicles from August 18, 1932, both the Academy building and the grade school building were used by the high school: freshmen and sophomore roll rooms were in the parochial building and the junior and senior roll rooms were in the Academy. Newly constructed school 1959, August 25 St. Patrick Convent (Sisters of Providence residence) at St. Vincent Academy founded The grade school and high school faculty were divided because the high school was now under the diocese. The High School Faculty resided at De Sales Convent at St. Mary Hospital, Walla Walla. St. Vincent Academy ceased to exist, at least in name, when the announcement was received that it would be known as St. Patrick Convent.

12 St. Vincent Academy/St. Patrick Convent, Walla Walla, Washington 12 St. Vincent Academy/ La Salle Institute/St. Patrick Grade and High Schools/De Sales High School Catholic Schools in Walla Walla, Washington Information from (4698) Barbara Schiller, SP and Chronicles, February 2007 Date School Explanation 1967 St. Vincent Academy closes Sisters who had been living at St. Patrick Convent housed in the St. Vincent Academy, relocate to a house. The Academy building is demolished in , September St. Patrick Grade School is replaced by Central Catholic Middle School; Teaching of primary grades (1-4) at the parish schools is halted 1971, September Primary grades are reinstated; Assumption grade school opens. The three Walla Walla city parishes, Saint Patrick, St. Francis of Assisi, and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, join together to financially support Central Catholic Middle School Enrollment in Middle School is declining, so earlier thought to concentrate on grades 5-8 is dismissed in favor of having grade school and junior high.