About
WJ at a Glance
OUR HISTORY
Walsh Jesuit High School was funded by a generous gift from the late Cornelius and Jane Walsh. Cornelius Walsh was born in 1864 and lived his entire life in Cuyahoga Falls, where he was a prominent industrialist and Catholic layman. When Cornelius Walsh passed away in 1932, he bequeathed his entire fortune to his wife, who continued to donate generously to the Catholic Church.
In 1943, Jane Walsh worked with her nephew, William A. Walsh, to design her will, which included a large sum of money for a Catholic high school to be built. William Walsh was partial to the Jesuits. He convinced his Aunt Jane to bequeath to the Society of Jesus her property and $100,000 for the building of an all-boys school that would be a memorial to her husband. William Walsh approached the Chicago Province of the Jesuits, but the gift lay dormant for years.
In 1959, the original offer made by the Walsh family was found during a transfer of files from the Chicago Province to the Detroit Province. At almost the same time, Fr. McGrail, Provincial of the Detroit Province, received a phone call from William Walsh who urged him to reconsider the proposal made in his Aunt Jane's will. Under William Walsh's stewardship, her gift had grown to nearly $2 million. Using the gift from Cornelius and Jane Walsh (to which the Cleveland Catholic Diocese added $1 million) 50 acres were purchased from the Conway family, with an additional 50 acres purchased later to establish where Walsh Jesuit would be built.
Jane Walsh passed away in July 1963 at age 89, about 24 months before Walsh Jesuit opened. She knew, however, that plans were under way for the school because Fr. McGrail (who would become the school’s seventh president) visited her often. Unfortunately, she did not live long enough to see the completed memorial to her husband.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for Walsh Jesuit took place in 1964, and the school opened its doors to 153 freshmen on September 7, 1965. The school was dedicated in May 1966, and the first class graduated in 1969.
Fast forward to the 2021-2022 school year, the enrollment in grades nine through twelve is 1,012 students (50/50 female/male split). The Walsh Jesuit 110 acre campus features five outdoor athletic fields, a 5,000 meter cross country track, a 1,600 seat gymnasium, a field house, wrestling room, a newly renovated kitchen giving it more of a college-like atmosphere, and an All Sports Complex - the renovated 56 year old stadium.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for Walsh Jesuit took place in 1964, and the school opened its doors to 153 freshmen on September 7, 1965. The school was dedicated in May 1966, and the first class graduated in 1969.
Fast forward to the 2021-2022 school year, the enrollment in grades nine through twelve is 1,012 students (50/50 female/male split). The Walsh Jesuit 110 acre campus features five outdoor athletic fields, a 5,000 meter cross country track, a 1,600 seat gymnasium, a field house, wrestling room, a newly renovated kitchen giving it more of a college-like atmosphere, and an All Sports Complex - the renovated 56 year old stadium.
Alma Mater
Walsh Jesuit, alma mater, we raise our voice to thee;
Thy cross and crown above us shine to guide us faithfully.
With a warrior’s heart and spirit, and Heaven’s grace untold,
May we be worthy of thy mission, fit to wear the maroon and gold.
-Music and lyrics by Zachary Gustafson (‘96)
Thy cross and crown above us shine to guide us faithfully.
With a warrior’s heart and spirit, and Heaven’s grace untold,
May we be worthy of thy mission, fit to wear the maroon and gold.
-Music and lyrics by Zachary Gustafson (‘96)
We Are . . .
We are Walsh Jesuit Warriors …
Men and Women for and with Others.
Centered in Christ and guided by Catholic principles,
We fight for life. For truth. And for inclusion.
We advocate for peace and justice.
We serve our communities with love and cultural humility.
We battle for what’s right
With compassion and mercy,
Through opposition and adversity,
As the holy Warrior Saint Ignatius Loyola taught us.
Honoring our Jesuit heritage,
We embrace cura personalis …
Protecting and caring for the whole person,
Soul, mind, and body.
Men and Women for and with Others.
Centered in Christ and guided by Catholic principles,
We fight for life. For truth. And for inclusion.
We advocate for peace and justice.
We serve our communities with love and cultural humility.
We battle for what’s right
With compassion and mercy,
Through opposition and adversity,
As the holy Warrior Saint Ignatius Loyola taught us.
Honoring our Jesuit heritage,
We embrace cura personalis …
Protecting and caring for the whole person,
Soul, mind, and body.
We are Warriors who pray every day
With open minds and hearts
For the courage to grow, to strive for excellence, in all we do.
To be champions of positive change in the world.
Warrior's Ties to Seneca Nation
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Origin of "Warriors"
As one can read in the past yearbooks and newspapers and was explained to WJ President Karl Ertle, by members of the original classes over a six month dialogue, "Warriors" was selected as a means of celebrating the rich heritage of the Native Americans of the area. Members of the class of ’69 took the lead and helped emphasize the connection to the Seneca Nation that led to “Wyoga” Lake, that is, “land of the turtles” in Seneca. -
Fast forward to 2021 . . .
The Walsh Jesuit community, consisting of alumni, students, parents, faculty, and staff, determined that it was time to visit the significance of being a Walsh Jesuit Warrior and how the iconography should resemble such definition. While our historical ties to the Native Americans shouldn’t be forgotten, we also shouldn’t ignore the foundation of Jesuit education - the Grad at Grad principles and our desire to be a more inclusive and welcoming community. Defining what it means to be a Warrior should be guided by our Catholic beliefs, our Jesuit and Ignatius Loyola traditions, our mission statement, and our Grad at Grad principles.
In 2023, new iconography replaced the Warrior - Indian head. More information regarding our branding can be found on Our Brand page.
Our Mission
As a Christ-centered community, we strive to be Men and Women for and with Others.
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©2024 Walsh Jesuit High School
Walsh Jesuit High School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other school-administered programs.