page_title: Notre Dame High School (San Jose, California)
section_title: School history
hierarchical_section_title: Notre Dame High School (San Jose, California) / School history
caption_attribution_description: English: Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1851. Notre Dame's original San Jose campus was at Santa Clara Street and Notre Dame Avenue. It was the first school to be accredited by the state of California to give degrees to women. In 1923 the college was moved to the Ralston estate in Belmont, California and is known as Notre Dame de Namur. In 1928 the high school was moved 5 blocks away to Second and Reed Street where it continues today as Notre Dame San Jose. This illustration was originally published in 1876 by Thompson and West.
context_page_description: Notre Dame High School is a private, Catholic, college preparatory high school for girls founded in 1851 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and operates within the Diocese of San Jose, California, USA. The school is located in San Jose, California.
  The school's mission is driven by the teachings of Saint Julie Billiart, the foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur: "Teach them what they need to know for life."
context_section_description: Notre Dame is an all-girls Catholic high school situated in downtown San Jose. The school was founded as the College of Notre Dame by the Catholic Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. The Sisters of Notre Dame also ran St Joseph's (now the site of Adobe's HQs), St Leo's, St. Clare's, St Francis Xavier and St Mary's where many of the female students later came to Notre Dame High School and Notre Dame de Namur College.
  On August 4, 1851 the Women's College of Notre Dame and convent opened on ten acres of land at 1 Notre Dame Avenue and Santa Clara Street. Notre Dame was the sister school to the all Men's Santa Clara College located two and a half miles away West on The Alameda, San Jose.
  In 1868, it became California's first chartered women's college authorized to grant the baccalaureate degree to women. In 1900 the Conservatory of Music was built.
  In May 1901 US President McKinley visited the school and was presented rosebuds by the students.
  In 1923 the College of Notre Dame, high school and elementary school moved: to the Ralston estate, located in Belmont on the San Francisco Peninsula while part of the high school (Santa Clara Street Academy) moved to the O'Connor Mansion at Second and Reed Street in San Jose. The O'Connor Mansion, was donated in 1898 to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur by Judge Myles P. O'Connor and his wife, Amanda.
  In 1958, the construction of two buildings began. Julie Billiart Hall served the purpose of a gathering place for school functions, a gym, and a cafeteria. Madonna Hall, later renamed Donnelly Hall in honor of Sister Mary Emmanuel Donnelly, is a two-story building that contains classrooms, teacher offices, and now a fully functional computer lab.
  In 1965 a convent and chapel complex was built on the northeast corner of the campus (South 3rd St & East William St). It has a traditional Spanish architecture and central courtyard designed by architect Warren Gilbert. Today it has two stories and is referred to as the 'Student Life Center.' The first story houses two art classrooms, a garden, a religious studies classroom, counseling offices and various teacher and staff. The second story is home to the business office. 
  On September 9, 2002 Manley Hall, a three-story building designed by Anderson-Brulé Architects replaced the O'Connor Mansion. The building, though modern in design and use, still conveys an air of age and history, as was the intent of the architects. To add to this feeling was the inclusion of the fireplaces and artifacts saved from the O'Connor Mansion, the more noticeable being the fireplace located in the library and the glass doors (though one is a replica) of the Alumnae Room. All of the floors of this building are decorated with the class photos from the school, the earliest dating before the 1890s.
  In 2016 a major renovation of the campus was announced. The expansion of the campus now includes the entire city block bounded by East William, South 2nd street, East Reed and South 3rd street. It would involve the removal of six older campus buildings and the addition of four multi story buildings. It is currently going through city permit approval.
  As of 2019, it is 168 years old.
caption: Notre Dame, San Jose est. 1851
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