History of St. Xavier (The Early Years)

9 Bookkeeping. A Certificate [of Achievement] was issued for the Mercantile course at the completion of four years of study.) ...There was no precise line between secondary and collegiate instruction…During these years it appears that St. Xavier College students were not required to take Greek, Latin, or other foreign languages. [Many students, however, did take Latin, Greek, and other foreign languages.]30 The daily order may safely be described as rigorous. The rising bell rang at 5. Morning prayers followed, then a study period until 7. Mass was celebrated, and breakfast followed at 7:30. Students had a short break before class, which started at 8 a.m.

The first class was a mandatory penmanship class. Latin class began at 8:30; Greek at 9:30; and English at 10:30. At 11:30 the upper level students studied chemistry or physics, while younger students took classes in history, including geography and the use of the globes. The main meal was served at 12:15, followed by a period of recreation until 1:45. Then there was a study period until 2:30.

French class began at 2:30. Math started at 3:30. At 5 there was an optional German class (and in some years a Spanish class), or one could study. At 7:15 there was a short moral lecture (homily), followed by a light supper. Prayers were said at 8:30, followed by lights out.31 Thursday was always a day with no classes. Students could spend the entire day in recreation.

Other than Thursday, however, there were only two regularly scheduled holidays during the school year: the Feast of Francis Xavier (December 3) and George Washington’s birthday (February 12). By way of showing how few official holidays there were in the country, Congress finally recognized Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1941.

Saturday was always considered a class day. There were review classes in the morning, and Christian Doctrine was taught on Saturday afternoon. On Sundays, the students came to St. Xavier Church for Mass.

On the first Wednesday of each month the college had a mandatory assembly when academic premiums were announced and awarded. The top six students in each academic discipline would be announced to all. The top student in each discipline received a blue ribbon with a star. The second-best student received a blue ribbon. In like fashion the most diligent student received a red ribbon with a cross. The second most diligent received a red ribbon. For the next month these students proudly wore their awards around school. Report cards were sent home every third month.

From 1840 to 1865, there were some 2,350 students at St. Xavier College. The names of most of these students were listed in the Registry which included the student’s name, father’s name, home address, age at registration, religion, course (preparatory, classical, mercantile), and assorted remarks.

About fifty names appeared twice—students who registered, left, came back and registered again. In addition there is an Index roster of St. Xavier students from 1840 to 1981 compiled by Mrs. Florence Hauck, the mother of Mr. Karl Hauck, the long-time and now retired history teacher at St. Xavier. She