History

Bishop Montgomery High School was founded in 1957. It was the dream of Reverend William Ford, late pastor of St. James Parish in Redondo Beach, that a secondary school be established in the South Bay area. Coupled with the Archdiocesan Youth Education Fund, Fr. Ford’s contribution helped make it possible for Bishop Montgomery to serve, as it does today, hundreds of students from over 70 parishes in the South Bay and surrounding Los Angeles areas. We are grateful to His Eminence, James Francis Cardinal McIntyre, Archbishop of Los Angeles, to our Bishops, to the Conventual Franciscan Fathers, and to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, for making this educational institute a reality.

 

The McNeil Construction Company was hired to build the new school. The original school complex consisted of an administration building, three classroom buildings, a chapel, and a football field. On February 23, 1958, Cardinal McIntyre dedicated the school to Bishop George T. Montgomery, the first American-born bishop of Los Angeles. In 1960, a convent was built, and in 1962 the snack bar was constructed. The priests’ housing was completed in 1963. In 1964, the Thomas More Hall-weight room complex was built and the gym opened in 1965.

Over the past decades, several new building and renovation projects have added a new dimension to the campus. An administration building remodel, library and computer lab renovations and upgrades, transformation of Thomas More Hall into a black box theatre for the Drama Lab program, ceramics / art studio makeover, new bleachers in the  varsity gymnasium, and new stained glass windows in the chapel are just a few of many minor campus projects completed.

 

In 2007, the 14,500-square foot St. Anthony Student Activity Center and Crawford Gymnasium were completed on the school’s second level. The Activity Center is home to a practice gym with two full-size playing courts, rehabilitation / fitness room, Song and Short Flags practice studios, catering kitchen, and athletic offices.

 

In 2012, the Schneider Retreat Center opened its doors to Bishop students, faculty, and families. The retreat center and meditation garden provide a welcoming venue on campus for the freshman and sophomore class retreats, conferences and workshops, class reunions, and small Bishop community gatherings.

 

Currently, Bishop is fortifying the school’s technological infrastructure in anticipation of a state-of-the-art media center and computer lab to replace the current library. In addition to this major campus renovation, the school is also in the midst of its “Field of Dreams” campaign for the upgrade of its athletic grass fields to turf.