Founding and early history The College of the Immaculate Conception was founded in 1847, and opened in 1849. It functioned as both a
secondary school and a
college. It was located in the
Faubourg Sainte Marie neighborhood of
New Orleans (now the
New Orleans Central Business District), near the
French Quarter. The opening of the school was delayed by a
yellow fever outbreak. The school's founder, Jean Baptiste Maisonabe, S.J., succumbed to the disease, and was succeeded by John Cambiaso, S.J., who was responsible for the design of the
Church of the Immaculate Conception which remains on the original campus.
Move to Carrollton & Banks In 1911, the high school and college divisions were split. The college division (now
Loyola University New Orleans) relocated to
St. Charles Avenue. The Jesuit High School remained on Baronne Street until 1926, when it was moved to its current location at 4133 Banks Street in
Mid-City. Several buildings and facilities have been added to the campus since 1926. In 1953, a wing was added along Palmyra Street, which included an auditorium, the Chapel of the North American Martyrs, a cafeteria, a library, several classrooms, and a band room. In 1957, a gym and recreation center were built across Banks Street to support athletic teams and physical education programs. Further renovations were made to the school after
Hurricane Katrina in 2005. After
Hurricane Maria impacted
Puerto Rico in 2017, Jesuit hosted students from
Colegio San Ignacio in Puerto Rico.
Mascot, colors, and logo The
mascot is a
blue jay posed with its fists raised, designed by cartoonist
Walt Kelly. A contest among students was held to name the mascot in 1954, with the name "Jayson" chosen by the editors of the school paper. The school’s colors are blue and white, traditionally associated with the
Virgin Mary in Catholic symbolism. Student athletes wear a white sweater with a blue letter "J" on it and were referred to as the "Blue J's"—hence the eventual selection of the mascot. As with many
Jesuit schools, the school's motto is
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam ("For the Greater Glory of God"). He was succeeded by Fr. Anthony McGinn, S.J. In November 2016, Fr. Chris Fronk, S.J. assumed office as the school's president. In January 2020, Fr. Chris Fronk, S.J., stepped down as school president. Fr. John Brown, S.J. became the next president in 2020. The current principal is Jeremy Reuther. ==History of sexual abuse==