Regis High School (New York City)

Regis High School is a private, all-male, Jesuit secondary school located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City.^[2]

Regis High School
As seen from East 84th Street (2019)
Address
55 East 84th Street (Upper East Side, Manhattan) New York City , New York 10028 United States
Coordinates	40°46′46″N 73°57′32″W
Information
School type	Private, Day
Motto	Latin: Deo et Patriae Pietas Christiana Erexit ("Built by Christian Piety for God and Country")
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic (Jesuit)
Patron saint(s)	St. John Francis Regis
Established	1914; 111 years ago (1914)
Founder	Julia M. Grant
President	Rev. Christopher Devron, S.J.
Faculty	104
Grades	9–12
Gender	Boys
Enrollment	536 (2019–2020[1])
Student to teacher ratio	1:10
Campus type	Urban
Color(s)	Scarlet   Silver   White
Athletics conference	Catholic High School Athletic Association
Mascot	Owl
Nickname	Raiders
Accreditation	Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Tuition	Free
Website	regis.org

History

Founding

Regis High School was founded in 1914, through the financial bequest of a single (originally anonymous) benefactress, Julia M. Grant,^[a] the widow of New York City mayor Hugh J. Grant. She stipulated that her gift be used to build a Jesuit high school providing a free education for Catholic boys with special consideration given to those who could not otherwise afford a Catholic education.^[4] The school continues that policy and does not charge tuition.^[5]

Following the death of her husband in 1910, Julia Grant met with David W. Hearn, S.J. and, with a stipulation of strict anonymity, gave him an envelope with the money needed to start a school to educate Catholic boys. From its opening in 1914 until the late 1960s, Regis was regarded by Julia Grant and her children as their private charity. Only in the late 1960s did they reluctantly agree to allow the alumni of Regis to contribute to the school's financial support. The last surviving member of the family, Lucie Mackey Grant, a daughter-in-law of Julia Grant, died in 2007.^[6]

Sexual misconduct cases (2021, 2023)

In April 2021, the school announced that it was firing its president, Daniel Lahart, S.J. after an investigation confirmed that he had engaged in sexual misconduct which included "inappropriate and unwelcome verbal communications and physical conduct, all of a sexual nature, with adult members of the Regis community, including subordinates".^[7] Regis' board of trustees voted to fire Lahart,^[8] and he was terminated on April 21, 2021.^[9]

In April 2023, Xavier High School teacher Matthew Chicas, who was working at the Regis REACH program, was arrested by police and subsequently placed on suspension by the school. He was found attempting to film with his cell phone an 11-year-old pupil using a toilet.^[10]

Extracurricular activities

The Owl, the school's newspaper, interviewed Central Intelligence Agency leak case prosecutor and alumnus Patrick J. Fitzgerald in 2006. Its article was linked on the Drudge Report and quoted by the Associated Press.^[11]

The Regis Speech and Debate Society, also known as the Hearn Society, is ranked first nationally by the National Speech and Debate Association as of September 2024.^[12] In April 2025, the Hearn Society won the State Speech and Debate Championship for the 34th time in 40 years.

The Regis Repertory has performed plays and musicals since 1918. They collaborate with female students attending neighboring schools such as Marymount School and Dominican Academy.^[13]

Athletics

Regis is home to teams in basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, golf, ultimate frisbee, and track and field. Given the location of the school, many of their events take place on Randall's Island.^[14] The biggest event every year is a triple-header set of basketball games against their rival, Xavier High School, in which the freshman, JV, and Varsity teams play back to back.^[15] Regis won the CHSAA Class B state basketball championship in March 2024, its seventh title overall.^[16]

Building

The school building was designed by Maginnis & Walsh.^[17] Located on 84th Street between Park Avenue and Madison Avenue, Regis's building was partially completed in 1914. Construction on the three-story-high, 1700-seat auditorium was delayed due to World War I preventing the import of the desired Italian marble to be used. It was eventually completed the next year.^[18]

In the late 1970s, the stone owl over the south door, popular with students and alumni at the time, disappeared. In 1980, the assistant headmaster found the culprit who stole the owl and privately met up with them to have it returned. It now resides in the Regis Archive, and four owls were placed in the quadrangle to commemorate its return.^[19] The owl was later made the official mascot of Regis, with his younger brother Walter being introduced a number of years later.

In 2024, Regis High School announced their plans to renovate their lower gym and to create a fitness center as a part of their 2024 Auction Challenge. ^[20] The renovated gym and new fitness center was dedicated on October 9th 2024. ^[21]

Notable alumni

Main article: List of Regis High School alumni

Famous Regis Alumni include

• Anthony Fauci – Leading figure in the U.S. COVID-19 response and longtime head of the NIAID.
• Colin Jost – SNL head writer and co-anchor of Weekend Update, also known for his comedy and celebrity marriage to Scarlett Johansson.
• Bill Condon – Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director (Chicago, Dreamgirls, Gods and Monsters).
• Chuck Feeney – Billionaire philanthropist known for giving away his fortune anonymously (Duty Free Shoppers Group co-founder).
• Greg Giraldo – Popular comedian, especially known for Comedy Central Roasts.
• John O’Keefe – Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine (2014).

In popular culture

• Television shows and film have used Regis High School as a setting. Shows include: Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Ordained, and The Good Wife.^[22]
• Rock band O.A.R. filmed portions of the music video for their song "Lay Down," with scenes filmed in the Regis Quad, Auditorium, 4th Floor hallway, a classroom, and various stairwells.
• In 2013, two Capital One commercials starring Alec Baldwin were filmed in a Regis classroom and outside Regis High School.^[23]
• Lady Gaga was a member of the Regis Repertory during her high school years at the Convent of the Sacred Heart.^[24] Gaga played the lead roles of Adelaide in the musical Guys and Dolls and Philia in the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
• SNL's Colin Jost attended Regis and graduated in 2000. He participated in the Hearn Speech and Debate Team and was the editor for the school newspaper, The Owl.

See also

• List of Jesuit sites
• List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 59th to 110th Streets

Notes

1. The identity of the school's founding benefactor was officially kept secret for decades, though the large portrait in the school's first floor conference room titled "Julia Grant" contradicted the official policy. The online announcement, of an auction that included items related to the school's founding, did so as well.^[3] Finally, on October 26, 2009, a documentary film revealed her identity and detailed the circumstances of her gift.