Before World War II, the Jesuits agreed
to open a high school in San Pablo City. This agreement was made
with Most Rev. Alfredo Versosa, D.D., Bishop of Lipa Diocese of which San
Pablo was a part at that time. The Bishop donated to the Jesuits the St.
Francis Seminary buildings and grounds adjoining the east and south.
War began before the school could open. The war
also destroyed everything in the buildings and left nothing of their contents.
But as soon as the dust the war settled, the Jesuits began to carry out
their agreement.
Early in 1946, Fr. John W. McCarron, S.J., of Washington,
D.C., came to San Pablo to clear up the debris beside the parish church.
He shoveled with debris, mixed concrete, erected partitions, painted and
put on the roofs. When his community of two men, Fr. Paul V. Finster, S.J.,
a priest, and Fr. Francis Reilly, S.J., a scholastic, arrived, there were
five clean classrooms, an attractive library of about 2000 books, offices,
a basketball court and three living rooms with a bed and chair in each.
Then they began to work for the school's advertising, government recognition
and recruitment of lay personnel.
Registration day came and only first year high school
was accepted. Sixty-nine students enrolled, the first of them was Senen
D. Cabrera, who later became the first lay principal of the Ateneo. On
July 1, 1947, the Ateneo de San Pablo was opened and began its glorious
history.
As the classes began so did the school's athletic
program. The cemented tennis court in the enclosed yard became a full-sized
basketball court. Later, with the addition of side goals, it was used for
several simultaneous intramural games. The mango orchard, located where
the gym now stands became a volleyball court. Softball, pingpong and boxing
were started within the next few months. So were the Sodality, PMT, the
Drum and Bugle Corps. Mass servers organization, Library helpers, Varsity
basketball, etc. The staff at the opening of the school year included Fr.
John McCarron, as Rector, Frs. Finster and Reilly, Mr. Bartolome Danila,
Mr. Severo Azores, and Mr. Rodrigo Fule as the registrar and PMT Commandant.
When Mr. Fule died in 1952, Engr. Juan B. Ticzon took over the position
of Mr. Fule.
A few months after the school opened, Fr. McCarron,
always a pioneer, was assigned a new task, the preparation of materials
for the war damage claims of the Jesuits. At his departure, Fr. Finster
became Rector.
` The problems Fr. Finster had to solve were like
a nightmare. But having at last found real friends in San Pablo, the missionary
priest from Long Island asked their support and started the arduous task
of continuing with the rebuilding the ruins. Mr. Carlos Dychangco, an architect
of taste and common sense drew up the plans and supervised the work which
started in June, 1950. Seven months later, the people of San Pablo rejoiced
that another edifice had risen up to add new luster to the beauty and reputation
of the City. In the same fateful year that saw the renovation of the Ateneo
facade (and where you can still see up to this time the official seal of
the Ateneo), Fr. Finster found another cause for joy and pride. The Ateneo
de San Pablo was turning out its first graduates, 36 of them.
The fourth year of the school's existence opened
with new faculty members and 213 students enrolled. Mr. Maximo Mendoza,
Fr. Vincent McNally, S.J., Fr. Clarence Martin, S.J., Fr. Philip Calderone,
S.J., and Fr. Benigno Mayo, S. J., who later became Fr. Provincial, were
added to the faculty.
Sometime in September, 1954, people passing by the
Rector's office noticed a new name: Rev. Fr. Eusebio G. Salvador, S.J.,
who succeeded Fr. Finster. During Fr. Salvador's term as rector, a large,
sturdy auditorium-gymnasium was constructed for sports, drills, contests,
and dramatic presentations. The Ateneo Schoo Chapel was completed. The
Faculty Residence marked the last great building achievement of Fr. Salvador.
With these, the Ateneo de San Pablo had grown
more in order to provide more adequate facilities for the development of
the Ateneans.
The period between 1960 and 1969 has proved
that the Ateneo de San Pablo is not just an ordinary school but an institution
of men who have real talents being cultivated, prudent initiative, firm
determination and genuine leadership. With this long period of life, the
Ateneo de San Pablo developed and the Ateneans have shown the gradual yet
perceptible changing for the better of this small community, trying to
be relevant to herself and to the outside world. 1962 saw the promotion
of Mr. Aristeo C. de Luna to the position of Registrar-Administrative Assistant
of the school, replacing Engr.. Juan B. Ticzon, who was then appointed
City Assessor of San Pablo. 1960 marked the Ateneo de San Pablo's hosting
the celebration of the Lipa Diocese Catholic Schools Association (LIDICSA)
Day. This was also the year when Fr. Santiago A. Gaa, S.J., succeeded Fr.
Salvador as Rector.
In 1962, the Ateneo de San Pablo hosted the LIDICSA
Day. In that year, the school welcomed five Jesuits for the high school
department and opened the Ateneo Grade School with three lady teachers:
Ms. Aurora B. Valdellon, Ms. Belen R. Danila (who in 1963 became the better-half
of Mr. de Luna), and Ms. Payumi C. Cabanban.
And on rolled the sequence of Ateneo's battles,
flag high in victory, though sometimes low in defeat graciously accepted.
The reins had been entrusted to succeeding steady hands. This changing
of the guards saw Fr. Gaa succeeded by Fr. John F. Moran, then by
Fr. Ramon Enojado, and finally by Bro. James P. Dunne, S.J.
In 1967, the Diocese of San Pablo was created, separate
from the Lipa Diocese. The diocesan officials thought it logical that the
site for the seminary and diocesan curia be in San Pablo. After creation
of the diocese, the newly appointed bishop, Most Rev. Pedro N. Bantigue,
D.D. asked the Society of Jesus to redonate the Ateneo building site to
the diocese. The Jesuits agreed to execute such a decree of redonation
and the signing of the contract was scheduled on March 11, 1969.
This case made the school year 1968-1969 a very
critical period in the life of the Ateneo. The Ateneans and many sympathizers
staged rallies and demonstrations to prevent the signing of the contract
and they succeeded. The Ateneo de San Pablo flag was again raised high
in victory. The period between 1970 and 1976 proved to be a great era fo
the Ateneo de San Pablo. Her students reaped many honors in science competitions
and contests that made her famous in the whole region. Her flag still remained
high in victory and the name rang everywhere.
In 1976, the Ateneo de San Pablo attained one of
the most prestiigious of her achievements. She was accredited by the PHILIPPINE
ACCREDITING ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (PAASCU).
There wer only twenty-seven schools in the Philippines then accredited
by teh PAASCU and the Ateneo de San Pablo was one of them.
This great period of the Ateneo was again threatened
by the same case in 1969. In February 26, 1977, the Rome Supreme
Tribunal ordered the Jesuits to comply with thye agreement made formerly
with Bishop Bantigue. The signing of the contract was rescheduled for June
15, 1977. In april of the same year, the Jesuits received a letter form
Rome ezplicitating the order: that the HJesuits have to leave the Ateneo
site and the Bishop will pay P850,000.00 as compensation for the improvements
made by the Jesuits on the site.
again, the Ateneans (students, parents, administration,
faculty, aluimni, and friends) tried to prevent the signing og the contract
but to no avail this time. The contract was signed and the ownership
of the land and the buildings of the Ateneo was transferred to the Diocese.
The school year 1977-1978 was a period of works
and efforts for the retention of the Ateneo, but to no avail. Finally,
the twenty-eighth and last graduation day in the Ateneo de San Pablo was
held on March 31, 1978, marking the death of the great institution. The
Ateneo de San Pablo became Liceo de San Pablo. The Ateneo's disappearance
is a great loss in the community.
SUBALIT ANG ATENEO DE SAN PABLO AY DI MAMAMATAY
KAILAN MAN. ANG KANYANG PANGALAN AY MANANATILING BUHAY SA HABANG PANAHON
SAPAGKA'T ANG KANYANG DIWA AY NAKAUKIT AT NAKADAMBANA SA PUSO AT ISIPAN
NG BAWA'T TAONG MAY MALINIS NA KALOOBAN, TAPAT NA PAGMAMAHAL AT PAGNANASANG
MAIBALIK ANG LAHAT KAY KRISTO.
OMNIA IN CHRISTO !
THIRTY-ONE GREAT YEARS OF THE ATENEO! ATENEO IS FOREVER AND ITS FLAG
WILL CONTINUE TO BE HIGH IN VICTORY IN THE MEMORIES OF THE MEN OF GOODWILL!
[Taken from the Yearbook, the Purple, and the Ensign (Ateneo Newsmagazine)
by Aris C. de Luna]
