[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 65 (Friday, May 10, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E758]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            McGILL-TOOLEN HIGH SCHOOL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

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                          HON. SONNY CALLAHAN

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 9, 1996

  Mr. CALLAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to have this opportunity 
to rise before this body and bring to the attention of my colleagues 
the centennial celebration of McGill-Toolen High School in Mobile, AL.
  In 1950, I had the privilege of obtaining my high school diploma from 
this distinguished institution and fondly remember the years I spent 
under the tutelage of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart.
  McGill Institute was founded in 1896 through the generosity of two 
brothers, Arthur and Felix McGill, to offer ``Catholic boys the 
advantages and facilities of acquiring with little or no expense, a 
literary, commercial, industrial, and technical education which would 
enable them to earn an honorable livelihood.'' Their charter was 
granted on February 15, 1896, and classes began November 29, 1897.
  Bishop Toolen High School for girls opened in 1928 to offer young 
women an education that would develop ``intelligent, cultured, healthy, 
and social-minded American Catholics devoted to their country's 
interests.''
  In 1973, McGill Institute and Bishop Toolen High School were merged 
to become McGill-Toolen High School. Combining the best from each 
school has produced an institution stronger than the two were 
separately.
  From its inception as an institution of higher learning, McGill-
Toolen has upheld the standards of Catholic education and fostered the 
intellectual and spiritual growth of thousands of young men and women 
in Alabama. This dedication to excellence and respect for the 
individual have been the cornerstone of McGill-Toolen and this single 
mindedness has not diminished over its 100-year history.
  The mission of McGill-Toolen has always been comprehensive in terms 
of serving the educational and emotional needs of the secondary 
students in the archdiocese of Mobile. McGill-Toolen High School and 
its predecessors have, for 100 years, provided outstanding education 
grounded in the moral and spiritual precepts of the Catholic faith.
  Today, McGill-Toolen High School is considered one of the finest 
institutions in the region in the areas of academics, technology, 
sports, and spiritual growth. Its students consistently rank in top 
percentiles nationally on achievement tests and are well prepared for 
both college and life. Over the years, more than 17,000 graduates have 
made outstanding contributions to the city of Mobile, the Catholic 
Church and our Nation.
  On this 100th anniversary celebration of McGill-Toolen High School, 
let us fondly remember and justly congratulate the accomplishments of a 
fine institution and look forward to the next 100 years of academic and 
personal excellence to which the name of McGill-Toolen is so deservedly 
associated.

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