Cretin-Derham Hall history

In 1851 Cretin becomes the first Bishop of St Paul

1852: Bishop Cretin opens a school for boys in the basement of the city's second Cathedral located at 6th and Wabasha.

On November 2, 1871, the Brothers join the Sisters of St Joseph at Cathedral School.

John Ireland becomes St Paul's first Archbishop in 1888

1889: A new all-boys school, named after Bishop Cretin, opens at 6th and Main.

The St Paul City Conference is the second oldest conference in the state (the oldest being Minneapolis). The birth of the conference was on Friday, October 28, 1898 when Central and Mechanic Arts played the first football game between the two schools, won by Central 25-0.

The building, named Derham Hall, opened in January 1905, offering classes to high school boarding students

1914: A new, co-educational Cathedral Grade School, managed by the Sisters of St Joseph, opens on Kellogg Boulevard.

The National Defense Act of 1916 created the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), a more formalized program of instruction with national oversight for training standards and a provision for active duty and retired soldiers and officers as instructors.

1917: In the wake of World War I, amid a growing tide of patriotism, military training is added to Cretin’s curriculum.

1926: Enrollment at Cretin has grown to the point where students are being turned away.

1928: Under the leadership of Most Reverend Austin Dowling, Archbishop of St Paul, and with a lead gift from Mary T. Hill, widow of business magnate James J. Hill, the new Cretin High School opens on the corner of Hamline and Randolph Avenues in St Paul.

In 1941 the "little" high schools of Marshall, Monroe, Murray and Wilson were added to the City Conference and the number of schools in the conference soared to ten.

In 1962 Derham Hall moves to

The next change in the conference was the closing of one of its original members, Mechanic Arts, in 1976.

In 1977, the conference added four private schools from the St Paul area: Cretin, Derham Hall, Hill-Murray and St Thomas Academy.

In 1979 Como Park Senior High School incorporated most of the students from Washington and Murray which had closed the previous year.

In 1982, Cretin High School Military program becomes OPTIONAL

1986: The collaboration of the Sisters and the Brothers is renewed when a merger agreement between Derham Hall High School and Cretin High School is forged.

1990: In the summer of 1990 Richard R. Engler was hired to become the first lay president/principal of Cretin-Derham Hall.

1994 -construction of wing with science classrooms and labs/media center/and the link.

The conference celebrated its centennial with a banquet held on Monday, April 19, 1999 at the St Paul RiverCentre.

Following the 2009-10 season, Arlington ceased to exist and was replaced by Washington, who eventually fielded varsity teams in the conference.

2015: Francis M. Miley, J.D. announced as next president of Cretin-Derham Hall.