Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School (Oklahoma)

Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School is a college-preparatory secondary school located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It has an enrollment of 720 students in grades 9 through 12, is co-educational, and serves as part of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in the Roman Catholic Church.HistoryThe school was originally founded in 1950 by the archdiocese as “Central Catholic High School.” Despite the name, the school at that time was on the northern fringe of Oklahoma City. The name "Central" referred to the fact that the school was founded as a replacement for multiple small parish-based parochial high schools that had become outdated by the 1950s. As a result, then-bishop Eugene J. McGuinness ordered parochial high schools in the Oklahoma City area closed and consolidated into the new school (they only exception being Mount Saint Mary High School in south Oklahoma City). The school colors (Kelly Green and White) were adopted in 1951, with the school mascot (“Clancy”) and the nickname (“Fighting Irish”) following in 1955.In 1959, the school was renamed in honor of McGuinness, who had died in 1957.In 1960, the school received full accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the Oklahoma Department of Education. The school is also affiliated with the National Catholic Educational Association, the College Board, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.The Class of 1962 provided the school with its primary tradition when it donated a rendition of the "Clancy" mascot on the tile floor of the school. From 1962 to the school's renovation in 2006, the tradition dictated that each year's senior class protect the image from being trod upon by any student. After the renovation, the tile image was moved to a special display.