At the time, Dayton was a small but growing city shaped by immigrant families. Responding to community needs, these religious orders established schools focused on faith, learning, and character formation. The Sisters taught at several Catholic elementary schools and founded Notre Dame Academy in 1886 at Ludlow and Franklin Streets, the location where CJ now stands. The Marianists expanded St. Mary’s School, renaming it St. Mary’s Institute, adding high school courses in 1861, college degrees in 1882, and becoming the University of Dayton in 1920, laying the foundation for generations of students.
In 1927, the leaders at both St. Mary’s Institute and Notre Dame Academy decided to relocate and assume new names. The Sisters moved north of downtown, naming their school Julienne High School after Mother Maria Julienne, Superior General of the Sisters, and to honor St. Julie Billiart, their founder.
The Marianists purchased the former Notre Dame Academy property and moved students there, initially called Dayton Catholic High School, and renamed Chaminade High School in 1928 in honor of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, the Marianists’ founder.
St. Joseph Commercial High School, founded by the Sisters of Charity in 1945, provided young women with a comprehensive business education when such opportunities were rare. As Ohio’s only four-year vocational high school exclusively for women, it represented a significant milestone in educational history.
As Dayton’s population shifted to the suburbs in the 1950s, the Archdiocese decided to open two new co-ed schools: Archbishop Carroll High School in Riverside in 1961 and Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering in 1962, with funding provided, in part, by the generosity of Chaminade, Julienne, and St. Joseph alumni who wanted their children to attend the new schools.
As Dayton’s citizens moved into suburban areas, Julienne and Chaminade collaborated and unified to become Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School, which officially opened in August 1973. The following year, many St. Joseph Commercial students joined the community after the school’s closing, adding to the community that continues to thrive today.
The Dayton region is stronger because of 175 years of Catholic education. Students who attended many Catholic elementary schools and graduated from St. Mary Institute, Notre Dame Academy, Chaminade, Julienne, St. Joseph, CJ, Alter, and Carroll have shaped our community. These graduates are entrepreneurs, business owners, healthcare professionals, college professors, and priests, brothers, and sisters. Many are corporate leaders and have served in government.
Across every era of CJ’s history, educators, staff members, coaches, school leaders, parents, students, alumni, and volunteers have shared a common commitment: responding thoughtfully to the needs of young people and preparing them for meaningful lives. While times have changed, the core needs of students have remained consistent—to be known and supported, to develop their talents, to think critically, to serve others, and to grow into people of integrity and purpose. What has evolved is the way schools meet those needs, adapting to new challenges, ideas, and possibilities.
Our 175-year history shows that while the purpose of Catholic education endures, the ways we deliver it must remain flexible, creative, and responsive. This is our ongoing promise to the Dayton community: to honor the past, engage fully in the present, and prepare confidently for the future. As one of the stewards of the CJ mission over the last two decades, I thank all who have been part of this legacy. It is exciting to consider what the future holds for CJ and celebrate the gift of Catholic schools in the grDayton region.
Dan Meixner is a third-generation graduate of Chaminade Julienne, where he has served as president since 2004.