Bishop Amat Memorial High School


Bishop Amat Memorial High School is a co-ed Catholic high school serving the San Gabriel Valley in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and was founded in 1957. The campus is located in La Puente, California, approximately east of downtown Los Angeles in Los Angeles County. The coeducational student body comprises approximately 1,520 students in grades 9 through 12, making Bishop Amat the largest private high school in Los Angeles County. It is the only Catholic high school in Los Angeles County that offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.

History

The school is named for the first Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles, the Most Reverend Thaddeus Amat y Brusi, who served as the ordinary of Los Angeles from 1853 to 1878. He founded some of the first schools in Los Angeles and invited the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul to open St. Vincent's College, which was the predecessor to Loyola Marymount University. Bishop Amat Memorial High School was formally dedicated to his memory in October 1959.

International Baccalaureate

In 2005, Bishop Amat was approved for accreditation by the International Baccalaureate Organization. the school now offers the full IB diploma for students who meet the standards of the IB Programme. Bishop Amat is the only Catholic high school in The Los Angeles County that offers the Baccalaureate Diploma Programme International Baccalaureate.

The Bishop Amat Campus

The campus site has grown over the years with the present 200 and 500 wings added in 1959. The gymnasium was added in 1962, the stadium in 1965 and the 300 wing in 1966. In 1973, the school formally became co-educational, with a single administrative structure. A building dedicated to the performing arts was completed in 1982. Four classrooms, including a full computer lab, were completed in 1988. A second computer lab was added in 1993, a refurbished physics lab in 1994 and the Brutocao Library in 1995. In 2000, a new covered lunch structure was built completed with integrated sound system and bbq pit.
In 2002, the school undertook a major campus renovation with plans for the replacement of the Tate Duff Memorial gymnasium. On March 16, 2003 demolition commenced on the facility. A leveled site groundbreaking for the new facility was held on April 16, 2003 with Bishop Zavala conducting the ceremony. On May 16, 2004 the living Rosary was held as the first activity in the new facility. The new Student Activity Center houses a main pavilion which seats 1600 spectators for Masses, assemblies, rallies and basketball and volleyball contests. New locker rooms for boys and girls are included as well as a lunchroom, dance studio, weight room facility and athletic and coaching offices. An equipment room and seminar room enhanced the many uses of the facility. In 2008 the facility was named in honor of Bishop Amat's first President, Monsignor Aidan Carroll who developed the concept of the center and raised the money to pay its cost.

Sports

Bishop Amat participates in the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Mission League and Camino Del Rey Association.

Notable alumni