Georgetown Preparatory School was founded in 1789 by John Carroll, the first bishop of Baltimore. In 1919, the school moved from Georgetown University's campus in the District of Columbia to its current location, under the direction of university president Alphonsus J. Donlon. Georgetown Prep remained part of Georgetown University until its legal separation in 1927. In 1990, The Washington Post reported that Georgetown Prep had a problem with students creating large parties involving consumption of alcohol and sexual activities occurring, such that the headmasters of multiple schools organized together to send a warning letter to parents. Georgetown put together a public discussion with parents of students at the start of the 1990 school year to discuss the problem of parties occurring without proper adult supervision. The headmasters of the schools involved called the letter to parents, "a rare joint effort". The letter warned parents: "It would be hard to devise a better recipe for disaster than a social scene that includes the anonymity provided by an 'open party,' no adult supervision, considerable amounts of alcohol, and teenage hormones which encourage sexual or violent behavior." Mimi Fleury, mother of a child who attended Georgetown Prep, founded the organization called Community of Concern. The organization, created in 2000, received positive encouragement from the Georgetown Prep headmaster. Georgetown Prep headmaster Jim Power said the initiative "has been a great catalyst" for ways to set standards for teenage parties. Fleury coordinated with other parents in Maryland to write A Parent's Guide for the Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Use, which advised parents to remove drugs and alcohol from their residences during parties where children would be in attendance. The booklet was originally designed for use at Georgetown Prep, and subsequently saw usage as well in Memphis, Tennessee in 2000. In 2001, the initiative was expanded and was utilized at 17 schools in Philadelphia. In January 2007, the school opened the Hanley Center for Athletic Excellence, an athletic center that features a 200-meter indoor track, 11-lane swimming pool with diving area, competition basketball arena, wrestling room, 6,000 square foot weight training/cardiovascular room, and a team film room. Joe Hills, son of golf course architectArthur Hills, redesigned and severely shrank the school's golf course, which reopened in 2008. The field house was converted into a learning center featuring expanded and modern library facilities, classrooms, meeting rooms, and a recording studio. This learning center, named after the immediate past president Fr. William L. George, S.J., opened for students on January 26, 2010.
Notable alumni
Dylan Baker, Class of 1976 – actor, best known for his role as Dr. Curt Connor in "Spider-Man 2" and "Spider-Man 3" and arcs on television series such as The Americans and Damages
