Brophy College Preparatory was founded in 1928 to establish a Jesuit, Catholic school in Phoenix for the education and formation of young men. Nearly a century later, that purpose still shapes the school as Brophy prepares for its second century.
The Founding of Brophy
Brophy College Preparatory was established in 1928 by Mrs. William Henry Brophy in memory of her husband. The original plan called for a Jesuit college, with a high school opening first. The high school would prepare students for the college that was expected to follow.
Ground was broken on January 18, 1928. The cornerstone was laid on April 29, 1928. Brophy opened on September 10, 1928, with 56 students enrolled.
The opening of Brophy also marked the return of the Jesuits to Arizona after more than 160 years. At the time, the Arizona Republican described the moment as the continuation of a mission that had been interrupted generations earlier.
A Campus With a Lasting Identity
John Rinker Kibbey, a Los Angeles architect and MIT graduate, designed the original campus. His work drew from Spanish Colonial architecture, with Moorish influence that is still visible today.
The first campus included Regis Hall, now Brophy Hall, Romley Hall, and Brophy Chapel. Those buildings helped establish the look and feel of Brophy. As the campus has grown, new buildings have continued to follow the character of the original design.
Closure and Renewal
Brophy’s early years were promising, but the school faced the financial pressures of the Great Depression. Enrollment growth slowed, fundraising became difficult, and Brophy closed after the 1934-35 school year.
The school reopened in 1952. Brophy returned to a Phoenix that had changed significantly since the 1920s, and it began to grow again. What reopened was still the same Jesuit mission, now beginning a new chapter in the city it had been founded to serve.
Growth With Purpose
Since reopening, Brophy has grown in enrollment and reach while remaining a Jesuit, Catholic school. Today, Brophy serves approximately 1,400 students and has more than 15,000 alumni.
In 2011, Brophy added Loyola Academy, an on-campus middle school serving underserved young men with strong academic potential. Loyola Academy extended Brophy’s mission and deepened the school’s commitment to access.
Brophy’s growth has not changed its central work. The school continues to challenge students academically while forming them in faith and service.
A Living Legacy
Much has changed since 1928, but Brophy’s purpose has remained consistent. The school continues to form young men through more than academics alone. Its history lives in buildings and milestones, but also in the daily work of the people who make up Brophy.
The phrase Men for Others continues to give clear language to that work. Nearly a century after its founding, Brophy remains rooted in its Jesuit tradition and committed to the young men it is called to form.