Hallahan alumnae return ‘home’ for a final fountain jump

It’s been three years since the closing of the former John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls’ High School, a moment that left past graduates stunned in disbelief and students without a celebratory swim at Logan Circle.

For more than 50 years, students at the all-girls’ Catholic diocesan high school ran to the Swann Memorial Fountain after the last day of school for a parting plunge into Center City waters. And while the tradition ended with the school’s shuttering in 2021, alumnae joined hands on Saturday for another commemorative jump.

Anna Brown-Simon, a 1976 graduate, said her senior celebration was actually at LOVE Park, a fact “nobody seems to remember,” she joked. But she couldn’t wait to take a nostalgic dip and reunite with her past classmates.

“I just came back from Hawaii, so my feet are always in water,” she said. “I grew up in Philadelphia, and I’ve been away for a while and I miss it terribly. As a kid, I would go in this fountain.”

Simon’s classmate Nadine Boulware said it was a “tearful moment,” but the camaraderie is what made those tears feel a bit more joyous.

“We don’t see Hallahan girls just walking around downtown,” Boulware said. “It just feels empty down here, but I’m glad to see my old classmates.”

The event was organized by the Hallahan Alumnae Association. President Eileen Lafferty encouraged fellow grads to attend a dedication of the “Our Lady of Hallahan” shrine, located at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, before walking to Logan Circle.

“We are all Hallahan strong,” Lafferty said to the crowd as they stood up from the pews inside the 160-year-old cathedral.

While few others plunged in the commemorative waters, alumnae draped in the school’s memorabilia and colors shared hugs to celebrate the legacy of their alma mater.

As perfect as the warm fall day seemed, many couldn’t help but feel the same resounding sadness that loomed over them when they heard about Hallahan’s closure.

“It’s bittersweet,” Nicole Hill, a 1999 graduate, said. “It’s good to remember everything, but it’s hard to know that the building is there and no one else is going to graduate from it and have all the traditions that we had.”

Hallahan, located on North 19th Street, has educated more than 37,000 women since its founding in 1911. But along with Bishop McDevitt High School in Wyncote, Hallahan was shut down due to dwindling enrollment and finances in June 2021.

Months after the school’s closure, alumnae and supporters of the country’s first all-girls’ Catholic diocesan high school pushed for a new, independent school to take its place. But “Center City Girls Academy,” a private, non-diocesan school, never took shape.

The would-be-school’s board members planned to name it after founder Mary E. Hallahan McMichan, but the proposal was blocked by the archdiocese. And while other plans for the building seemed to be halted, alumnae are excited about a potential new development.

The site is currently being eyed by the Belmont Charter Network to house a high school. And while the school won’t be in the same image as their alma mater, 2001 grad Vicki Gallagher said she’s glad it’s still serving the same purpose.

“I’m just glad it’s not a condo,” she said. “It used to be a school, so it should be there to educate children. I’m really happy more kids — boys and girls — can receive a good education in one of the best parts of the city. You have everything at your fingertips.”

While the school name may change, alumnae association board member Debi Myers-Sparks said nothing will erase the memories shared and lessons learned from those historic halls.

“Hallahan girls are everywhere,” she said. “Long live the legacy of Hallahan.”