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cardinal spellman high school

in september of 1959, the newly created cardinal spellman high school opened in temporary quarters (formerly, the biograph motion picture studios of thomas alva edison: the site of the origin of the motion picture industry in america) on marmion avenue in the bronx. its permanent location on baychester avenue, between boston post road and east 233rd street, covers thirteen acres (including ball fields, grandstands, running track, and parking lots). the founding principal was the rev. msgr. john breheny, edd. francis cardinal spellman personally dedicated the new school facilities on may 27th, 1962. many years later, the name of needham avenue, in front of the school, was officially changed by the bronx borough president [the honorable fernando ferrer \'68] to cardinal spellman place. co-institutional education was the innovative model chosen for the new school by the archdiocese. separate academic departments for boys (staffed by diocesan priests, de la salle brothers and laymen) and for girls (staffed by sisters of charity of mt st vincent and laywomen) were established. each of the two departments (boys\' and girls\') had its own principal and assistant principal, and (to coordinate) we had the principal of the school. in the early seventies, the co-institutional model gave way to our current co-ed system, and there were appropriate faculty and administrative changes. the most recent major change in the organization of the school occurred in september of 1999, when we adopted the president/principal model. in may 1963, cardinal spellman high school was admitted to the university of the state of new york and thus accredited by the board of regents of the state. accreditation by the middle states association of colleges and secondary schools was first announced on december 2nd, 1965, and was renewed in december, 1975. this accreditation has been renewed regularly in 1977, 1982, 1986, 1997 and most recently in 2008.