1867
The School Sisters of Notre Dame bought the “Bishops Residence” ($25.00 down payment). “Convent School of Infant Jesus” opened at 8th and Vermont. Within a year the school went from 12 to 116 students.
1872
The central and north wings were added: dormitories and classrooms.
1873
The school was chartered by the state and called “Saint Mary Institute.” A two year high school curriculum was introduced.
1876
The third floor was added: more classrooms.
1890
Chartered as a three year High School.
1894
Chartered as a four year High School.
1910
The school was fully accredited as “St. Mary Academy.”
1924
The name was officially changed to “Notre Dame of Quincy.”
1935
April – Notre Dame of Quincy accepted as member of North Central Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges.
1940
Quincy College Academy for boys closed and the boys came to Notre Dame for what was to be a “temporary stay.” The boys stayed for 19 years which required equipping and remodeling the school for the influx of male students.
1952
Construction of a new gymnasium ($251,000). Today this facility houses the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO).
1957
Notre Dame’s enrollment had increased to three times what it was 20 years before, and plans for a new boys high school were adopted.
1959
Notre Dame again became an “All Girls School” and a new boys school was opened at 10th and Jackson streets, staffed by the Christian Brothers religious order. The school was called “Christian Brothers High School.” Quincy Pastors asked their parishioners to finance the $800,000 cost of construction, and the local parishes responded by pledging $1,145,000.00.
1960
Presented the first graduating class from C.B.H.S.
1967
The parishes and friends of Catholic youth again responded to the financial needs of the growing new school, and an additional $175,000 was raised.
1969
The Christian Brothers announced they no longer had sufficient personnel available to staff C.B.H.S.
1970
Two Servite Fathers and Servite Brothers agreed to administer and teach at the boys high school. A new Quincy Corporation was formed and the boys school was converted to a locally-owned private institution controlled by a Board of Directors, which was made up of local business men and women of all faiths. The school would now be chartered as “Catholic Boys High School.”
1971
Catholic Boys High School and Notre Dame High School asked the Quincy community to invest in their schools. Leaders of industry, business, and the professions, as well as Catholic and non-Catholic lay people, responded to their plea by pledging over $400,000 spread over a three-year period.
1975
An effort was made to provide a broader, more expanse program. Notre Dame and Catholic Boys High Schools agreed to consolidate. Once again the Quincy and surrounding communities be- came instrumental in helping the newly-consolidated school by pledging $500,000 over a three-year period to supplement operating cost and provide some capital improvement.
1976
The School became known as “Quincy Notre Dame High School” and is still operating under this same name today at 10th and Jackson.
1977
The Quincy Notre Dame Development Program started, under the direction and leadership of the Quincy Notre Dame Foundation, which had been incorporated in 1968. It also became apparent that substantially regular fund raising efforts were going to have to be made for the support of Quincy Notre Dame High School. Thus the annual giving program was initiated.
The Foundation Board hired an Executive Director to carry out the Foundation’s business. Annual giving, planned giving, memorial , giving and alumni giving programs are a part of the overall Foundation endeavor.
Quincy Notre Dame High School is operated by a Board of Directors composed of laymen, laywomen and clergy of the Quincy Deanery.
The Board of Directors of the Quincy Notre Dame Foundation is separate and distinct from the Board of Directors of the high school, and the Foundation has no control over the budget and operations of the School.
Quincy Notre Dame High School has tax-exempt status under the Springfield Illinois Diocese. The Foundation, on April 23, 1968, received a letter of tax-exempt status on form L-178 from the Internal Revenue Service. It has been, and is now listed in the cumulative list of organizations described in Section 170 (c) as published by the Internal Revenue Service.
1984-1989
Quincy Notre Dame saw many changes during this time including the addition of a computer room, Remodeling the main office, room 15, installing new windows and renovating the chapel.
1990
Quincy Notre Dame renovated the library and added entrances into what would be constructed into the courtyard a few years later.
1995
Quincy Notre Dame hired the first layperson in school history as principal, Ray Heilmann, a position he would hold for more than 17 years.
2006
Quincy Notre Dame expanded its blueprint with the addition of the Willer wing including new classrooms, conference room and cafeteria expansion.
2008
Quincy Notre Dame experienced a technology boom with the arrival of smart boards and ELMO’s.
2010
After a successful Adopt-a-Mac program, through the QND Foundation, a Mac Lab was established.
2012
Quincy Notre Dame began offering 1:1 learning with every freshman receiving an iPad. Within three years, all students had iPads.
2014-2016
Quincy Notre Dame was blessed with generous donations and grants for campus enhancements such as a new choral classroom, renovated band room, new baseball field, and a new football/soccer field.
2018
After a five year process, the QND Foundation announced that it had raised over $6 million for The Campaign For Quincy Notre Dame. This is the largest fundraising campaign in the history of the school. The campaign expansion plan included the construction and completion of the East Wing housing two state-of-the-art science labs, an expanded physical science classroom, two additional classrooms, a conference room and a new principal’s office and two guidance counselor offices.
Additionally, completed campus revitalization projects included renovating public restrooms and electrical power supply, upgrading HVAC systems and constructing an athletic concourse. The successful campaign also helped secure the long-term stability of QND through endowment growth.
2020
Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s decision to cancel in-person learning in the state of Illinois, QND launched Distance Learning on March 30, 2020, and did not return for in-person instruction that school year. With 1:1 learning already in place via iPads, students and teachers effectively transitioned from traditional learning. Students were held accountable and averaged a daily attendance of 95%. Curriculum moved forward during this time with QND teachers working tirelessly and offering thousands of hours of help time for students. All QND spring athletic seasons were also canceled.
Quincy Notre Dame was not able to hold the traditional in-person graduation ceremony in the school gymnasium due to the state’s health and safety guidelines and restrictions. QND celebrated the Class of 2020 with a virtual Honors Convocation, Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation Ceremony.
The 2020 school year kicked off on August 17, 2020, with the school in an A-B schedule Monday through Friday. Students attended in-person instruction one day and then live streamed remotely the following day. This decision was made in the best interest of the students, families and staff in order to minimize the virus transmission. The opportunity to learn from home allowed students to follow the same schedule they would if they were present at school. QND began the year with no football, volleyball or boys soccer seasons as they were postponed until later in the school year by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). The IHSA completely reformatted and modified all athletic seasons and schedules for the 2020-21 school year.
