Our Legacy
A Detroit Institution: Championing Community Stewardship
For nearly 150 years, University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy has been part of Detroit’s story. Founded in 1877, U of D Jesuit has educated generations of young men in the Jesuit tradition, challenging them to grow in faith, pursue excellence, and live as “Men for Others.”
But being part of Detroit is about more than having a Detroit address. It means being invested in the people, neighborhoods, and future of the city.
Since moving to its current campus in 1930, U of D Jesuit has been a consistent presence in Detroit’s Bagley neighborhood. Today, more than a quarter of its students are Detroit residents, and young men from across the region come together on campus to learn, compete, worship, serve, and build friendships that last well beyond graduation.
That commitment to community is also visible beyond the classroom. Less than a mile from campus, the former Johnson Recreation Center had sat vacant, a reminder of what can happen when a community asset is left behind. U of D Jesuit saw an opportunity—not simply to restore a building, but to help create a place where the community could gather, grow, and connect.
Today, the revitalized center offers health and wellness facilities, meeting spaces, youth programming, adult education, and seasonal activities. It is a tangible example of what stewardship can look like: recognizing what a neighborhood needs and working alongside others to help make it possible.
That same spirit extends to the U of D Jesuit campus. The school’s track provides a safe place for neighbors to walk and exercise before the school day begins. Students regularly step beyond the campus to serve others through ministries and service opportunities that put the Jesuit ideal of being “Men for Others” into action.
Through Labre Ministry, students accompany and serve people experiencing homelessness in Detroit. Through Pallbearer Ministry, they offer dignity and presence to people who have died without family to accompany them. During Senior Service Days, students spend time serving organizations and communities throughout Detroit and beyond.
These experiences are not simply service hours. They are opportunities for students to encounter people whose experiences may be different from their own, recognize their responsibility to others, and understand that leadership begins with service.
That is the heart of U of D Jesuit’s mission—and one of the reasons its Detroit story continues to matter.
As the school approaches its 150th anniversary, it is celebrating more than a remarkable history. It is celebrating a living tradition: a belief that education should form young men who know who they are, understand their responsibility to others, and are willing to use their gifts in service of something greater than themselves.
For nearly 150 years, U of D Jesuit has been rooted in Detroit. The opportunity now is to carry that legacy forward—continuing to invest in its students, its neighbors, and the city it has called home for generations.