Our History

Excerpt from the 1929 Pilot Yearbook:

Coming to Detroit in 1851, the Brothers located in the Cathedral School on Jefferson avenue, in the present parish of Sts. Peter and Paul, Jesuits. They later opened schools in St Anne’s, on the site of the Lite Guard Armory, St. Mary’s, Holy Trinity, and Sacred Heart, as also a small academy in connection with Cathedral School.

Unable to support themselves from the small salaries they received in these parishes, in 1864, they closed all of the schools with the exception of St. Mary’s. Here they remained until 1877, leaving to open St. Joseph’s Commercial College, which they conducted since. 

For seventy-eight years the invaluable educational work done by the Brothers in Detroit, has been performed in parish schools, consequently their services have been more or less limited. Notwithstanding these limitations, however, their success has been most pronounced. No fewer than 18,000 boys have come under their influence. These boys are today, virile American citizens and leaders in the commercial and industrial activities of the city. Indeed, many men prominent in Detroit’s judicial and political circles own the Brothers directly or indirectly for the high positions they occupy in society and for the success they have met in life. 

Such success in the part of the pupils showed the work of the teacher and prompted the graduates of Old St. Joseph’s to consider plans whereby the Brothers could be placed in a school of their own. The idea was warmly received and encouraged by Brother Blaise Austin who was the director of St. Joseph’s during the years 1907-1915. 

It was decided that a Board of Trustees should be formed who would build the first unit of the school and retain ownership till the debt was paid off, or till the Brothers chose to take it over. 
The plan assumed definite shape on April 11, 1923, when the Alumni organized a drive for $250,000. The Board of Trustees was formed consisting of Sylvester Mauer, president; Anthony Bodde, vice-president; O.R. Jungwirth, secretary; Raymond Reichling, treasurer; Joseph L. Maniere, Joseph A Schrage, Frank F. Sand, Joseph A. Schulte and Frank W. Schwartz, John J. Jantz, Frank A. Weber, Joseph Friedle, Albert J Stocker, Elemer Schneider. 

The drive for funds progressed so favorably that land was secured with the Six Mile Circle, in what will soon be the center of the East Side. Ground was broken for the present building by Mr. Anthony Bodde,  on November 15, 1925. The cornerstone was laid on January 17, 1926, by the Rt. Rev. Michael James Gallagher, Bishop of Detroit, amid a gathering of people who afterwards assembled for Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament at St. David’s Church, which was so kindly placed at our disposal by the pastor, Rev. William F. Murphy. 

The great day, the dat on which the dream of 75 years was realized occurred on September 12, 1926. When the school was dedicated, the Rt. Rev. Joseph C. Plagens, Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, officiated. This occasion was honored by the presence of our assistant Superior Brother Philip, our Provincial, Brother Leo, Brother Junian Peter and Elesian and other brothers who had spent many years among the youth of Detroit. 

School was opened on the Tuesday, following September 14 with Mass of the Holy Ghost, celebrated by Rev. Wm F. Murphy, D.D. Eighty-five boys presented themselves for admission. The faculty consisted of Br. Arator Justin, Brother Aquinas Thomas, who taught the second year Classes. How we have grown in three short years may be gleaned from other pages of this annual. 
Probably the greatest source of encouragement, is the fact that the school has already been accredited by both the University of Detroit and the University of Michigan and thereby takes its place among the educational institutions of the state. 

Too much credit cannot be given to the Alumni of St. Josephs College and especially fo the Board of Trustees, who have given so generously of their time and money. The Brothers extend their sphere of influence in this city and promote the reign of Christ among men. 

High tribute, too, must be paid to the ladies of the De La Salle Auxiliary, founded five years ago to co-operate with the St. Josephs College Alumni and to assist in every way possible the work of the Brothers. Under the leadership of Mrs. Andrew O. Zink, its first president and for the past four years, Mrs. Joseph L Maniere and their willing and able assistants, this society has grown and has more than once rallied to the financial aid of the Board of Trustees. 

Carefully reviewing the struggle of the past and prudently peering into the not too distant future, we can confidently predict that De La Salle will soon be the leading institution of learning in the East Side of our city, and well, ere many years rank high among the great schools of its kind in this country. 

The 1940s — War, Community and Continuity

The 1940s brought the Second World War to the center of American life, and De La Salle's Detroit community was deeply affected by the conflict. The school continued its educational mission while many alumni, families and members of the broader East Side community answered the nation's call to military service. The school's historical record is less complete during the war years because The Pilot yearbook was not published during much of the period; De La Salle's archives specifically note the absence of yearbooks from 1941 through 1945. That gap makes the surviving photographs, memories, school records and alumni recollections from the era especially important. Even without the full documentary record, the school remained a place of continuity during a period of tremendous uncertainty. The traditions established during De La Salle's first decade—faith, discipline, academics, athletics and close relationships among students, Brothers and families—continued to provide stability.

The postwar years brought renewed confidence and investment. As Detroit entered the prosperous years following World War II, De La Salle's community looked toward the future. One of the most significant projects was the construction in 1947 of a permanent Christian Brothers residence on the east side of Conner Avenue near Glendale. The new residence replaced the earlier arrangement in which Brothers lived in nearby houses and reinforced their physical and spiritual presence at the school. The Brothers were not simply administrators who arrived for the school day; they lived alongside the institution and became a constant presence in the lives of generations of young men. Meanwhile, athletics continued to be an important part of De La Salle's identity, and by the end of the decade the Board of Trustees had established an Athletic Committee to help plan improvements to the athletic field shared by De La Salle and St. Joseph's. The decade closed with the school firmly established as one of the important Catholic institutions serving Detroit's East Side
 

The 1950s — Growth, Expansion and a Changing Detroit

The 1950s were a decade of tremendous growth for De La Salle and for the communities surrounding it. Detroit was experiencing the enormous economic and demographic changes associated with the postwar era, and De La Salle reflected that growth. Enrollment steadily increased throughout the decade, creating pressure on the original Conner and Glenfield facilities. The school expanded its academic and extracurricular offerings while maintaining the traditions that had been established under the Christian Brothers. A new Co-Pilot newsletter appeared in 1955, providing another way for the school community to communicate with students and families. Athletics remained a major part of school culture, and the school's fields, gymnasium and other facilities served as gathering places not only for students but for families throughout the surrounding East Side.

The growth eventually required physical expansion. Planning for another building began in 1957, and the new structure—known as the Annex—opened in the fall of that year. With the addition of the Annex, De La Salle was able to accommodate its growing enrollment and provide the academic space necessary for a modern college-preparatory school. The decade also reinforced De La Salle's place within a larger network of Catholic schools on Detroit's East Side. St. Joseph's, the school from which De La Salle had grown out of the dreams of alumni and community leaders, remained a major presence and rival. Together, the schools represented the strong Catholic educational culture that had developed in the city's neighborhoods. As Detroit entered the 1960s, however, both the city and its Catholic-school landscape were beginning to change.
 

The 1970s — Tradition Meets a New Generation

By the 1970s, De La Salle was a mature institution, but the world around it was changing rapidly. Detroit was experiencing population shifts, economic challenges and changes in neighborhood life that would ultimately affect schools throughout the city. At Conner and Glenfield, De La Salle continued to provide a distinctive Catholic education to young men from Detroit and the surrounding suburbs. The school remained rooted in the traditions of the Christian Brothers while beginning to reflect the changing expectations of a new generation. The role of lay educators expanded, and student life became increasingly diverse in its interests and activities. The school also continued to emphasize athletics as a means of building discipline, teamwork and school pride.

The decade's changing culture could even be seen in everyday school traditions. In September 1975, De La Salle relaxed its traditional dress expectations, ending the requirement for students to wear suits and ties every school day. The change represented something larger than a dress-code decision: the school was adapting to a new era while attempting to preserve its fundamental character. In 1977, Gary Buslepp joined De La Salle, beginning a career that would span more than two decades and include teaching, coaching, athletic administration and school leadership. His arrival would coincide with one of the most successful periods in De La Salle athletics and would help define the transition from the Detroit campus to Warren. As the 1970s ended, however, the physical condition of the Conner and Glenfield campus was becoming an increasingly serious concern.
 

The 1980s — From Detroit to Warren

The early 1980s marked the greatest physical transition in De La Salle's history. After more than five decades at Conner and Glenfield, the school faced the reality that its Detroit campus had become increasingly expensive and difficult to maintain. Years of improvements had kept the aging building functioning, but the cost of continued renovation was becoming unsustainable. On October 8, 1981, the Board of Trustees' Properties Committee concluded that the school needed to relocate. Principal Brother Kevin Gilhooly began the search for a new home. In early 1982, De La Salle learned that Holly Junior High School in Warren was available. Brother Kevin signed the purchase offer on March 15, and during the summer, faculty, parents, students and alumni worked together to transform the Warren property into a new home for the Pilots.

The final football game at Conner and Glenfield was played on October 15, 1982, bringing an emotional close to the school's Detroit chapter. Just weeks earlier, on September 26, Archbishop Edmund Szoka had dedicated and blessed the new Warren campus. De La Salle's move represented a change of place, but not a change of identity. The school's own history emphasizes that the traditions of Conner and Glenfield moved with the community to Common Road. The Warren years began with renewed investment in facilities and a new sense of possibility. Athletics flourished, highlighted by Gary Buslepp's basketball teams, including the 1982 state finalist and later teams that reached the state semifinals and won the school's first Catholic League championship in 1988. The decade demonstrated that De La Salle could leave Detroit without leaving its history behind.
 

The 1990s — Building the Warren Tradition

During the 1990s, De La Salle firmly established itself as a Warren institution while maintaining its Detroit roots. The school continued to attract students from across Metro Detroit, and the campus on Common Road became a gathering place for alumni from both the Detroit and Warren eras. The Christian Brothers remained central to the school's identity, while lay educators and administrators increasingly shared responsibility for carrying the mission forward. The legacy of the Detroit campus remained visible in school traditions, alumni relationships and the stories passed down from generation to generation. The Warren campus was no longer simply the "new" De La Salle; it had become a home with its own history.

That confidence was reflected in a major expansion project that began in 1992. Construction added new biology and computer laboratories, storage space and improvements to the gymnasium, including an expansion of the south side and new access to the locker rooms. The $1.2 million project also created a faculty conference center and improved sidewalks and other campus infrastructure. The culmination came on September 12, 1993, when Cardinal Adam Maida presided at the dedication of the expanded facilities. The occasion brought together approximately 1,200 alumni, parents, teachers and friends and celebrated both the school's academic progress and its recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. The 1990s thus became a decade in which De La Salle moved confidently from preserving its past to investing in its future.
 

The 2000s — Preserving the Legacy

The opening years of the twenty-first century challenged De La Salle to consider what it would take to remain strong in a rapidly changing educational landscape. Under Brother Robert Carnaghi, who became president in 2002, the school undertook a comprehensive effort to evaluate its future. A master-planning and self-study process brought together more than 200 members of the school community and identified priorities for strengthening De La Salle academically, spiritually, culturally and physically. The result was the "Preserving the Legacy" capital campaign, an ambitious effort to ensure that the school's facilities could support the mission well into the future.

Groundbreaking for the first phase took place on April 2, 2004. The project added a new academic wing containing science laboratories, classrooms, technology infrastructure and storage while also renovating existing spaces including the music room, chapel and library. The expansion increased the school's physical footprint by more than 20 percent. Most importantly, the project physically connected De La Salle's future with its past: the cornerstone from the original Conner and Glenfield campus was incorporated into the new east entrance, where it remains a tangible reminder that the Warren school is the continuation of the Detroit institution founded in 1926. Bishop John Quinn presided over the dedication on December 12, 2004. The decade also produced a powerful athletic legacy, including the 2000 Division I state championship baseball team and the growth of programs that would become prominent throughout the following decades.
 

The 2010s — Expanding the Meaning of Community

The 2010s brought another period of growth and diversification for De La Salle. The school continued strengthening academics, athletics and student life while expanding its physical presence in Warren. In 2011, De La Salle acquired the former Warren YMCA, later known as the Brother Robert Activity Center. The facility provided additional space for wrestling, community athletics and other activities and allowed De La Salle to serve not only its own students but also youth sports organizations, alumni and community partners. The facility reflected a broader understanding of the school's role in Warren: De La Salle was not simply a school located in a community; it was increasingly a community institution itself.

The decade also saw continued academic and athletic growth. International Baccalaureate education became an increasingly important component of the academic program, while technology and extracurricular opportunities expanded. Athletics remained deeply woven into the school's culture, with state championships and Catholic League success reinforcing the long tradition of the student-athlete. By the end of the decade, De La Salle had developed a distinctly modern identity while preserving the customs and symbols that connected today's Pilots with those who attended school on Detroit's East Side. The school's yearbook archives now preserve photographs and records from nearly every era, allowing the generations of the Detroit campus and the Warren campus to be viewed as chapters of one continuous story.
 

The 2020s — Resilience, Innovation and the Centennial

The 2020s began with an unprecedented challenge. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools across the country to close in March 2020, De La Salle moved quickly to maintain instruction. Faculty and staff shifted classes online within days using Google Classroom and other digital tools. By August, students returned to in-person learning, with the school navigating the pandemic through a combination of health requirements, flexibility and adaptation. Principal Brother Ken Kalinowski described the approach as "faith-filled flexibility." The years that followed brought a renewed emphasis on academic growth, student experience and long-term planning. A five-year strategic planning process engaged faculty, administrators, alumni and parents, with committees examining student experience, marketing and enrollment, and funding. At the same time, the school continued to celebrate its athletic heritage, inducting new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame and honoring generations of Pilots who carried the school's name beyond its walls.

As De La Salle approached its 100th anniversary, the school began preparing not simply to celebrate the past but to invest in its second century. The "Builders of Boys. Makers of Men. The Next 100 Years." capital campaign launched a new era of facility and academic development. Its centerpiece was the Steve and Kathy McShane STEM Innovation Center, created through the transformation of the former library into a state-of-the-art learning environment. Construction began in 2024, and the center opened in October 2025 with advanced opportunities in biomedical science, engineering, computer science and aviation, including an Anatomage 3D visualization system. The opening was deliberately framed as the beginning of De La Salle's second century—a place where technology and innovation could meet the faith, character and human formation that have defined the school since 1926. In 2026, De La Salle celebrates its Centennial not simply as a school that survived a century of change, but as an institution that has repeatedly reinvented itself while remaining true to its purpose. From the neighborhoods of Detroit's East Side to Common Road in Warren, the address has changed, the buildings have changed and generations have come and gone—but the mission remains: Builders of Boys. Makers of Men.