Notre Dame High School is a Catholic college preparatory high school for girls in San Jose, California. Founded in 1851, Notre Dame is the oldest high school in California (tied with Bellarmine College Preparatory). History Notre Dame is an all-girls Catholic high school situated in downtown San Jose. The school was founded as the College of Notre Dame by the Catholic Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. The Sisters of Notre Dame also ran St Joseph's (now the site of Adobe's HQs), St Leo's, St. Clare's, St Francis Xavier and St Mary's where many of the female students later came to Notre Dame High School and Notre Dame de Namur College. On August 4, 1851 the Women's College of Notre Dame and convent opened on ten acres of land at 1 Notre Dame Avenue and Santa Clara Street. Notre Dame was the sister school to the all Men's Santa Clara College located two and a half miles away West on The Alameda, San Jose. In 1868, it became California's first chartered women's college authorized to grant the baccalaureate degree to women. In 1900 the Conservatory of Music was built. In May 1901 US President McKinley visited the school and was presented rosebuds by the students. In 1923 the College of Notre Dame, high school and elementary school moved: to the Ralston estate, located in Belmont on the San Francisco Peninsula while part of the high school (Santa Clara Street Academy) moved to the O'Connor Mansion at Second and Reed Street in San Jose. The O'Connor Mansion, was donated in 1898 to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur by Judge Myles P. O'Connor and his wife, Amanda. In 1958, the construction of two buildings began. Julie Billiart Hall served the purpose of a gathering place for school functions, a gym, and a cafeteria. Madonna Hall, later renamed Donnelly Hall in honor of Sister Mary Emmanuel Donnelly, is a two-story building that contains classrooms, teacher offices, and now a fully functional computer lab. In 1965 a convent and chapel complex was built on the northeast corner of the campus (South 3rd St & East William St). It has a traditional Spanish architecture and central courtyard designed by architect Warren Gilbert. Today it has two stories and is referred to as the 'Student Life Center.' The first story houses two art classrooms, a garden, a religious studies classroom, counseling offices and various