The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia was founded by Thomas E. Cahill in 1890 as the first free Diocesan Catholic high school for boys in the nation. It is also known as "Roman Catholic" or simply "Roman." The school is located at the intersection of Broad and Vine Streets in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. History Roman Catholic was founded with funding provided by the estate of Thomas E. Cahill, a 19th-century Philadelphia merchant. Cahill had envisioned the need to create a school that offered a free Catholic education for boys past their grammar school years. Cahill died before seeing that vision come to life. However, those wishes were followed and guided by a written will and his wife, Sophia Cahill. Roman Catholic opened its doors in 1890 and offered free education to boys. Due to increased staff and facilities costs, free admission to the school ended in the 1960s. Founder Thomas E. Cahill, born May 27, 1828, was the son of Thomas Cahill, a native of County Louth, Ireland, colloquially known as 'the Wee County' who came to America in 1817, and of Maria Elliott, daughter of one of the oldest colonial families of Delaware. His father was a railroad contractor who suffered heavy reverses in his business. His mother died at the age of 36. Thomas left school to do his share towards the support of a large family. At 17, he opened a little store in Philadelphia, located between Pine and Spruce Street on 26th at a wharf on the Schuylkill River. Successful from the start, he embarked in the wood, coal, and ice business with the proceeds of his first venture. He later organized the Cold Spring Ice and Coal Company. In 1854 he became the first president. In 1869 he effected a consolidation of the large ice firms of the city, incorporated under the name of the famous brand Knickerbocker Ice Company. The Early Years When Roman Catholic High School was dedicated on September 6, 1890, 105 boys were selected for entrance into the new high school. Later only 26 students survived economic hardships and became members of the first graduating class in 1894. Compared to the number who began as first-year students, the percentage of graduates was a little less than 25%. It was not until 34 years later, in 1928, that one-half of those who started