Father Ryan High School is a private Catholic coeducational high school in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1925 as Nashville Catholic High School for Boys, Father Ryan is located in the Diocese of Nashville. It was the first racially integrated high school in Tennessee. History The school was founded 1925 by Alphonse John Smith, the bishop of Diocese of Nashville. It was initially named Nashville Catholic High School for Boys before adopting its current name in 1927 to honor Father Abram Joseph Ryan. Father Ryan was a strong supporter of the Confederacy and Slavery. Ryan was called a “cheerleading kind of poet" for the Confederacy, never relenting from his strong support, even after the Civil War was long over. In September 1954, the school began admitting black students, making it the first racially integrated school in Tennessee. In 1970, the school merged with the Cathedral High School and became coeducational. Campus Father Ryan High School's first campus was at 2300 Elliston Place, which was dedicated in 1929. Father Ryan remained there for 62 years and expanded twice, but eventually it outgrew these facilities and during the summer of 1991 relocated to its present home on Norwood Drive in the Oak Hill area of Nashville, TN. This site includes an academic building containing computer labs, science labs, and classrooms. There is also the administrative Cloister Building which houses art rooms, band room, dining hall, and the St. James Chapel. The field house contains three full size basketball courts, a wrestling room, workout areas, locker rooms, and coaching offices. The site also has softball, baseball, soccer, football fields and a track. Other additions include a freestanding library, a football stadium, and the Center for the Arts. The most recent addition is a STEAM Lab in the library. Many remnants of the Elliston Place campus are placed around campus. These include the oak doors, previously the entrance to the old campus, which are now part of the Neuhoff Library. Many bricks inside the Academic Building are from the Elliston Place campus and are labeled as such. Demographics The demographic breakdown of the 945 students enrolled in 2013-2014 was: Native American/Alaskan - 0% Asian/Pacific islanders - 3.6% Black - 4.9% Hispanic - 1.6% White - 89.2% Multiracial - 0.7% Arts Father Ryan High School has 31 visual and performing arts programs. These programs include the band, choir, theatre, and other visual and performing arts. Students'