DeSales High School, Geneva, NY

01/21/2026

Thank you for visiting the DeSales High School, Geneva, NY page! As of January 20, 2026, it is no longer active. Here is some information you may find helpful:

📸 To find photos on this page:
• There are thousands of old photos that you can search through.
• Go to https://www.facebook.com/desaleshighschool/
• Click the "🔍 Search" button.
• Type a name, a year, or any other keyword.
• Trying different variations can be helpful to turn up different results.
• For example, when searching for a specific person, you could try "First name Last name," "Last name," or other variations, including nicknames.
• When searching for photos from a specific school year, you could try "1972," "1971-72" or “72."

😇 To see a timeline of major milestones in DHS History:
• Click on this post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/189i8PqhpN/
• You can also search the word "history" (using the method explained above) to read accounts that were written and published in various Salesians over the years.

📘 To look through copies of The Salesian:
• The Geneva History Museum has copies of every DHS yearbook.
• You can visit their research room during regular hours to look through them.
• You can also schedule an appoint to see records in their archival collections, such as photos, newspaper articles, and other documents.
• Visit https://historicgeneva.org/archives-and-research/ for more information.

📄 To request a copy of your high school transcript:
• Follow the instructions on the Diocese of Rochester Transcript Request page.
• Visit https://www.dorschools.org/family-alumni/transcript-request/

🎶 To play or sing “The Blue and Gold,” the DeSales Alma Mater:
• Sheet music can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/181FJcAfNo/
• The following links are to three YouTube videos you can use for audio.
• Instrumental version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byT7mC0taPE
• Small group version: https://youtu.be/h6Tdhy_-EWY
• Large group (Class of 2012 Commencement) version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1OiaZatFX0

⚠️ To stay safe online:
• Do not click on links posted by unknown accounts in the comments.
• They’ll often promote merchandise, livestreams, or special offers. What may look like a link to DHS-branded clothing could actually give you a virus or lock you out of your account.
• Do not add any unknown accounts as “friends.”
• If they seem suspicious, overly friendly, or pushy, they are likely spam and are purposely trying to deceive you.
• These spammy comments will often pop up like weeds on old posts, in response to comments from years ago.
• Make sure you recognize them, report them, and do not click on them.

01/21/2026

Our future is for us a dream / Wherein we'll meet our dear old pals / And we'll see our colors gleam! 💙💛

01/20/2026

Fifty-one years ago today, the decision was made to close DeSales High School. But it didn’t happen — a community came together, rallied around the school, and worked tirelessly to keep it open. Because of what they did in 1975, and in subsequent years, my sister and I were able to graduate just as our dad, uncle, aunt, and grandparents had.

When DeSales ultimately closed its doors in 2012, that same community — a modern version of it with some familiar faces, still rooted in tradition and connected through care and concern — came together again… this time to keep its spirit alive online.

Thank you to everyone who engaged with this page, sharing your stories in the comment section, messaging me your family photos, and providing updates about your class reunions. It’s been beautiful seeing the memory of our “Dear Old DeSales” live on through your memories.

I’ve learned a lot in my time as de facto DeSales archivist; there are so many of your names, faces, and stories that I have come to know so well, despite having never met in person. I am grateful for your kindness and support these past 15+ years.

I am grateful to Ms. DeSain and Historic Geneva NY for the access they gave me to their Salesian collections and DHS memorabilia. I’ve taken thousands of photos from every yearbook, and these posts would not have been possible without them. Fittingly, I stopped by the Geneva History Museum earlier this month for one final time to doublecheck some yearbook dedications. It was a wonderful full circle moment that reminded me of all those visits from many years ago. How it started and how it ends.

Later tonight I’ll share some final information about how you can continue to use this page and explore DeSales High School history… it’ll still be here, as an archive of the archives!

I believe that this social media platform is especially bad for our health, our relationships with each other, and our democracy. I cannot in good faith continue to use it. If you’d like to read more about why I decided to stop moderating this page, you can see my post from February 13, 2025: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E1BEiYQ8W/

However, I hope you make your online interactions meaningful. Connect with your classmates and friends — friends who you actually know and care about, not just “friends” that are @’s and accounts. Limit your screen time. Talk on the phone. Create mailing lists, organize reunions, and, if you can, meet up in person. Remember that the life you share online and see in your screens is not real.

We often say that high school was the best years of our lives. Maybe there’s some truth there, maybe we’re just caught in the comfort of nostalgia because life is tough. We grow older, we drift apart, we look back on the times when things were easier, quieter, or simpler. But your best years don’t have to be behind you.

These past few days, I’ve been thinking a lot about the word “hope.” Things are bad. The future looks bleak. Social media sucks. But if you have hope, you can work to create the life you want to live for yourself and for the people and communities you care about. It isn’t optimism — it requires effort. Hope is what kept DeSales High School open for 37 years after it was supposed to close. Hope keeps us looking forward by using those lessons we’ve pledged to keep dear from year to year. HOPE is literally spelled out on the Virgin Mary grotto and above the front doors in our school motto.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this page and continue to share your memories of DeSales. Let’s keep giving the best that’s ours… through all life’s smiles and weary tears.

Danny ’12 😇

01/20/2026

No matter what happens now
Nobody can take our love down
It's safe inside our memories
💙💛

Saying goodbye to DeSales, one decade after its closing.

01/20/2026

A recording of “The Blue and Gold” DeSales Alma Mater from 2012. 💙💛

Piano: Mrs. Barbara Seppeler. Singers: Phil Bennett '12, Theresa Dewa '12, Ann Erdle '13, Abbigail Kime '14, and Jake Morici ‘14.

Written by John M. Toole '34. Recorded in 2012 - Piano: Mrs. Barbara Seppeler. Singers: Phil Bennett '12, Theresa Dewa '12, Ann Erdle '13, Abbigail Kime '14,...

01/20/2026

A drawing by Peggy Koelbel '75 for the 1975 Salesian: "DE SALES CLASS OF '75 PRESENTS / THE SALESIAN / THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!!"

Please share some of your favorite memories from DeSales High School in the comments. 👼

01/20/2026

Timeline of DeSales High School 1912-2012

1912
• St. Francis de Sales High School is founded in the upper section of St. Francis de Sales Grammar School on Exchange Street in Geneva.
• Rev. John Muckle serves as its first principal. (1912-1916)

1913
• October 27: DeSales is registered by the New York State Department of Education.

1916
• Nine students make up the first graduating class of DeSales.
• The first yearbook is printed.
• Rev. Francis Mason serves as the second principal of DeSales. (1916-1928)

1928
• Rev. Edward K. Ball becomes the 3rd principal of DeSales. (1928-1939)

1929
• Summer: Due to overcrowded conditions at St. Francis deSales Grammar School, it is decided that a new building must be built to house the high school. The church home is sold for the school site and St. Stephen's convent is used as a home for faculty. Part of the old church home is razed and a new brick building is erected and attached by a corridor to the remaining section.
• The Stock Market Crash of 1929 leaves the parish heavily in debt and the new school building far from completion.
• Once the building is completed, it is dedicated by Rev. John Francis O'Hem, Bishop of the Diocese of Rochester.

1935
• The first volume of The Salesian, the official yearbook of DeSales High School, is published.

1937
• DeSales celebrates its 25th Anniversary.

1939
• Rev. Raymond Nolan becomes the 4th principal of DeSales. (1939-1953)

1943
• March 23: A fire starts in the attic of the church home, destroying the library, laboratory, and several classrooms. It causes $50,000 in damage. Due to the war effort and the rationing of material, construction on the school will be held off until the end of the war.

1945
• DeSales fields its first ever girls' basketball team.

1947
• DeSales organizes its first Library Club.

1948
• John Toole '34 composes "The Blue and Gold," the DeSales Alma Mater.
• Golf becomes an organized sport at DeSales.

1950
• Work begins on a new addition to the front of DeSales. It includes plans for four classrooms, a library, a laboratory, and a lunchroom and showers in the basement.
• A one-week fundraising drive raises $148,667 for the construction of a new gymnasium.

1951
• September 30: Bishop Kearney dedicates the gymnasium that is constructed at the rear of the school building.
• December 19: DeSales takes on Penn Yan in their first game in the new gym, defeating them 42-36.

1953:
• The front portion of the school building is completed, adding a new library, laboratory, and several classrooms. The stage is built on the back side of the gym to serve as an auditorium.
• Rev. L. Joseph Hogan becomes the 5th principal of DeSales. (1953-1955)

1955
• Rev. John Nangle becomes the 6th principal of DeSales. (1955-1957)

1957
• DeSales defeats Geneva High 6-0 in football for the first time. The Saints will continue to beat the Panthers in the years 1958, 1963, 1965, and 1972.
• Rev. John Morgan becomes the 7th principal of DeSales. (1957-1958)

1958
• January 8: The first issue of The Blazon, the school newspaper, is published.
• April 28: The cheerleading team wins first place in the second annual Rochester Catholic Youth Organization cheerleading competition.
• December 18-19: DeSales undergoes a name change from "DeSales Institute" to "DeSales High School."
• Sister Marie Margaret becomes the 8th principal of DeSales. (1958-1959)

1959
• A classroom on the first floor is converted into a school chapel, known as Sacred Heart Chapel.
• February 10: Fr. Hart brings the Blessed Sacrament into the new chapel. Two weeks later, the first mass is offered by Monsignor Ball, with the student body joining in the responses through a special loud-speaking system.
• February 24: At 9:30am, Bishop James E. Kearney says mass in the chapel.
• Sister Rose Adelaide becomes the 9th principal of DeSales. (1959-1965)

1962
• DeSales High School celebrates its 50th Anniversary.
• An addition is constructed in the front of the school building. It is an exact replica of the addition that was built a decade earlier.

1965
• Sister St. Andrew becomes the 10th principal of DeSales. (1965-1970)

1970
• Sister Agnes Catherine becomes the 11th principal of DeSales. (1970-1975)

1971
• The boys varsity basketball team is named diocesan champions.
• September 7: Fr. Raymond P. Nolan dies.

1972
• The DeSales basketball team, coached by Jim Dolgos, wins the first Carter-Sammons Diocesan championship.

1973
• January 15: A 7 to 2 vote by the Board of Trustees allows girls to wear slacks to school.

1974
• The varsity baseball team wins sectionals.

1975
• January 20: DeSales Board President Martin Eades announces that the school will close in June. The senior class of 1975 will be the last graduating class of the 62-year-old school.
• The S.O.S. Save Our School effort is launched and raises $115,000 by the March 12 deadline, keeping DeSales Open.
• Mr. Edward Tracey becomes the 12th principal of DeSales. (1975-1999)

1977
• The varsity football team wins sectionals.
• DeSales forms its first girls' soccer and softball teams.

1978
• The varsity girls basketball team wins sectionals.

1979
• The Saints win the Sectional Title in football.
• The Saint mascot is painted on the gym wall by the 1978-79 Mechanical Drawing class.

1981
• March 12, Freshmen Steve Bucklin '84 receives a $1,000 check from Frank Sinatra after writing him and asking for a donation. In honor of the gift, Mr. Tracey brings in his collection of Sinatra records and plays them over the PA system.

1984
• The girls varsity basketball team and varsity baseball team win sectionals.

1985
• The girls varsity basketball team is named regional champions after the State Final Four Tournament and wins a sectionals title.
• November 9: Sister Sheila Hanley, formerly known as Sr. Michael Mary, dies.

1986
• The girls varsity basketball team wins sectionals.

1987
• DeSales High School celebrates its Diamond Jubilee. (75th Anniversary)

1988
• The varsity baseball team wins sectionals.

1989
• February 7: The library is dedicated to Samuel B. Williams, the late owner and publisher of the Finger Lakes Times who was a major benefactor to the school.
• The varsity cheerleading squad, boys varsity basketball team, and varsity baseball team win sectional titles.

1990
• The varsity baseball team brings home a sectional title.

1991
• The varsity baseball team wins sectionals
• Mr. Lamson paints the radiant blue and gold mural in the front atrium. It includes the school's motto "OH LORD IN YOU I HOPE" above the interior doors.

1992
• The varsity baseball team wins its fifth consecutive sectional title.

1993
• The shrine to the Virgin Mary, called "Our Lady of Hope," is constructed on the right side of the school by Mr. William Eddy, who dies shortly after its completion.

1994
• The girls 4x800 meter relay team sets a new Class D record with a time of 10:02.9 seconds.

1995
• The varsity softball team wins sectionals.
• Over the summer, the parking lot on the side of the school is paved.

1996
• The varsity cheerleading squad and varsity softball team win sectionals.

1997
• The varsity cheerleading squad wins sectionals.
• The softball team and girls varsity basketball team are named scholar athlete state champions.

1999
• The boys bowling team is named scholar athlete state champions.
• Mr. Dan Skinner becomes the 13th principal of DeSales. (1999-2002)

2000
• The girls varsity basketball team and baseball team win sectionals.

2002
• Dr. Karen Juliano becomes the 14th principal of DeSales. (2002-2005)

2003:
• October: The former St. Stephen's Convent, on the side lawn of DeSales, is demolished.

2004
• October 20: Legendary football coach Harry Furman dies.

2005
• Fr. Joseph Grasso becomes the 15th principal of DeSales. (2005-2007)

2006
• The boys varsity basketball team wins sectionals.

2007
• Mr. Martin Cox becomes the 16th principal of DeSales. (2007-2009)

2009
• Mr. Scott Redding becomes the 17th principal of DeSales. (2009)
• Mr. Gerald Macaluso becomes the 18th principal of DeSales. (2009-2012)

2010
• March 3: Longtime DeSales principal, teacher, parent, and supporter Mr. Edward Tracey dies.
• DeSales is threatened with closure due to a $450,000 deficit. A new S.O.S. - Save Our School campaign is launched and, through grassroots efforts, raises enough money to keep the school open.
• The varsity baseball team wins sectionals.

2012
• DeSales High School celebrates its SAINTennial — one hundred years of Catholic Education.
The varsity cheerleading squad and boys varsity basketball team bring home sectional titles.
• Danny Hastings ’12 paints the Saint mascot on the side of the gym.
• August 1: Due to decreasing enrollment and a lack of funding, DeSales High School closes after 100 years.

01/20/2026

Fitting words from the very first DeSales yearbook (1916):

So we bid thee farewell,
Alma Mater so fair;
We leave thy dear portals,
Life's problems to dare;
But we'll never forget thee—
Our childhood's best friend,
We'll love and revere thee
Through life to the end.

01/20/2026

Coverage of DeSales High School's closing in the summer of 2012:

News 10NBC has heard from dozens of people in our area who are upset by the news that DeSales High School in Geneva is closing.

The Board of Trustees says declining enrollment and insufficient funds are the reasons for the closure.

Students say the news is heartbreaking and shocking. The school has been open for 100 years and it is estimated that more than 5,000 people graduated from DeSales.

For Bill Hastings, going to DeSales High School was a family tradition that crossed generations.

"It's a sad, sad day. Yeah, I can't believe it. Not having DeSales here anymore...it was a great school, a lot of tradition and history and spirit and faith," Hastings said.

Hastings also served on the Board of Trustees for six years. His term ended last month. He says the board had to face the issue of how to keep the school open for awhile.

"We've also been reaching out for donations. We've had some large donors to sustain us. Recently we have not. We tried to cultivate large donors, and it just wasn't happening."

The Board made the decision to close the doors last night at a special meeting. The school and the property will now be in control of Our Lady of Peace Parish.

The Board Chairman, Peter Cheney, sent us this statement today:

"The decision to close DeSales was not made lightly, but through the hard work, objective analysis and heartfelt prayers of all of us on the board who dearly love the school."

Hastings said, "Fiscally, we looked pretty good going into the school year, but we needed the students, the bodies. Each student represents $5,200 in tuition."

Hastings also explained the school needed 105 students to stay open, but only 78 signed up.

"Lacking 27 students at $5,2000 -- that's a lot of money, and I'm sure the board couldn't sustain it at that time."

At the high school on Wednesday, we saw staff packing up and carrying out their things. Students came and placed candles on the main steps.

"I took the day off of work," Ben Maher, a 2010 DeSales graduate said. "I figured, just come back and reminisce, roam the halls, see the gym again. So many great memories. Words can't really explain it."

Michael Cragg, a 2012 graduate, said, "It seemed every classroom we went in, we had these memories here and there. Like he [Maher] said, we just wanted to reminisce and talk about it."

For these two friends, they say it's hard to know that no future students will have the memories they were able to take away from DeSales.

"This school means everything to me - my co-students, kids that graduated before me," Cragg said. "We loved the school with a sincere passion."

"A feeling of emptiness," Maher said. "It just feels like something is missing. It's hard to explain."

A principal from a nearby Catholic high school told us there is now a scramble to get the 78 students enrolled in other schools, especially the seniors who want to play sports their last year of high school.

http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S2713035.shtml?cat=566News 10NBC has heard from dozens of people in our area who are upset by the news that Desales High Sch...

01/20/2026

August 1, 2012: "AFTER 100 YEARS, DESALES TO CLOSE."

"The memories we have of DeSales and its impact on our lives and the lives of many will live on in our hearts and minds forever." –Peter Cheney, DeSales Board of Trustees

01/20/2026

Thanks to all the hard work of DeSales students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, neighbors, and friends, the Class of '75 was not the last to graduate from DeSales High School.

"Sister Agnes Catherine will leave Geneva knowing that she wasn't the school's last principal. Asked if DeSales can survive, Sister Agnes Catherine expressed cautious optimism. 'I think it can and if anyone can pull it all together it will be Mr. (Edward) Tracey. I think he will be an excellent principal. On the other hand, the community has only so much money... and I don't know what portion of that total amount citizens feel they can continue to give to DeSales High School and Catholic education,' she said."

01/20/2026

The DeSales community came together to create the S.O.S. - Save Our School Campaign, which raised direly needed funds, boosted enrollment, and gave hope to the future of DeSales High School.

Because of their grit, grace, determination, and dedication to DeSales, it did not close after 63 years; the Board of Trustees reversed their decision and we were blessed with 37 more years of DeSales High School, ultimately culminating with its centennial celebration in 2012.

Financial shortfall would be a perennial problem, but there was no shortage of spirit and support for our Saints. We are forever grateful to the DeSales students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, neighbors, and friends who worked so hard to give us so much. 💙💛