History

In 1958, the Archdiocese of Hartford purchased 30 acres of land on Wampanoag Drive, West Hartford with an eye to future development. Two years later, the Most Rev. Henry J. O'Brien, D.D., Archbishop of Hartford, announced that a high school would be built on this tract of land to serve the students in the surrounding parishes. On September 24, 1961, the Most Rev. John F. Hackett, D.D., officiated at the formal dedication of Northwest Catholic High School.  Eight members of the order of Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs were among the first faculty. The first class graduated in June 1965.

The Rev. Bradford Colton was principal from 1961-68 and guided the school during its founding years. He was succeeded by Rev. William F. O'Keefe in 1968 and Sr. Doris Regan, O.P., in 1977. In 1985, Rev. Henry C. Frascadore was named the first president of Northwest Catholic, while Sr. Doris remained as principal. Dr. Michael Griffin replaced Fr. Frascadore as president in 1996, and Mrs. Margaret Williamson became principal in 2000.  In June 2005, upon Dr. Griffin's departure, Mrs. Williamson became acting president and principal, and in June 2006, Matthew O’N. Fitzsimons became president. In July 2009, Mrs. Williamson replaced Mr. Fitzsimons and serves as Principal/Chief Administrator.

In December 1971, the Commission on Independent Secondary Schools granted Northwest Catholic institutional membership in the New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools (NEASC) for a period of ten years. This accreditation has since been renewed in 1981, 1991, and 2001.  In 1989, Northwest Catholic High School was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an Exemplary School.

School Motto

In lumine tuo videbimus lumen.
In Your light we shall see light.

This motto is a reminder that the years spent at Northwest Catholic are years of serious study. The purpose of study is the attainment of truth -- in science, in the classics, in social relationships, in the arts, in every field of human knowledge. The light of God's help directs our study so that we recognize truth as it really is, in His light, untarnished by political, social or economic bias, and  that we find true wisdom in eternal truth as revealed to us by eternal light.

School Shield

The shield of Northwest Catholic features a torch (an image of enlightenment and knowledge) and a cross (representing our Catholic identity and spiritual mission), superimposed upon an open book -- a symbol of education and learning. This shield captures the stability, strength and discernment that are the hallmarks of the academic and spiritual mission of Northwest Catholic High School.