St. Malachy High School was opened as a commercial parish high school in 1903. The enrollment was co-educational
and was considered parish-oriented, operated by the Sisters of Mercy.
The school closed after being open just one year, but reappeared in 1941 primarily for African-American boys and girls,
regardless if they were of the Catholic persuasion, although Caucasians were still admitted. As of 1952, 130 students (80
girls, 50 boys) were attending St. Malachy with 10 nuns on the faculty.
Clifton Palmer tells us the school closed its doors in 1961. Clifton was a student there at the time
and had to finish his high school days at nearby
St. Philip. One anonymous reader tells us that St. Malachy had an enrollment of 50 students for this final year. Lack of enrollment
was likely the main cause of the school's demise.
According to Angela Patricia McClinton-May (Class of 1957), the St. Malachy school building still
stands proudly today.
