History of De La Salle University

In 1901, three years after Spain ceded control of the Philippines to the United States, the Americans established a new public education system using English as the medium of instruction. The Catholic educational institutions in the country at that time, however, continued using Spanish as their medium, and this practice raised concerns that the Catholic children would lose out in the quest for leadership roles under the American administration. The Americans tried convincing the Spanish Jesuits of Ateneo to use English as the new language of instruction, but the Jesuits refused the American demand and remained loyal to Spain. Meanwhile, the Catholic teaching congregation Brothers of the Christian Schools (FSC, from the Latin: Fratres Scholarum Christianarum) had by then established their presence in 35 countries, including several Lasallian schools in Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Thus, the Americans turned to the Christian Brothers to pave the way for the introduction of English-based quality Catholic education in the country.^[3]

De La Salle College was established by nine Christian Brothers at the request of Manila Archbishop Jeremiah James Harty. Brothers Blimond Pierre Eilenbecker, a Luxembourgish-born French director, Aloysius Gonzaga McGiverin, the sole American brother, and Augusto Correge of France arrived on March 10, 1911. On May 13, the remaining six Brothers arrived. They were Brothers Ptolomee Louis Duffaux, future President Goslin Camillus Henri, D. Joseph, Celba John Lynam, Imar William Reale, and Martin, from France and Ireland, respectively.^[4] De La Salle College formally opened on June 16, 1911, initially with 125 students. By July 10, the total number of students reached 175. The campus was located on a 13,000-square-meter (140,000 sq ft) lot in Nozaleda Street, Paco, Manila, which was once the original site of the mansion of Spanish-Filipino tycoon Luis Perez-Samanillo, of which the land was then donated to the American School for expatriate families.^[5] After the school was vacated, the land was donated by the American government to the Lasallian Brothers after Archbishop Harty's request was granted.^[6] This college became the first La Salle school in the Philippines.^{[7][8][9][10][11]}

On February 12, 1912, the college was incorporated under the sole ownership of the college director (now called president), who was still the Frenchman Br. Blimond Pierre. In March 1912, four more Brothers arrived to answer Br. Blimond Pierre's request for more teachers. They were Brothers Wilfrid, Basilian Coin, Dorotheus Joseph, and future president Egbert Xavier Kelly, all from Ireland. During the early years, the Brothers were allowed to offer the full primary and intermediate programs and a three-year commercial secondary school program. The Commercial High School Diploma was first conferred in 1915 to three graduates. In November 1917, the school was allowed to confer an Associate in Arts degree. Brothers Donatian Felix, V. Andrew, Albinus Peter, Flavius Leo, Alphonsus Henry, Felix, and David King were sent to the school to teach various subjects from 1917 to 1929.^[12]

In 1921, due to the lack of space on the original Nozaleda Campus in Paco, the Brothers made a decision to move into 2401 Taft Avenue in Malate, which is its present location. Brother Acisclus Michael, FSC was able to secure a 30,300-square-meter (326,000 sq ft) lot at the southernmost boundary of Manila.^[13] The Paco property was then sold on March 19, 1920, to Don Vicente Madrigal, who was a wealthy shipping magnate. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on March 3, 1920, on a purchased lot along Taft Avenue. More than a year later on September 24, 1921, the teachers together with 425 students trooped on foot from Paco to a half-finished school designed by architect Tomás Mapúa. Classes on the new Taft campus formally started on October 3, 1921, and the building was completed on December 15, 1924.^[3][12]

In 1924, only 13 years after the Christian Brothers opened the doors of its new school to young boys, De La Salle College was already recognized as the best private school in the country by the Board of Educational Survey created by the Philippine Legislature, which was tasked to conduct a study of the quality of education and all the educational institutions, facilities, and agencies in the country.^[3][12] In 1920, the school officially launched its two-year Associate in Arts commercial course, which was its first tertiary-level course. The school's catalog for 1925 listed courses for an Associate in Arts, a two-year Commerce curriculum, and a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts, although the last degree was never conferred before World War II. In 1930, the college was authorized to confer the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Education and Master of Science of Education. The last pre-war arts degree holders graduated in 1931. The Associate in Arts program was then discontinued because of the department's lack of staff. The Bachelor of Science in Commerce degree was then conferred in its place in 1931, after a third year had been added to the initial two-year program.^[3]

During the Second World War, the Japanese forces in Manila forcibly took over the De La Salle College grounds and turned the campus into their South Manila defense quarters. Classes continued during the War starting in school year 1943–44 but the curriculum was severely reduced. Repeated bombings of the vicinity resulted in the total destruction of the college gymnasium, its library holdings, as well as laboratory equipment. On February 12, 1945, as American forces were making their way back to Manila and its environs, a small group of Japanese soldiers massacred 16 out of the 17 Brothers (all Europeans) residing in the Taft Campus, as well as several families who had taken refuge with them in the school chapel of the St. La Salle Hall. Only one survived the massacre – Brother Antonius Von Jesus, FSC despite being severely wounded by the Japanese soldiers. Brother Antonius was found by the American and Filipino forces who entered the La Salle campus a few days after February 12. Then-De La Salle College Brother President, Brother Egbert Xavier, FSC went missing one day before the massacre on February 12, 1945, presumably taken by Japanese soldiers.^[14][15][16]

The end of the war brought the imprisoned American De La Salle Brothers back home from the Japanese Los Baños concentration camp. They resumed classes in July 1945 in spite of lacking manpower and facilities; 1945 saw 60 boys graduating from high school at the end of the school year.^[17] Recognizing the role of education in reconstructing the Philippines, the Brothers expanded the Commerce curriculum into a four-year program.^[18]

The post-war years saw the establishment of numerous undergraduate schools and units. In 1947, the undergraduate school of Engineering was established, followed by Arts and Sciences in 1953, Education in 1959, Industrial Technology in 1973, and Career Development in 1980. De La Salle's Graduate School of Business Administration was established in 1960, followed by Education in 1963. In 1979, the College of Industrial Technology was merged with the College of Engineering as an Engineering Technology Program. In 1981, the Center for Planning, Information, and Computer Science was organized prompting the initial offering of the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science program. Beginning school year 1984–85, the Computer Science Program was spun off as a program under the College of Computer Studies. In 1982, the La Salle Teacher Training Center was put up to revive an earlier education program and in 1987, this center was elevated to the La Salle School of Education. The events of the 1970s were crucial to the development of De La Salle as a social institution. The school was exclusively for boys until 1973 when it admitted female students. That same year, a blueprint called De La Salle Ten Years was published, projecting the planned improvements of the school from 1973 to 1983, and was updated yearly.^[18]