Jesuit Educational Association

The Jesuit Educational Association (JEA) was established in 1936 as the umbrella organization for both Jesuit secondary and postsecondary education in the United States and lasted until 1970. The secondary schools were governed through Jesuit communities and most faculty were Jesuits. Leadership meetings were usually Province-based, though some elements of a common curriculum were monitored nationally. By 1970, there were 47 Jesuit secondary schools, the first being Georgetown Preparatory established in 1789. In the 1800s, 26 schools opened with another 20 opening between 1900 and 1970.

During the 1960s the role of private secondary education in the United States was being debated in many quarters in light of the considerable social upheaval then taking place. Similarly, during the time of Vatican Council II and afterwards, many within the Society of Jesus began to question the effectiveness of its traditional apostolates, particularly parishes and schools. Some members of the Society advocated and opted for direct social service in the inner cities where poverty and racism seemed obvious manifestations of societal injustice. The Society’s commitment, moreover, to the mission of faith and justice left many in the institutional apostolates wondering about their role and future.
In 1964, a serious study was undertaken to determine just how effective Jesuit high schools had been in the Christian formation of its students. The findings of the research, known as “The Fichter Study,” gave impetus to the establishment of the Jesuit Secondary Education Association (JSEA) as an entity in its own right (separate from a similar organization for Jesuit colleges and universities) that would provide services for Jesuit high schools in order to further the specifically Jesuit character of their educational efforts. The Preamble to the Constitutions of JSEA, drawn up in response to the context in which Jesuit educators found themselves, set forth a challenging vision and sent out a powerful call to action which ultimately would inspire those working in the secondary education apostolate to a dynamic sense of mission and purpose, deeply rooted in Ignatian spirituality and Jesuit tradition.