Oratory Preparatory School

In 2015, the United States Department of Education announced that Oratory had been recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence, the Education Department's highest honor. Oratory was one of 15 schools in the state and one of two private secondary schools across the nation to receive this distinction.[8][9]

Though the school is named Oratory, it does not have any connection to the Oratorian Fathers. However, there may have been an association in the past, as advertisements for the school in The New York Times during the 1910s mention the Oratorian Fathers. The reason for the name change is said to be that the school wanted to attract Oratorian Priests, however this plan proved to be unsuccessful. Oratory was founded as an exclusive boarding school serving boys in grades 4 through 12, although in 1964 it became strictly a day school.

Oratory originally resided on a 15-acre (61,000 m²) lot, but was reduced to its current ten after selling off a portion of land in the 1960s. In 1967, the school was sold to the Archdiocese of Newark after running into financial difficulties. Among century-old specimen trees and rolling hills, the campus consists of two main academic buildings, athletic fields, and a prayer garden. Around the start of the 21st century, the campus was conversationally referred to as "The Park" by Summit residents because it had various athletic fields, intricate lamp posts, its own irrigation system, and a small pond that was used for skating during the winter season.[10] The Fr. John J. Bain Academic building, built in 1959, contains classrooms, gymnasium, computer lab, and chemistry lab. Oratory's Cavalero Memorial Field, an artificial turf field constructed in 2010, hosts a baseball diamond as well as Northern New Jersey's largest high school soccer field.

In 2006, the land was assessed at $6,270,000, and the buildings at $2,752,700, a total of $9,022,700.[11]

Oratory Prep is governed by a 21-member Board of Trustees, appointed by the Archbishop of Newark. Annual Giving provides approximately 20 percent of the school's annual budget, which currently averages about $3.9 million. Corporations, foundations, parents, and alumni contribute to the Annual Giving Program.

With support from all resources, Oratory has made significant changes to the school in the past five years. Beginning in 2003, the school has required, as part of the "Anytime, Anywhere Learning Program", personal laptop computers for grades 9-12, and put the entire campus on a wireless internet network. In the summer of 2004, a $1.3 million renovation to Fr. John Bain Academic Building was completed, resulting in major renovations to each classroom, and the installation of smartboards. In 2005, a new library and art studio was built in the location of the previous stage area. In 2010, an artificial turf field, named Cavalero Memorial Field, was constructed on the former Kelly Field. That same year after the observation that the library was unused, they turned the library into a state-of-the-art music room, and started a jazz band.

Throughout the summer of 2006, improvements included renovations to the main lobby and gym, and the installation of an up-to-date security system, complete with 18 security cameras and new servers. A new marquee is located on the Morris Avenue side of the campus.

The Oratory Prep Rams[2] compete in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[12] Prior to the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had participated in the Mountain Valley Conference, which included public and private high schools in Essex County, Somerset County and Union County.[13] With 500 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public A for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 381 to 1,454 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group II for public schools).[14] Oratory had recently held the most titles of any school in the conference.

Carlton Academy's first football team. Photograph circa 1913.

The boys cross country running team won the Non-Public Group C state championship in 1974 (as co-champion) and 1975.[15]

The boys track team won the indoor track Non-Public Group B state championship in 1980.[16]

The boys' track team won the Non-Public indoor relay state championship in 1980.[17]

Oratory Golf's home course is Canoe Brook Country Club. The golf team was NJSIAA Non Public B State Champions in 2004-05, and won the NJSIAA Prep B state championship in 2005-06. For the 2006 season, the Oratory golf team was ranked 20th in the state by The Star-Ledger.[18] Steve Zychowski won the state and Mount Valley tournaments and helped lead the golf team to a win in the NJSIAA Parochial B tournament in 2009.[19] The golf team most recently won the North Jersey Non-Public B title in 2013, as well as earning the title of Union County Conference Champion for the Watchung Division in 2014.

For 14 consecutive years through 2009, the swim team won the Mountain Valley Conference and won the NJ Prep B Championship in 2004.[19] The cross country team was the NJISAA Prep B State Champions in 2004, and has continually placed first in the conference for the past ten years. The team is led by Coach E.J. Cronin, who is also the junior varsity baseball coach. The varsity baseball team were conference champions in 2006, a feat not accomplished since 1956, and had a perfect in-conference record of 12-0.[7]

The spring track team won the New Jersey Prep B Championship two years running (2009 and 2010).[19][20] The track team won the inaugural winter track Prep B championship in February 2011.[21]

• A Cappella
• Art Club
• Beginning Greek
• Book Club
• Carlton Fellows
• Chess Club
• Digital Art Club
• Educational Tours Program
• Environmental Club
• Fed Challenge
• Filmmaking Club
• Fishing Club
• Fitness Club
• History/Politics Club
• Intramurals
• Italian Club
• Middle School Consortium
• Mock Trial
• Model UN
• National Art Honor Society
• Newspaper
• Operation Smile Club
• Quiz Bowl
• Robotics Club
• Rowdies Fan Club
• Science Team/Science Club
• Sports Enthusiasts Club
• St. Philip Neri Club
• Student Ambassadors
• Student Council
• Technology Club
• Video Game Club
• Yearbook

• Father/Son Communion Breakfast
• Family Mass
• Oratory's Annual Golf Classic
• Spirit Week
• Fashion Show
• Ram Day
• Open Houses
• Spring Gala

• Chris Carlin (born 1972), radio producer and sportscaster at WFAN Sports Radio 66 in New York City.[24]
• Richard Codey (born 1946), former Governor of New Jersey.[25]
• Danny DeVito (born 1944), actor.[26]
• Justin Brice Guariglia, photographer for National Geographic Magazine.[27]
• William J. Lyons Jr. (1921-2014), businessman and politician who served from 1973 to 1975 in the Connecticut Senate.[28]

• 
  Newman Hall decorated for Christmas
• 
  The foyer of Newman Hall
• 
  "Housemother and Children"
• 
  First hockey team
• 
  First baseball team
• 
  The foyer of Newman Hall in 1910

• Oratory Preparatory School website
• Data for Oratory Preparatory School, National Center for Education Statistics