Officials at Marist School, an all boys’ school since 1901, hope they will have an answer by this summer on whether they will accept girl students.

This was the comment of Father Vincent P. Brennan, S.M., president, in a meeting of parents Tuesday night. Persons attending discussed the pros and cons of Marist becoming a coeducational institution.

Father Brennan said school officials have been approached by interested parents who wish to provide private education for their girls in a Catholic school after it was announced last summer that D’Youville Academy was to be closed at the end of the 1969 school year.

The Marist president said 1,000 ballots have sent to parents to sound out their opinions on the possible change. In a letter to parents announcing the meeting, Father Brennan commented, “Marist deeply regrets the closing of D’Youville. Marist does not seek a coeducational status. But these are changing times. Perhaps this change at Marist is desirable. We at Marist are trying to find out what we should do. We are trying to find out what you, parents, wish us to do.”

He pointed out priests and the school’s lay advisory board have been working on the question since last September. Father Brennan said the student body was opposed to the proposed change.

“The archdiocese has tried to locate a congregation of nuns to continue D’Youville, but it has been fruitless,” Father Brennan said.

Sister Charlotte, G.N.S.H., D’Youville principal, said, “We thank the Marist fathers for their openness.” She said her order would be unable to staff D’Youville after 1969 or to provide teachers for Marist if the school did become coeducational.

Father Brennan said if parents were against coeducation the matter would be dropped. “If they said ‘yes’ it would require a change in the Marist constitution and the change would have to be approved in Washington and Rome.”

He said if the school did become coeducational it would not affect the Junior Air Force ROTC program and the enrollment would never have more girls than boys. The school would not become coeducational in the 7th and 8th grades, but only from the 9th to 12th.

Father Ralph Vedros, S.M., principal, outlined some of the pros and cons of coeducation. “For Marist, the pros would be a broader base for students and the fact that the archdiocese has a responsibility to provide education for girls.”

“Marist has been an all-boys’ school since 1901 and if it became coeducational 67 years of tradition would be discarded. And we are the only boys’ school in the metropolitan area.”

Heavy applause greeted Father Vedros’ remarks on the disadvantages of coeducation.

Speaking on coeducation in general, Father Vedros said it provides a more mature social atmosphere, more competition, and decreases discipline problems.

“The cons are that girls do distract boys from studying. In an all boys’ institution a disciplinary atmosphere can exist and the teachers can have a man-to-man relationship with their students. An esprit de corps--not snobbishness--can be better developed in an all-boys’ school,” he commented.

Father Brennan said Marist has room to accept additional students. It has an enrollment of 503 while D’Youville’s present enrollment is 98.

Father Noel C. Burtenshaw, archdiocesan chancellor, said D’Youville was not closing because of money, but because of lack of personnel. He said there had been some rumors which implied the school was closing because the archdiocese would not permit a fund drive for the school.

Father Burtenshaw said, “All private schools are going to have to consider consolidation. We must think about good education whether it is coeducational for boys or for girls.”

“Marist has kept its tuition at a minimum because of the dedication of the Marist priests who serve here,” he commented.

Ed Mattingly, chairman of the lay advisory board, said, “We’ve tried to keep an open mind on doing what is best for Marist and continuing quality Catholic high school education. The board hasn’t drawn a conclusion.”