From the Inscription on Founders Hall
In 1876, the Provincial of the Xaverian Brothers in the United States, Brother Alexius, commissioned Brohter Bernardine Ridders to find a site for a Motherhouse for the Brothers and a school. Praying to Saint Joseph for help, Brother Bernardine found the present site of Mount Saint Joseph and promised Saint Joseph that if he helped the Brothers obtain the property, the school would be named after him and his statue would always grace the property. Saint Joseph obliged!
Brother Dominic O’Connell, a native of Ireland, was appointed the first principal of the shcool and held that position until 1883, when he was replaced by Brother Joseph Sulivan, also a native of Ireland. In 1904, Brother Isidore Kuppel, a native of Germany like Brother Bernardine, succeeded Brother Joseph. These four immigrants set a firm and deep foundation for the school, a cornerstone on which The Mount still rests securely.
