 At the request of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton and of Catholic families in the area, the Jesuits who had recently assumed ownership of the University of Scranton began preparations to open a college preparatory school in the Scranton area.Led by the university's president, W. Coleman Nevils, the Jesuits renovated a building known as the “Annex” on the corner of Mulberry Street and Wyoming Avenue for the high school.The Annex, formerly the Dr. Charles E. Thomson Scranton Private Hospital, was acquired by William Hafey in 1941.