Campaign for our Future.
— Saint Augustine “ ”
Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.
History
Malvern Prep is the direct continuation of the academy program founded in 1842 by the Augustinians as the “preparatory” school for what is now Villanova University. The original academy building, built in 1848, is now called Alumni Hall and stands just behind the Chapel at Villanova.
The academy was named St. Nicholas of Tolentine Academy, and in 1922, the college program was expanded. The decision was made to remove the academy program from the college campus. About the same time, the Rosengarten family of Malvern planned to sell part of its holdings located on Warren Avenue and Paoli Pike. Thus in 1922, because of the Augustinian need and the availability of 143 acres in historic Chester County, the academy relocated to become Malvern Preparatory School.
Although only two buildings on the Rosengarten estate could be used for school purposes, Austin Hall (original farmhouse) and the St. Augustine Friary (farm building), they were more than ample in classroom and living space for the predominantly boarding student body of 19 and the original faculty of three Augustinians and a layman. In the intervening years, the original buildings were supplemented.
Today, the school’s 103-acre campus is home to a number of buildings, including academic facilities, O’Neill Sports Center, Our Mother of Good Counsel Chapel, an outdoor classroom powered by solar panels, the Duffy Arts Center, The St. Augustine Center for Social Impact, playing fields and athletic facilities, two ponds used for scientific investigation, beautiful green spaces, and a community garden.
Embracing its earliest roots, Malvern Prep regards 1842 as its founding year and features it on the school seal. Malvern Prep celebrated its 175th anniversary during the 2016-2017 school year. In 2022-2023, Malvern celebrated the centennial celebration of its history at its present location in Chester County.
“ As both an alumnus and parent, I know what it means to be a graduate of Malvern Prep and the lifelong community it brings with it. It’s more than a school, it’s a family. ”
— Tom & Colleen Tegler ’90 P’27
Augustinian Mission
Malvern is a proud part of the Augustinian heritage that dates back to St. Augustine of Hippo (354 - 430 A.D.), a North African Christian, Priest, and Bishop. Augustine developed a spirituality and pedagogy that transcends his lifetime and was formally established in the 13th century when his followers, at the encouragement of the papacy, established the Order of St. Augustine (O.S.A.).
This order is now worldwide and came to the United States in 1796 with the arrival of Irish Friars to Philadelphia at St. Augustine Church.
The American Province established a college and high school in Radnor Township in 1842 and named it Villanova College, in honor of the Spanish Augustinian Friar, St. Thomas of Villanova.
A Malvern Prep education is modeled after Saint Augustine’s approach to education as a journey, engaging in spiritual life, and search for truth - all experiences that transform the student.
“ We believe that the best way to create social and economic mobility and improve lives is to provide quality educational opportunities. ”
— Nick Howley III
Where
We’ve Been
2022 was the centennial anniversary of Malvern Preparatory School’s history in Chester County, and its 180th year as a school dating back to when it was originally founded as Villanova Prep on the campus of Villanova University.
Having lived through a financial crisis in 1975 which nearly shuttered the school, Malvern Prep is focused now on intentional measures to ensure its sustainability for the next 100 years and beyond.
We are indebted to the many great leaders who have led Malvern to the position we see ourselves today - Fr. David Duffy, Mr. Jim Stewart, Fr. James Flynn, Mr. Christian Talbot, and Fr. Donald Reilly. All of these leaders brought talents to Malvern either in leadership, spirituality, or community building.
“ Malvern is a factory for creating the societal leaders of tomorrow and I want to be involved in ensuring that future generations have similar opportunities and experiences to mine. ”
Academic Programming is stronger than ever and our pedagogy has created student leaders in the classroom and beyond.
— Eric Moore ’02 T
Where We’re Going
It is time to focus on the next century for Malvern Prep and its financial sustainability. We are primed to become the leading Catholic, Independent, all-boys school in the Philadelphia area and philanthropy will be essential for that to happen.
A Campus Master Plan was recently completed with the help of input from our constituents. The plan provides a clear path forward in terms of our greatest physical plant needs for the longevity of the school, including:
- A central home for the Middle School - illustrating our commitment to young men in the pivotal adolescent years and preparing them for our Upper School.
- Upgrades and additions to our athletic facilities - demonstrating our commitment to student-athletes and enabling them to compete at the highest levels.
- Beautifying our 103-acre campus - connecting our campus to our surroundings and utilizing the natural landscape to enhance the classroom experience - allowing it to be used for instructional purposes.
A sound fiscal plan is as important as maintenance on any of our buildings.
- The programming at Malvern Prep is at the core of what sets us apart from other area schools. Therefore an Endowment for specialized programming like Christian Service and Learning Support is essential to ensure the continuation of these programs.
- Financial Aid remains an area of need so that any student who wishes to attend Malvern is able to do so.
- We are focused on continued growth in our restricted and unrestricted funds, like the Malvern Fund, Friar Club, and EITC, which help to support faculty and student programming initiatives.
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The strong relationships and friendships that our boys formed while on campus are lifelong. Malvern Prep has had a positive impact on not just our boys but our entire family. ”
Financial Sustainability Preserving Friar Brotherhood
Endowment - $25 Million
The continuation of our Augustinian mission for the next 100 years relies heavily on our ability to increase the financial sustainability of our school. A healthy endowment provides us long-term stability and the necessary resources to strategically create the best version of Malvern Prep so that we can increase tuition assistance, fund student programming, and attract and retain highly qualified educators and administrators.
Student Scholarship Program
Support of student scholarships provides financial aid and the lifelong gift of Friar Brotherhood to financially deserving students and families. With the hope of enhancing the socioeconomic diversity of our student body endowing student scholarships ensures that the cost of a Malvern Prep education never deters a student from attending.
Endowed Student Programs
“ For our family, Malvern is more than a school. Malvern is a brotherhood centered on our shared Faith and guided by Augustinian values of Truth, Unity, and Love. We are so very thankful for what Malvern has done for our sons, their friends, and thousands of Malvernians and their families, past, present, and future. ”
— Brian and Barbara Riley P’21’26 T
Athletics, Christian Service, and the Arts are just three examples of student programs that play a pivotal role in the education of our students. The ability to sustain these programs financially through endowment will not only ensure their presence on campus in perpetuity but will also increase the impact they have on our community and curriculum.
Endowed Faculty/Staff Positions
Our faculty and staff are tasked with carrying out our mission every day by providing an extraordinary independent school experience while simultaneously preparing our students to lead meaningful lives grounded in Augustinian Values. Endowed faculty/staff positions on campus will allow Malvern Prep to attract and retain top-notch educators and administrators and ensure that our students continue to discover themselves, understand others, and make an impact in the larger world.
Capital Projects
Preparing Our Young Friars for Life
Riley Hall Renovation/Vic Maggitti Pavilion (Student Counseling Center) - $10 Million
W. Nicholas Howley, Jr. Middle School Students benefit from the team-based, project-inspired environment while acquiring critical skills for future success. As a result, they matriculate into our Upper School and serve as immediate community and class exemplars. They are the foundation from which we build the next great class of young men who lead with humility and heart.
A middle-school-aged Augustine was sent to Madaurus in an effort to transform his education and establish a foundation for future pursuits. It worked, igniting a love for learning and setting ablaze a tireless pursuit of mastery. Malvern Prep’s Middle Schoolers find themselves on a similar trajectory, albeit 1,650 years later.
Our well-developed academic program needs a new and expanded venue. The Middle School building, Good Counsel Hall, was built in 1922 and would have required an exorbitant amount of money to renovate. The classrooms and adjoining spaces were not conducive to today’s young male students nor were they aligned with our approach to project-based learning. Good Counsel Hall was razed in the summer of 2022. Riley Hall (formerly Tolentine Hall) was completely renovated and opened in the fall of 2023 to serve as the heart of the Howley Middle School Program.
Counseling is at the foundation of our student experience and our highly personalized counseling program is one of the school’s greatest assets. Malvern’s student-to-counselor ratio is 30:1considerably lower than the average in Pennsylvania, which stands at 395:1. This data point allows counselors to truly know student strengths and recognize opportunities.
Beginning in the Middle School and lasting through 12th grade, our counselors strive to establish and maintain an open, active relationship between students, faculty, and parents. Our counseling team assists students in actively exploring and developing their academic gifts, athletic and fine arts talents, and interpersonal skills. The Vic Maggitti Pavilion is a dedicated facility for Counseling and Student Support. It is centrally located on Malvern’s campus facing the Academic Quad making it easily accessible, allowing students to experience a sense of ease and comfort when seeking to access this very important support team.
Riley Hall (Completed August 2023)
- Extensive renovation and expansion of Riley Hall, which currently houses Counseling and Upper School classrooms
- Updated space to house and accommodate our entire Middle School
- A defined commons space to be welcomed by Middle School faculty and students
- Specific classrooms [design, furniture] that are most conducive to high-level teaching and learning at the Middle School level
- Courtyard between Riley Hall and Stewart Hall
Vic Maggitti Pavilion (Completed August 2024)
- Physically relocate Learning Support and the Counseling Department to a more central location on campus, enabling ease of accessibility for our students
- Seminar and administrative offices
- A building that reflects students and faculty
“ It is critical that we continue to invest in the fabric of an Augustinian Education of Truth, Unity, and Love. This campaign will ensure that Malvern is financially secure for the future as well as improve our facilities and infrastructure which are needed to provide a competitive education and student experience. ”
— Dave & Michelle Frank ’91 P’20’25 PT
Capital Projects Supporting Student-Athletes to Perform at Their Best
Malvern Prep Athletics Turf Fields and Student Life Center - $15 Million
Malvern Prep consistently fields one of the most successful athletic programs in the State of Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic Region. In recent years, the Friars have maintained a level of unprecedented excellence with nationally-recognized lacrosse, football, baseball, wrestling, and crew teams as well as student-athletes garnering numerous individual awards and committing to continue their athletic careers at some of the top colleges in the country.
Athletics is a true testament to our core values of Truth, Unity, and Love; for in the spirit of competition, those values are most evident amongst our students. The spirit of brotherhood is felt just as deeply and intrinsically on the field of play as it is within any other platform on our campus. With that in mind, our focus on our athletic facilities is paramount to our continuing ability to allow our students to both know themselves and each other more deeply.
Malvern Prep’s athletic facilities are heavily stressed, particularly Quigley Field and the Donald F. O’Neill Sports Center. Over 70 athletic teams in 18 different sports exist on campus, with over 90 of our student body participating in athletics. The installation of two additional turf fields, and the construction of a locker room facility with team strategy and film rooms would give all teams - varsity, non-varsity, intramural groups, and physical education classes the opportunity to participate year-round and without scheduling conflicts or weather interference.
A Student Life Center that combines athletics, classroom education, and co-curricular activities will embody Malvern’s pursuit of excellence in all facets of our students’ lives during their time on campus. A facility that enhances our athletic experience with new locker rooms, training area, and meeting space will mirror the dedication and success that our young friars put forth on the field of play. In addition, the Student Life Center will include space dedicated to health and wellness, classrooms geared towards 21st century learning,
and facilities that will allow young friars to pursue and learn new interests such as culinary arts, and much more.
In addition to regular classroom work, young men at Malvern deepen their expanding understanding of the world, their growing community ties, and their maturing faith through our rich offering of co-curricular experience. This Student Life Center will serve as the embodiment of the holistic education that prepares our students for a life of leadership and service.
Turf Fields (Completed spring 2024)
- Turf Installation of Lacrosse/Soccer and Varsity Baseball Fields
- Enhance varsity & Middle School athletics, intramural activities, and physical education classes
Construction of Student Life Center
- Atrium with indoor and outdoor seating space
- Men’s and women’s public bathrooms
- Two team strategy and film rooms/classrooms
- Office space for school administrator/supervisor
- Varsity Locker Rooms
- Observation deck
- Indoor training space
- Warming Kitchen for Culinary classes
- Innovative classroom space
- Meeting space for student seminars and community events
- Space dedicated to student health and wellness
“ I was able to attend Malvern Prep because of the generous support from many people who I’ll never know, and I want all future Malvern students to have the same opportunities that I had. ”
— Kevin Traynor ’86 P’14’16’18’21’22 T
Malvern Prep Case for Support 12
Financial Sustainability
Impacting Our Students Now
Annual Giving - $15 Million
Every year, annual giving helps close the gap between tuition revenue and the true costs associated with educating Malvern Prep students. Every student benefits from annual giving in countless ways.
During this campaign, we will continue to cultivate and reinforce habits of annual giving to Malvern Prep, with a particular focus on increasing the number of donors who make gifts of $5,000 or more. Gifts to the Malvern Fund, Friar Club, and EITC (Educational Improvement Tax Credit) Program create sustainability as well as an immediate impact on the everyday campus life of our students.
The Malvern Fund
As the single largest source of unrestricted gifts to Malvern Prep, the Malvern Fund allows the school the flexibility to distribute funds to the areas of greatest need. Your contribution will help ensure that Malvern Prep continues to provide leading teaching tools, technology, and resources for classrooms and students. Giving to the Malvern Fund is an important way to give back to Malvern Prep and helps our Catholic Augustinian community.
Friar Club
Malvern Prep holds a special place in my heart for what it has done for my son, grandsons, and countless other young men. I am extremely proud of the mission that Malvern carries out on a daily basis to mold young men into men of faith, character, and service. ” — Vic Maggitti P’02 GP’13’15’17 TE
Up to $750,000 per taxable year per program “
Gifts to the Friar Club fuel the development of our student-athletes, athletic programs, and the success of our teams. Support of the Friar Club ensures the continuation of a proud Augustinian athletic tradition on a regional and national level.
2 year commitment to the program
90% of donation
1 year commitment to the program
75% of donation
EITC (Educational Improvement Tax Credit)
The EITC Program at Malvern Prep allows for donors to designate their state tax dollars to tuition assistance at Malvern Prep. EITC donors make a Malvern Prep education possible for financially deserving students and their families and provide the lifelong gift of brotherhood.
The Campaign for Malvern Preparatory School
$10 million Riley Hall Renovation/Maggitti Pavilion (Student Counseling Center)
$15 million Malvern Prep Athletics Turf Fields and Student Life Center
$25 million Endowment
$15 million Annual Giving
$65 million
Scan here for the most up-to-date information and to learn more about the Malvern. Forever. comprehensive campaign.
“ Our school community is humbled by and grateful for the generous support from so many in our community. Charitable gifts to Malvern allow deserving students and their families to experience an education that will change the trajectory of their lives. ”
— Patrick Sillup, Head of School
