In 1891, Br. Zephiriny of Lyons, France was asked to found the first Marist school in New York City. Enrollment was modest, with roughly 10 students in each of three classes. The inaugural curriculum was taught exclusively in French, and all roles within St. Ann’s were performed by Marist Brothers. St. Ann’s flourished as an all boys grammar school and high school, with stellar academics and early clubs such as the Philomathic Society, Drama, Music, the Blue & White Yearbook, and the St. Ann’s Monthly, which was replaced by The Stanner newspaper in 1944. St. Ann’s adopted a formal Sodality group dedicated to Mary in 1935, with sodality officers running clothing drives, organizing events, and promoting good works throughout the school, similar to our modern day Campus Ministry. As a sort of mascot, students at St. Ann’s were called “Stanners” (St. Anners).