Larry and Cindy Bloch Alumni and Advancement Center

Larry '75 and Cindy Bloch (center) were joined by their children, Matt ’13S (MBA) (left) and Reisa (right), to mark the dedication of the Larry and Cindy Bloch Alumni and Advancement Center.

The St. Agnes High School for Girls opened in September 1954, having been delayed a year due to lack of a local water supply.  The school closed in 1982 and the University brought the building and property, using the school's convent to house graduate students until the building was renovated in 2006.  The remainder of the building was used for a variety of academic and administrative functions. with some rented to outside parties.

The entire building was remodeled to house the University's Alumni and Advancement Center, which was dedicated in October 2007 and was named after Larry and Cindy Bloch in 2014.

References
1948 "St. Agnes High School to Get New Home." Democrat and Chronicle, August 20, 1948, Page 22.
A new St. Agnes High School for girls will be erected on a 20-acre tract recently purchased on Westfall Rd. by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph. The school, which was opened in 1940, has been occupying temporary quarters in the former St. Agnes Institute, 876 Main St. E. The new site was purchased by the Sisters of St. Joseph for $20,000 from Miss Cora Warrant and is situated at the west end of Westfall Rd. Preliminary plans for the new building have been drawn by Leo F. Ribson, architect, and construction will begin in the Spring, according to the Rev. Mother Rose Miriam, superior.

1952 "Catholics to Build 4 New High Schools to Cost 5½ Million," Democrat and Chronicle, July 25, 1952, Page 21.
A new girls' high school to be constructed in the area of Westfall and West Henrietta Rds. It will be known as St. Agnes High School and will accommodate 800 girls. Completion' is set for September, 1953. Construction is set tor this Fall.

1954 "1,000 See Dedication of St. Agnes High School," Democrat and Chronicle, October 18, 1954, Page 13.

1982 "St. Agnes to close," Democrat and Chronicle, February 27, 1982, Page 5.
St. Agnes High School, a Catholic girls' school opened in 1940, will close in June because of declining enrollment and financial troubles. The 370 girls who attend the four-year school, run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester, 300 East River Road, Brighton, were told the news at a special assembly yesterday morning. Enrollment at the school peaked at 867 in 1973, said Sister Kathleen McCusker, director of communications for the Sisters of St. Joseph. It has been declining steadily ever since. Administrators projected an enrollment of 360 for next year.

1982 "UR buying 29-acre St. Agnes campus," Democrat and Chronicle, June 29, 1982, Page 8.
About 50 University of Rochester graduate students will move this fall into the university's newest acquisition, the St. Agnes High School campus at 300 East River Road in Brighton.  Graduate students are expected to move into the convent building in time for the start of fall classes in September. Thompson said the convent has been kept in good condition and that little renovation is needed.

1982 "River Rd. Houses Mostly Foreigners," Campus Times, September 23, 1982, Page 1.

1982 "St. Agnes to See Diversified Use," Campus Times, October 5, 1982, Page 1.
River Road Residents Desire Cooking Facilities

2007 "A New Home for the Rochester Family," Rochester Review 70(1) (September-October 2007)
This fall the University opens a new alumni and advancement center designed as a national headquarters in service to alumni, parents, and friends of the University. The newly renovated building features meeting spaces, reception areas, and other facilities that can be used for organizational meetings and other events.

2014 "Alumni and Advancement Center Named for Longtime Supporters," @Rochester, October 16, 2014.
The Alumni and Advancement Center has been renamed the Larry and Cindy Bloch Alumni and Advancement Center in recognition of the couple's support of the University and, in particular, its Advancement programs. In a ceremony on Wednesday, President Joel Seligman formally dedicated the center in honor of the Blochs. A University trustee, Larry Bloch ’75 chairs the Board’s Development Committee and has served on several leadership committees for the Board of Trustees. He and his wife, Cindy, have established the James D. Thompson Chief Advancement Officer position,  and they have committed support to create the Larry and Cindy Bloch Endowment for University Advancement. The ceremony was a prelude to a full slate of activities, events, and celebrations marking this year's Meliora Weekend  and Eastman Weekend,  which get under way today.

© 2021 Morris A. Pierce