The Kreutz campus in Tumaga is a sprawling land area of a little over eight (8) hectares. It is home to two of the three units in Basic Education – the Junior High School and Grade School.
The JHS Building
The JHS Building is a massive five-story concrete building that houses the various offices and facilities of the JHS unit, including classrooms, laboratories, library, faculty workroom, chapel, prayer room, infirmary, cafeteria, etc.
From La Purisima to Tumaga
For most of its years, the JHS had as its residence the four-hectare Salvador campus in La Purisima St. The need to accommodate an increasing population due to the admission of female students to the High School starting in 1992 was one of the reasons for the transfer to a new campus.
In July 31, 2005, a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the JHS building was held. The following year, the Tumaga campus became the new home of the Ateneo HS students, and was named after Fr William H Kreutz, SJ.
Who is Fr Kreutz?
Fr William “Bill” Kreutz, SJ, is the 2nd president of AdZU who served for six terms or 18 years, from 1989-2007. Fr Bill is credited, among other things, to have provided inspired leadership in the long process of making AdZU a full-fledged university in 2001.
A native New Yorker, Fr Bill has been in the Philippines since 1963. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1969, and is celebrating his golden anniversary as a Jesuit this year 2019. After AdZU, Fr Bill returned to the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) to join the Jesuit Community in ADMU and assist the University Chaplain in providing pastoral care to ADMU community.
References: Pro Deo et Patria, 100 Years of Ateneo de Zamboanga 1912-2012; AdZU-JHS Student Handbook SY 2018-2019; PhilStar.
Photos show the aerial view of the JHS building, JHS students in the front yard of the campus with the JHS bldg in the background, Kreutz campus map, and Fr Bill Kreutz, SJ.
