Marquette High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Bellevue, Iowa. It is located in the Archdiocese of Dubuque.BackgroundToward the end of the 1950s a movement to provide better education opportunities for the Catholic high school age students resulted in a number of consolidations in the Dubuque Archdioceses. On July 3, 1956, pastors of the parishes surrounding St. Joseph's, Bellevue, held a preliminary meeting to discuss the concept of a central Catholic high school to be opened in the fall of 1957.The official incorporation of Marquette Catholic School became effective on September 25, 1956. Overseeing the corporation were Archbishop Leo Binz, Monsignor George Biskup as Archdiocesan Vicar General, Father Frederick C. Bahning as Executive Coordinator and two laity Matthew Manders of Bellevue and Reinhold Steines, Sr. of Springbrook. The initial members of the Council of Administration included the pastors of Sts. Peter and Paul's, Springbrook, St. John's, Andrew, St. Joseph's, Bellevue, St. Catherine's, St. Donatus, St. Peter's, Sabula and Sacred Heart, Green Island.January 17, 1957, St. Joseph's parish made available lot 451, formally part of the playground of St. Joseph's School, for the site of the Marquette building. A one story, brick and glass structure of simple design was planned. Ground was broken for the new building in April 1957. Construction of Marquette Catholic School was completed by October 1957 at a total cost of $199,523. Archbishop Leo Binz dedicated and blessed Marquette Catholic School before a large crowd of parishioners, students, and local dignitaries on October 27, 1957.The first faculty of Marquette Catholic School was composed of Archdiocesan priests and the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Father Frederick C. Bahning of St. Joseph's, Bellevue and Father William J. Tiedeman were full-time teachers and Father Richard R. Krapfl of St. Catherine's, Father Peter M. Graff of St. Donatus and Father Ivan J Boyd of St. Peter's, Sabula and Sacred Heart, Green Island were part-time teachers.
