What was to become Loyola High School of Los Angeles was initially founded by Bishop Thadeus Amat, C.M., the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Southern California, in 1865, and opened with the name of St. Vincent’s College. It was situated in the Lugo house in what is now called the “Placita.”

After three years, in 1868 the School moved to a nine-acre site on Sixth and Broadway Streets into a spacious new two story building where it would remain for the next nineteen years.

The growth of the school forced another move to a new site at the corner of Washington and Grand, where the Vincentian Order directed the rapidly expanding school until 1911.

At that time the Vincentian Order re-directed its apostolic efforts in a different arena, which resulted in an invitation from Bishop Conoty to the Society of Jesus, which had established educational apostolates in northern California, to assume the direction of St. Vincent’s College in Los Angeles.

The Venice Boulevard site rapidly expanded until 1928 when it was decided to move the College division to a 98-acre site in the Del Rey Hills district near the Pacific Ocean. The Loyola Law School remained on the Venice campus until 1929 when it moved to be in closer proximity to the law courts.

The school continued to grow and in the 1960s several new building projects were initiated: Hayden Physics, Von der Ahe Chemistry, Boarder’s Quarters, Field House, Xavier Center, Crosby Center and Library.

Then in the early 1980s the enlargement of several facilities were initiated. The Hahn Athletic Center Gymnasium/Leavey Gynmasium/Conn Swimming Pool, Pinney Hall/Burns Library, Smith Track and Field, Hannon Theater and many others venues were dedicated during this period.

A master plan was created and approved in 2003 for full, long-term development of the campus. This resulted in the 2007 dedication of the Hannon Science Hall, the Ardolf Academic Hall and the Malloy Commons.

From 1865 to 2008, a total of 143 years, Loyola High School has grown from a student body of half a dozen students to today's current enrollment of 1,230 students.