Inspired by the graced teachings of Blessed Edmund Rice, we as a school have always aspired to form the minds, hearts, and souls of young men so they may embody in their lives the essence of what it means to be a man of Respect, Integrity, Character, and Excellence. When a graduate lives out these ideals in such a way as to make possible the gift of an exceptional, Catholic, and transformative Brother Rice education for qualified young men regardless of financial circumstance, he exemplifies the very definition of what “brotherhood” means at Brother Rice High School.
Such is the lasting legacy of Jim MacGuidwin ’74.
Tuition assistance afforded Jim the opportunity to attend Brother Rice in the fall of 1970. Jim has never forgotten the kindness shown his family. Twenty years ago, Jim established a scholarship fund in his Dad’s memory that has provided annual tuition assistance to more than fifty “Warrior Brothers” who otherwise would not have been able to attend Brother Rice. Jim’s story and his fulfillment of a promise he made to himself five decades ago, “to give back to his alma mater,” is the story of generations of Brother Rice alumni whose lives have been transformed by the school’s commitment to affordability, accessibility, and opportunity.
Jim MacGuidwin’s example of selflessness and loyalty find their roots not only in the gift of opportunity given him a lifetime ago, but at the very epicenter of Brother Rice Championship Athletics.
Our ranking as the premier all-boys Catholic High School in the state of Michigan is due in great measure to the reputation we have earned as an academic and athletic powerhouse. Our institutional commitment to the student-athlete and to team sport is a singular attribute of the Brother Rice experience. In many ways, it is our definitive legacy as a school, one that traces its roots to the 1973-74 basketball season.
As a starting guard on that team, Jim scored the buzzer-beating shot that led to the first state championship in Brother Rice’s history. Seventy-eight championships later, the most of any school in the state of Michigan, Brother Rice’s national reputation has been such a connection point for people that so often it is the driving force behind exceptional college placement, employment opportunity, upward mobility, and lifelong bonds.
Simply, our first state title is the catalyst upon which stand not only five decades of unparalleled championship athletic success, but the bond of brotherhood and community across the generations.
Institutions, otherwise ordinary, become “extraordinary” by virtue of those who inspire in others to see beyond the horizon not of what is, but what could be. That is the history of Brother Rice High School – a singular honor earned on the court, in the classroom, on the playing field, and in life. To be the most acclaimed and successful athletic program in the history of Michigan high school athletics is not an accolade, it is the credential that precedes the written and spoken words – Brother Rice High School.
To have worn the uniform and achieved the distinction to be called a “Champion” is an honor, and a responsibility. Jim MacGuidwin ’74 has embraced this responsibility as “a duty,” and an ever-present clarion call in his life to give back and pay it forward for the next generation of “Warrior Champions.”
We are pleased to share news of a magnanimous $2,000,000 gift from Cheryl and Jim MacGuidwin ’74 to support Championship Athletics at Brother Rice. This represents the largest gift to Championship Athletics from an alumnus in the history of Brother Rice High School. As Jim’s buzzer-beating shot became the catalyst for five decades of unparalleled championship success, may his example of selfless generosity remind us what it means to be a student athlete, a Warrior, a loyal alumnus, and a steward of the mission of Brother Rice High School.
We are humbled by Cheryl & Jim’s commitment and profoundly grateful for this lasting investment in the future of Brother Rice High School so the next generation of Warriors may truly realize the greatness they hold within.
Live, Jesus, in our hearts. Forever!