provide training for black teachers, as Archbishop James H. Blenk was eager for graduates to teach at six planned new black parishes. On September 9, 1921, the Louisiana Department of Education officially recognized "Xavier University" as a State Approved High School. By 1922, the school was described as the only Catholic institution in the United States that offered "a full four years' high school course to colored boys." While this may not be true, Xavier University was by far the most prominent Catholic institution offering such educational opportunities at the time.
=== University founding ===
In 1925, Xavier University of Louisiana came into being when the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences was established, with the Josephite priest Edward Brunner as the first president. The Louisiana Department of Education officially recognized Xavier University as a four-year college on March 19, 1928, with the first degrees awarded that spring. The College of Pharmacy was next to be opened, in 1927. Alongside Drexel's …
