During McDonogh’s military years, mornings began with buglers sounding Reveille—the signal for cadets to get in formation for the raising of the flag. The platoons gathered again in the afternoon for retreat and the lowering of the flag. The area off the east wing of Allan Building, where the student body assembled, was officially called Elderkin Quad but became known as the Senior Quad. It was also the starting point when the cadets marched to the John McDonogh monument and compulsory football games. Each platoon gathered in a specific spot around the quad, and three drummers, who helped keep everyone marching in step, led the entire school.
In later years, the quad was accessible only to senior class members, and others who dared walk through it faced the consequences. The October 10, 1959, issue of The Week reported, “Underclassmen who violate some of these [senior] privileges will be punished by a court composed by seniors elected by the class.”
Upon completion of the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Middle School in 2021, the Finney name was preserved with the creation of the Finney Senior Quad, anchored by Flagpole Court, made possible with the generous support of the Class of 1965. Dr. John M. T. Finney, a renowned surgeon and a member of McDonogh’s Board of Trustees from 1901 to 1942 (including 21 years as the President), was devoted to honest, selfless service to his fellow man, and he contributed his time most generously to McDonogh. In 1942, the Middle School was named in memory of Dr. Finney, and it bore that designation until the building came down in 2019.
Today, all members of the McDonogh community are invited to enjoy the serenity and beauty of the space called the Finney Senior Quad.
