St. Michael's or, as it was first known, El Colegio de San Miguel, was conceived in the mind of Jean-Baptiste Lamy, the first bishop and archbishop of Santa Fe, NM. He began efforts to establish a school upon his arrival in Santa Fe in 1851, but it took seven years to recruit four Christian Brothers from his native France. Brothers Hilarien, Gondulph, Geramius and Galmier Joseph arrived on October 27, 1859, exhausted after two and a half months of travel by ship, train, and covered wagon. The Brothers set up in the first buildings of El Colegio de San Miguel made of adobe and dirt floors. Many of these buildings still stand today on Old Santa Fe Trail and De Vargas Street, including the San Miguel Chapel - the oldest active church in the US. In 1965 a new piece of land was acquired and construction of the "new" campus on Siringo Road began. That same year the Loretto Sisters announced the girl's school would close and the all boys school and all girls school combined at the current location on Siringo Road to become coed. St. Michael's remains firmly rooted in the Lasallian Tradition and the Roman Catholic Faith. The Lasallian tradition is marked by 5 core principles: Faith in the presence of God, respect for all people, inclusive community, quality education, and service to the poor & social justice. The Lasallian mission is to give a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor and underserved. In 1988, St. Michael's admitted its first lay person to the Board of Trustess and soon after hired its first lay, and first female, principal. 2009 marked the 150th anniversary of St. Michael's High School, which thrives today as one of New Mexico's leading private schools and the most historic school in all of NM. St. Michael's currently operates under the president/principal model which was established by the Christian Brothers as part of a strategy to perpetuate the Lasallian tradition and mission.