After World War II ended in 1945, cars became more common in the United States. To support this change, gas stations and service centers were built across the country. In 1956, the federal government approved the Interstate Highway System, which connected major cities and made travel faster and easier. As a result, developers began building large numbers of homes in suburbs located several miles outside city centers. Many communities around Atlanta, including Morrow, Fayetteville, and Forest Park, grew during this time of suburban growth. Hapeville was one of these growing areas.

During this same period, Catholics in Georgia often experienced discrimination from members of other Christian groups. To make sure Catholic children could receive a Catholic education, the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta began opening their own schools. In 1952, representatives from the diocese visited Hapeville, which was growing quickly, and found that about one hundred Catholic families were interested in a parish school. Construction began in 1953, and the school was officially dedicated on September 19, 1954. The school was named after the apostle John and opened with about 100 to 120 students in grades one through seven. It was staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. At that time, the school’s colors were red and white, and it was called “SJS,” short for St. John School, instead of the “SJE” name used today.

In the 1940s, most buildings were highly decorative, with detailed designs and ornamentation. In the 1950s, this began to change as modern architecture became popular. This new style followed a “less is more” approach and focused on simple shapes, straight lines, and sharp angles. The diocese likely chose this style for the school to make it stand out and appear strong and important. Large walls of windows gave the building a striking look from the street, making the school—and Catholicism in general—seem impressive and modern. Because of its design, St. John the Evangelist was often mistaken for a futuristic factory rather than a school. This type of construction, however, was costly. After the 1950s, the diocese returned to more traditional school designs made of brick with smaller, evenly spaced windows.

In 1956, the Diocese of Savannah–Atlanta was split into two separate dioceses: Savannah and Atlanta. St. John the Evangelist became part of the newly created Diocese of Atlanta. At that time, the diocese was focused on growing Catholic education across the Atlanta area. Its goal was to build a full system of schools that would serve students from their earliest years through high school.

In 1957, St. John the Evangelist added an eighth grade, expanding beyond its original grade levels. Pre-K and Kindergarten would not be added until many years later. In 1958, the diocese opened St. Pius X Catholic High School. With this addition, the diocese achieved its goal of creating a complete school system, made up of parish preschools, several elementary schools, and one central Catholic high school serving families throughout the Atlanta area.

Although the school was considered modern when it opened, it did not originally have a library, science lab, gym, or organized fine arts programs. The building used a lot of glass but did not have air conditioning. During warm weather, classrooms often became extremely hot. Even the Sisters of Mercy, who were known for being very strict, sometimes allowed students to sleep during class when the heat became overwhelming.

Despite these challenges, St. John the Evangelist School stood out in one important way: it was the first diocesan school to open with its own football field. Photos from that time show football players and cheerleaders wearing bright red and white uniforms that looked similar to those worn by high school teams today.

Two years after the school opened, the federal government began buying land for what would later become Interstate 75, which was completed through the area in 1957. As part of this project, the school likely had to give up some of its land. For safety reasons, the school also needed to create a barrier so students would not be able to walk too close to the new highway.

As the interstate expanded in later years, more of the school’s property was taken. Over time, there was no longer enough space to keep a full-size football field. The field was made smaller and eventually used for other purposes. The buffer area between the school and the highway later became the Marian shrine. The remaining open land on campus was then used for playgrounds and a convent.