In 1916, the Escuela Catolica expanded and became the Ateneo Elementary School. Its grade school opened that year with seven grades. The school name was changed to Ateneo de Zamboanga when its high school opened in 1928. High school classes were held on the top floor of the three-story Ateneo building along I. Magno corners P. Reyes and Urdaneta streets. The building was the Mindanao Theater, now the site of the City Theater. Five lay teachers and the Jesuit director made up the faculty. The elementary school occupied the lower floors. The first high school students graduated from Ateneo in 1932. The ten young male graduates belonged to Zamboanga City's crème de la crème, one of whom was Roseller T. Lim who would become the first Zamboangueño senator of the Philippines.