St. Mary's Academy (New Orleans, Louisiana)
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| Motto | No Excellence Without Hard Labor |
|---|---|
| Established | 1867 |
| Type | Private |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Principal | Sr. Jennie Jones, SSF |
| Location | 6905 Chef Menteur Blvd, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. |
| Colors | Royal Blue and Gold |
| Mascot | The Cougar |
| Website | http://www.smaneworleans.com/ |
St. Mary's Academy is an all-girls Roman Catholic parochial high school in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans.
[edit] History
St. Mary's School opened its doors on Chartres Street in New Orleans under the leadership of Mother Josephine Charles in December of 1867. In June 1878, Victoria Jourdan became the first graduate.
St. Mary's School moved from Chartres Street to the historic Quadroon Ballroom at 717 Orleans Avenue in 1881 and became St. Mary's Academy, the first Catholic secondary school for African-American girls in New Orleans. Mother Magdalen Alpaugh served as Principal.
The curriculum included: religion, English, rhetoric, algebra, higher mathematics, natural philosophy, world history, chemistry, bookkeeping and French. Students were offered the following electives: music [vocal and instrumental, drawing and painting on silk and linen, and the making of tapestry, wax and worsted flowers.
During the next twenty-one years, the principalship was held in succession by Sr. Catherine, Sr. Dominica, Sr. Thomas, Sr. Dolores, Sr. Sebastian, Sr. Ann, and Sr. Des Anges. Boarders were attracted to St. Mary's from all the southern states, Nicaragua, British Honduras (now Belize), Panama, and Spanish Honduras. By the early 1900s the enrollment was over two hundred.
After the opening of Xavier Preparatory, another secondary school for nonwhite students, in 1915, the enrollment began to steadily decrease until by 1930 there were only 68 students from first through eleventh grades.
In 1930 Mother Elizabeth gave her full attention to the rebuilding of St. Mary's Academy. She appointed a new faculty of certified Sisters, adopted the state course of studies, renovated and added a sewing room and home economics lab. In 1932 she applied for State approval. The enrollment doubled and after a visitation by the state official, the school became state accredited. Sister M. Boniface Adams was the principal during this period.
In 1933 St. Mary's Academy ranked first in the state after scoring highest on the state-approved graduation examinations. During this time, the Mothers' Club (PTA) was reorganized, the school paper, Excelsior, and the yearbook, Maris Stella were begun. The school at this time was under the leadership of Sr. M. Francis Borgia. The enrollment continued to increase and other clubs and activities expanded the school's program.
During the year 1947 Sr. Esperance Collins led the school to another milestone in our history; the entrance of St. Mary's Academy into the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS). This initiated the steady progress of SMA which continued through the guidance of Srs. Rosetta Butler, Reginald Carter (Jean Carter), and Helena Jones.
From 1962 - 1990, the school was led by Sr. Mary Demetria Williams. During this time, the Sisters of the Holy Family again devoted full attention to St. Mary's Academy, as they were now ready to move the school from the French Quarter location at 717 Orleans Street to the Chef Menteur property [pictured above] where the new Motherhouse was built.
For one year, classes were held at the old St. Louis Cathedral School on St. Ann Street. In September 1965 the students began occupying the new building at 6905 Chef Menteur Boulevard.
The school continues to expand expanded its curriculum as new courses are introduced into high school curricula. The principals during these years of tremendous growth were Sr. M. Demetria Williams (1962-1990), Sr. Leona Bruner (1990-1999) and Sr. Richard Francis Daigle (1999-2002).
[edit] External links
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