The Academy of Notre Dame de Namur is a private middle school and high school for girls in

Radnor, Pennsylvania Radnor is a community located approximately 13 miles west of Philadelphia, in the Main Line suburbs. It straddles Montgomery and Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania. The community was named after Radnor, in Wales. Radnor is home to Cabrini Universi ...

. It is located within the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Philadelphia is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as ...

; however, Notre Dame is an independent school. Notre Dame's mission is "to educate young women for responsible living in a global society with an extensive co-curricular and athletic program." Academy of Notre Dame de Namur

Background

In 1854, Bishop John Neumann invited the

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (Congregationis Sororum a Domina Nostra Namurcensi) are a Catholic institute of religious sisters, founded to provide education to the poor. The institute was founded in Amiens, France, in 1804, but the opposi ...

to open a school for girls in Philadelphia and on October 15, 1856, Sister Superior Louise opened “The Academy”. The first school opened in the Parish of the Assumption on Spring Garden St. where it was located for 75 years, and existed in several locations throughout the Greater Philadelphia area over the years to accommodate its growth. The Academy ultimately landed at its current Villanova campus as the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur in the 1940s at the hands of Sister Superior Julie, now known as Saint Julie. In 1943, the school entered into an agreement to purchase "Launfal," the 50-acre estate of the late utilities magnate, Clarence Geist and took possession of the property on January 1, 1944. Local legend had it that the mansion, was used as location scenes in the film '' The Philadelphia Story'', starring

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

and

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

but that has been disproved by historians, noting that the motion picture was filmed exclusively on a soundstage in Hollywood. After officially purchasing the Mansion and surrounding property in 2006, the school became an independent educational institution affiliated with the Sisters of Notre Dame. Since the Academy’s establishment, learning buildings and athletic fields have been added to the campus to address the needs of the Notre Dame community. Still, the Mansion maintains its legacy of being an anchor for the school. Today, the academy continues to educate young women on “''what they need to know for life''” while preparing them to be the leaders of tomorrow. Riley STEM Center

Notable alumni

Lisa Raymond Lisa Raymond (born August 10, 1973) is an American retired professional tennis player who has achieved notable success in Doubles (tennis), doubles tennis. Raymond has eleven Grand Slam (tennis), Grand Slam titles to her name: six in women's do ...

: an American professional tennis player who has achieved notable success in doubles tennis. Raymond has 11 Grand Slam titles to her name: 6 in women's doubles and 5 in mixed doubles *

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: actress from ''

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'', ''

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'' and ''

Young Americans ''Young Americans'' is the ninth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 7March 1975 through RCA Records. The album marked a departure from the glam rock style of Bowie's previous albums, showcasing his interest in soul and ...

''. *

Aimee Willard Aimee Ellen Willard (June 8, 1974 – June 20, 1996) was a college lacrosse player who was murdered by Arthur Bomar near Philadelphia on her way home from a night out with friends. Her car was left running, with the lights on and driver's side do ...

: murder victim in a case that brought national prominence to the issue of

police impersonation Police impersonation is the act of falsely portraying oneself as a member of the police for the purpose of deception. Typology and methods Criminology research has developed a typology of police impersonators, categorizing offenders as # "police ...

.
Erin Doyle
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Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

Notes and references

External links

School website
{{authority control Catholic secondary schools in Pennsylvania Educational institutions established in 1856 Girls' schools in Pennsylvania Schools in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Private middle schools in Pennsylvania Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur schools 1856 establishments in Pennsylvania