Mount de Sales Academy (Georgia)

Mount de Sales Academy (MDS) is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school in Macon, Georgia. It was originally founded in 1876 by five Sisters of Mercy, an order of nuns, as a boarding school for girls.[1] It is the oldest independent school in Middle Georgia and the first to racially integrate.[2] The school is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah, operating on an independent basis.[3]

Mount de Sales Academy
Address
851 Orange Street

Macon
,
Georgia
31201

United States
Coordinates32°50′4″N 83°38′24″W
Information
TypePrivate
MottoTouching hearts, shaping lives
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Established1876 (1876)
FounderSisters of Mercy
AuthorityIndependent
CEEB code111955
PresidentDavid Held
DeanMary Pat Dadisman
Head of schoolEmily Brown (Upper School),
Dr. Michael C. Franklin (Middle School)
ChaplainFather John Coughlin, OFM
Staff87
Grades6–12
GenderCoeducational
Enrollment518
Student to teacher ratio12:1
CampusUrban
Color(s)Blue and gold
  
MascotMonty
NicknameCavaliers
AccreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Southern Association of Independent Schools
Publicationde Sales Sheet Magazine
YearbookSalesian
Websitewww.mountdesales.net

History

Early history

In 1871 during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, a group of five Sisters of Mercy from Columbus, Georgia, began a small school known as the Academy of the Sacred Heart Jesus on the corner of 4th and Walnut streets in Macon.[1] In 1876, the mother house of the Sisters relocated from Columbus to Macon. With help from others, the Sisters purchased the former home of Georgia Governor George W. Town for use at the corner of Orange and Columbus streets on Beall's Hill in downtown Macon. On February 28, 1876, the new school was chartered under the name of Mount de Sales in honor of Saint Francis de Sales. When the first graduation exercises were held in 1882, it had expanded to comprise three divisions: primary, preparatory and senior. It educated mostly girls in grades 1-12, housing boarding students from around the southeastern United States and Latin America.[4]

The former residence of Georgia Governor George Towns c. 1880s, the original building and site of Mount de Sales Academy.

Modernization and expansion
Sheridan Hall

In 1936, Mount de Sales discontinued its primary school. But it continued as a girl's secondary school for boarding and day students until 1959, when the first boys were admitted as day students.[1] The girl's boarding school closed in 1963 and the school continued as a coeducation day school. The first coeducational graduating class included 16 boys among 46 total graduates in 1963. The fall of 1963 marked the racial integration of Mount de Sales as a result of a diocesan edict, making it the first school in Middle Georgia to desegregate. A year later, it graduated its first two black students: Eileen Williams and Cheryl Odom.[1]

David J. Zuver Performing Arts Center

In 1975, the middle school returned with the re-addition of an eighth grade. A seventh grade was reinstalled in 1988, followed by a sixth grade in 2004.[1] The Sisters of Mercy served in an administrative capacity until 2002, when the first lay head of school was appointed by the Board of Trustees, the school's governing body. Mount de Sales continues to be sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy.

The original convent and boarding school building was demolished in the early 1970s and replaced with Sheridan Hall in 1990.[2] New buildings were constructed over the following decades. Cavalier Fields, a 77 acres (31 ha) athletic complex, opened in 1998 approximately 7 miles (11 km) west of the downtown campus. In 2015, the school underwent $1 million of enhancements to align with redevelopment changes in Macon's College Hill Corridor, a two-square mile area between Mercer University and the downtown business district.

Father John Cuddy Hall

Academics

The upper school's curriculum includes honor, Advanced Placement (AP) and dual-enrollment college courses in most subject areas, along with a broad range of elective courses. Upper school students must perform 20 hours of community service annually, while middle school students are required to complete service projects. The middle school's House System places students in cross-grade level groups to foster positive social development. All students take theology courses and attend Mass on Holy Days. While Mount de Sales has a Catholic heritage, about two-thirds of students are of non-Catholic faiths.[5] Students hail from more than 30 Georgia zip codes and the school hosts dozens of international exchange students.[6][7]

Controversy

In 2014, the school's administrators fired Flint Dollar, an openly gay music teacher who planned to marry his longtime male partner, based on the Catholic church's doctrine against same-sex marriage.[8] Opposition to the firing came from students and parents.[9] In 2015, both parties reached a confidential legal settlement.[10]

Athletics

Mount de Sales competes in a number of interscholastic athletics in Class A of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), where it previously was a member from 1961 to 1980.[11] Prior to the 2014-15 school year, it competed for 33 years in the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA).

The Cavaliers, as the school's teams are nicknamed, compete at the varsity, junior varsity and C-team levels. The school also sponsors cheerleading and a band. Cavalier Fields is home to Mount de Sale's football stadium, soccer fields, a track, baseball and softball fields, tennis courts and practice fields. Most indoor athletics are held at McAuley Hall, the downtown campus gymnasium. The Cavalier Sports Hall of Fame honors athletes, coaches, administrators and supporters who have made significant contributions to the athletic program.[12]

Accreditation and membership

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Our History".
  2. School profile, macon.com. Accessed August 28, 2022.
  3. "Office of Catholic Schools | Catholic Diocese of Savannah".
  4. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2016-12-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Mount de Sales religious diversity, macon.com. Accessed August 28, 2022.(subscription required)
  6. Mount de Sales profile, mountdesales.net. Accessed August 28, 2022.
  7. "De Sales Sheet Magazine | Spring Digital Edition".
  8. "Gay Teacher Files Sex Discrimination Claim Against Georgia School". NPR.org.
  9. "Mount de Sales trustees defend ouster of band director".
  10. Confidential settlement reached between Mount de Sales Academy and Flint Dollar, macon.com. Accessed August 28, 2022.(subscription required)
  11. Sports section, macon.com. Accessed August 28, 2022.(subscription required)
  12. "Mount de Sales Academy | Athletics Programs in Macon, GA".
  13. "NAIS Bookstore".
  14. "List of Member Schools - Georgia Independent School Association". 30 April 2012.
  15. "2021-2022 GHSA Member School Directory | GHSA.net".
  16. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-01-04. Retrieved 2017-01-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. "The NCEA Member School Locator - School ID".
  18. "Mercy Schools". Network for Mercy Education. Archived from the original on 2007-11-03. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
  19. Cognia, mountdesales.net. Accessed August 28, 2022.
  20. "BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS PROGRAM: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 Through 1999-2002". U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
  21. Flora, Joseph M.; Vogel, Amber (2006-06-21). Southern Writers: A New Biographical Dictionary. ISBN 9780807148556.
  22. "Bill Berry - Biography | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on 2015-10-15.
  23. "Savannah sister to welcome Pope Francis, meet President Obama during historic visit".
  24. Jones, H. (1964). "In Memoriam Mary Givens Bryan 1910-1964". The American Archivist. 27 (4): 505–507. doi:10.17723/aarc.27.4.k8257nx455568059.
  25. "Miss Georgia is crowned Miss America 2016". USA Today.
  26. "Class of 2004". MaconSportsHOF.com. Bibb Media, Inc. 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023. Larry Lawrence lettered in football and basketball at Mt. de Sales. He was an All-State basketball player in 1976 and received a scholarship to Dartmouth College.
  27. Reference to alumna Natalia Livingston, macon.com. Accessed August 28, 2022.(subscription required)
  28. "Cole Miller UFC Bio". Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  29. "The Punaro Group: About Arnold Punaro and the Punaro Group".
  30. Justin Baxley (March 1, 2019). "Lisa Sheridan, Macon native and 'NCIS' actress, found dead in New Orleans apartment". The Macon Telegraph.
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