1912 - Miss Louise S. McGehee opens a college prep school for girls at 1520 Louisiana Avenue with thirty students.

1913 - Seven girls in short white dresses, carrying white peonies become the first graduating class.

1914 - Miss McGehee relocates the campus to 1439 Louisiana Avenue.

1916 - The literary journal The Spectatress, later known as The Spectator, was first published.

1921 - Miss McGehee’s is the first New Orleans school to adopt a student body government and an honor system. The celebration of May Day begins.

1922  - Students adopt the colors scarlet and grey as the school colors. Students perform the first Nativity Play.

1926 - Seniors begin a new tradition of wearing pink dresses instead of white.

1929 - The Louise S. McGehee School is incorporated and acquires a new campus at 2343 Prytania Street. The Class of 1930 receives their own study hall their senior year. Physical Education teacher Ruth Little begins the tradition of Red and Grey teams.

1933 - The Alumnae Association, originally founded by the Class of 1913, is reorganized and incorporated.

1934 - After a brief illness, Louise McGehee, beloved founder and headmistress, dies on January 30. The Board names Janet Wallace Acting Headmistress and later hires Nar Warren Taylor as Headmistress.

1935 - The first Founder’s Day is held one year after the death of Miss McGehee.

1936 - Three faculty members are asked to administer the school: Nina Preot Davis, Ruth Kastler and Janet Wallace. Mrs. Davis is later appointed Acting Headmistress.

1937 - A dormitory is established at 2315 Prytania Street. In December 1937, the Class of 1938 designed and introduced the class ring that endures today.

1938 - Nina Preot Davis is named Headmistress. Jean Bumstead, Class of 1939, writes the school’s Alma Mater.

LOUISE S. McGEHEE SCHOOLOUR FIRST HUNDRED YEARS

1942 - The school purchases 2323 Prytania Street to use as a dormitory.

1943–1944 - Enrollment reaches 160 students, the largest since the depression. The Citizenship Award is established. The tradition of class banners with colorful patches begins.

1953 - Mrs. Davis retires and the Board names Janet Wallace Yancey and Elise McGehee as Co-Headmistresses. The dormitory is closed and construction begins on a new middle school building and auditorium for grades five through eight.

1953–1954 - Enrollment reaches 221 students.

1956 - Mrs. Yancey retires and Elise McGehee is named Headmistress.

1960 - Honor courses are offered for the first time.

1961 - The first Father-Daughter Luncheon is held.

1962 - The new lower school cafeteria and gymnasium is dedicated.

1964 - Miss McGehee retires and Marquerita Lopez-Trelles Chapman is named Headmistress.

1965 - The Arts and Sciences wing is completed.

1968 - The seniors choose to hold graduation on the McGehee campus rather than at McAllister Auditorium at Tulane University.

1971 - During the mini-skirt craze McGehee adopts uniforms.

1972 - Mrs. Chapman retires and the school names Maria Lourdes Fernandez as Headmistress. Miss Katherine McFetridge retires after fifty years at McGehee.

1973 - The first Pre-Kindergarten students are accepted.

1977 - Afternoon care is offered to professional women who need quality after-school care for their daughters at McGehee.

1982 - Miss Fernandez resigns and the Board names Miss Janet Pamela Hensley Headmistress.

1984 - The Dads’ Club is organized.

1985 - Miss Hensley resigns and Molly Stark Strassner is named Headmistress.

1986 - The first floor of the Bradish Johnson House is renovated.

1987 - McGehee celebrates its 75th anniversary. Mrs. Strassner resigns and the Board names Margaret Wagner Headmistress.

1991–1992 - The “Three’s at McGehee’s” program for pre-school aged children begins.

1992–1993 - The McGehee Early Childhood Program, later known as “Little Gate” begins.

1993 - The Ferguson House located at 1538 Philip Street is renovated to house The Little Gate Early Childhood Program.

1997 - After a 1996 purchase, the Catholic Daughters Building at 1528 Philip Street is renovated and now houses third and fourth grades.

1998 - The laptop computer program begins. Mrs. Wagner retires and the Board names Eileen Friel Powers Headmistress.

2001 - The Bradish Johnson House and Student Center are renovated. McGehee acquires the Susan Hackett House, one of the oldest houses on St. Charles Avenue, and undergoes a major renovation. It is later named the Paulette de le Vergne Stewart Alumnae Center.

2002 - Katherine Gage retires after 48 years at McGehee as a student and teacher.

2004 - McGehee acquires 2344 St. Charles Avenue at the corner of First and St. Charles.

2005 - Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures devastate the city of New Orleans. On October 26, 2005 McGehee re-opens and welcomes brothers of McGehee students to attend school at McGehee until their own schools re-open. Boys attend McGehee for the first time in its history.

2007 - Renovations to the house at First and St. Charles are completed, providing much needed classroom space to the campus.

2010 - A house at 2328 St. Charles Avenue is acquired by the school and is later dedicated to the memory of beloved McGehee student Abby Shaw Nalty ‘17.

2011 - Enrollment reaches an all-time high of 530 students.

2011–2012 - The Louise S. McGehee School celebrates its Centennial.

In 1912, a pioneering young New Orleans educator named Louise Schaumburg McGehee established a school for girls called the Louise S. McGehee School, also affectionately known as “McGehee’s.”

With the closing of a local private school, Miss McGehee recognized the need for the type of school she envisioned: all-girl, non- denominational and college preparatory. She was an advocate of the new approach to teaching called progressive education. This philosophy embraced the idea of recognizing the abilities, interests, and needs of the individual student, as well as providing an opportunity for individual students to understand and participate in the community.

Miss McGehee opened her school at 1520 Louisiana Avenue with thirty students and in the spring, saw seven girls graduate carrying white peonies and wearing short white dresses. The growth of the school necessitated a move to another home at 1439 Louisiana Avenue. In 1929, the proprietary Miss McGehee’s School became a corporation known as the Louise S. McGehee School and moved to the current location at 2343 Prytania, the former Denegre home known as the Bradish Johnson House.

Its beloved founder and her dynamic philosophy of education have been enduring influences on the Louise S. McGehee School. Today, with a student body that numbers over 500 and a campus that encompasses almost an entire Garden District block, her mission is still evident. Girls are nurtured in a loving environment. Girls are challenged by a wide-ranging curriculum. Girls are inspired to be the best that they can be. One hundred years after its founding on Louisiana Avenue, McGehee is a thriving institution. Though changed in many ways from its modest beginnings, the dreams and the spirit of its founder are still as fresh and relevant as they were in 1912.

INTRODUCTION

Louise Schaumburg McGehee was born on March 30, 1872 to Scott McGehee, a member of a prominent Mississippi family, and Louise Schaumburg McGehee, a native of St. Louis. She was a student at Mrs. Seaman’s School on Coliseum Street in New Orleans and later attended Columbia and Tulane Universities. She received her B.S. in education in 1920 from Tulane. She also studied at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

Miss McGehee began her career giving private lessons and later taught at the school of Miss Frances Blake located at Prytania and Philip Streets. Encouraged by Dr. Pierce Butler of Newcomb College, Miss McGehee opened her own school in 1912. The school was all-girl, non-denominational, and centered on the philosophy of teaching to the individual.

Miss McGehee was revered, respected and dearly loved by her students. Past students remembered her vision, intelligence, quick wit, and ability to inspire students to excel. Her unexpected death on January 20, 1934, after a short illness left the entire community heartbroken. Her obituary recognized Miss McGehee as “A pioneer in education…the first in the city to inaugurate the progressive system of education in her classes.”

The 1934 Spectator dedication to Miss McGehee explains her gift to the school most eloquently:

   

   

 

MISS MCGEHEE

Miss McGehee Case

(top left going clock wise)Sterling silver purse given to Louise S. McGehee by the class of 1919, Brass chandelier earrings owned by Louise S. McGehee,

Jade earrings owned by Louise S. McGehee,Spectacles owned by Louise S. McGehee,

Gift of Ann Wisdom Stolley ’60, Great-niece of Louise S. McGehee and niece of Elise McGehee, given in honor of the centennial

Miss McGehee’s Desk and Books

Miss McGehee with First Alum Daughter, 1933

Letter to Mrs. Kostmayer from Miss McGehee - Page 1

Letter to Mrs. Kostmayer from Miss McGehee - Page 2

Letter to Mrs. Schlegel from Miss McGehee - Page 1

Letter to Mrs. Schlegel from Miss McGehee - Page 2

McGehee has enjoyed the strong guidance of a remarkable group of women—twelve over a span of one hundred years. Their dedication and sense of leadership helped the school to thrive and to continue to meet the standards set by Miss McGehee.

FACULTY

A school is only as good as its faculty and McGehee has benefited from a skilled and diverse group of educators dedicated to the mission of the school. The small student-teacher ratio allows faculty to create an environment that enhances the learning experience for each student.

HEADS OF SCHOOL

Heads of School Case

Faculty Memories of Miss McGehee

Miss McFetridge

Janet Wallace Yancey with May Day Court, 1954

Janet Wallace Yancey, Elise McGehee, and Nina Preot Davis 1936-1964

WDSU Press Release Announcing the Death of Louise S. McGehee, 31 January 1934

Faculty Case

Early Faculty, undated

Katherine Gage ‘55 with students

Miss McGehee, an early advocate of progressive education, taught to the best in each individual. In her school there was no “mass education.”

-­

Challenging college preparatory classes, combined with a cooperative approach involving teachers, children and parents, is a philosophy still in practice at McGehee today.

Miss McGehee clearly stated her “Aims and Ideals of the School” in her handbooks:

action  be  at  all  times  upheld.

Early curriculum included classes in English, history, mythology, Latin, Greek, French and German, as well as physical culture, drawing and music. The current curriculum closely resembles that of the early years and includes enhanced math and science programs, as well as wide-ranging electives in everything from history to drama.

CURRICULUM

Curriculum Case

McGehee Handbook, 1929-1930

McGehee Handbook, 1929-1930

Students Studying in the Library, 1930s

Playground, 1929

McGehee Handbook, 1916-1917

From the earliest days, Miss McGehee recognized the importance of physical activity.

 

Basketball, badminton, archery and shuffle board were the earliest team sports. Over the years, additional sports were added and today the list of athletic teams includes: softball, volleyball, tennis, basketball, swimming, cross-country, track, soccer and golf. Currently 73% of the middle and upper school students participate in a McGehee sport.

SPORTS

Sports Case

Letter Sweater worn by Claudia Fitz-Hugh Kelleher ‘62

Cross Country, Rachel Meyer ’15

Photo of Student Wearing Letter Sweater, undated

Photo of Varsity Basketball Team, 1939

The arts program at Louise S. McGehee reflects the mission set forth by its founder. Creativity is never in short supply on the McGehee campus.

From its beginning, McGehee has always been a place where the arts are nurtured and celebrated. Students today explore self-expression through ceramics, photography, drawing, painting, and print-making.

Music, in particular vocal music, has always been embraced. The earliest handbooks describe courses in choral and part singing, sight singing, and music appreciation. Today, the choral tradition continues with several choirs including Choristers, Young Singers, Les Petit Chanteuses, Ensemble, Concert Choir, Upper School Ensemble, and A Cappella.

Plays and performances have been woven into the fabric of the school. Every grade from Pre-K to 12th has an opportunity to perform in front of an audience. The lower grades enjoy an annual musical performance, while the fourth grade, eighth grade and upper school musicals are highly anticipated events.

THE ARTS

Arts Case - View 1

Arts Case - View 2

Arts Case - View 3

Arts Case - View 4

Photo of McGehee Choir, 1960-1961

Photo of McGehee Ensemble, 2007

Photo of Dramatic Club Production and Program, 1932

Pirates of Penzance, 1965

Photo of Kelsey Zeitzer ’09 Painting in Art Studio

From its inception, the Louise S. McGehee School’s curriculum was designed to be a rigorous academic program. The science and mathematics programs have grown over the years and technology is a significant part of campus life. Technology is used at all grade levels as the school is a wireless environment and most classrooms are equipped with SMART boards.

In 1998-1999, the school started a laptop program for freshman and sophomore students. Now, beginning in the 6th grade, every girl has her own laptop she uses in most classes. “Open the Box Night”—the first time a McGehee girl gets her own school computer—is a rite of passage in Middle School.

Currently, digital cameras, video cameras, and Flip video cameras are available for students and teachers to check out and the student center is home to a Polycom Video conferencing center. The teachers use a program called Haiku to create and maintain class web pages. Also, in 2011, the iPad program started in the Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms and the program will continue to spread throughout the lower school in the years ahead. One of McGehee’s goals is to keep up with advances in technology in order to best use it to enrich the teaching environment.

Renewed dedication to the promotion of math and science has prompted the school to embark on the expansion and enhancement of the math and science facilities. The school also continues to be a leader in modern education by incorporating the latest technology in the classroom.

MATH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Science and Technology Case

Photo of Emily Smith ’09 Experimenting in Bob Shaw’s Physics Class

Science Lab, 1951

Photos of Science Club Weekend, undated

In 1916, the students produced a literary journal called the Spectatress, which was published four times a year as a single folded sheet. In 1920, the name was changed to the Spectator and in 1960 the first hard-cover edition was printed. The Spectator is still printed today, but in 1972 it evolved into the school yearbook and Mélange debuted as the school’s literary magazine. Both are now published once a year. Over the past decade, the Spectator has received many commendations from state, regional and national scholastic press associations; as well as been judged “best in state” in its class for seven of the past eight years by the Louisiana Scholastic Press Association.

THE SPECTATOR

Spectator Case

Spectator Cover, April 1922

Spectator Staff with Miss McGehee, 1931

The Spectatress, 1916, 1917

Early growth prompted a campus move within the first two years of the school’s founding. The school moved from a house at 1520 Louisiana Avenue to a larger two-story home at 1439 Louisiana Avenue. In 1929, the school was incorporated and ownership shares were sold to investors. In that same year, the school purchased 2343 Prytania, the home known as the Bradish Johnson House, to accommodate its growing student population. In later years, dormitory living was offered as a way to accommodate boarding students.

LATER EXPANSIONContinued growth required new buildings to keep up with a changing student population. Committed leaders undertook fund-raising campaigns to raise money for campus expansion.

TRADITIONSThe Louise S. McGehee School has many long-standing traditions:

The Honor CodeMcGehee was the first school in the city to establish an honor code in 1921, creating a culture of integrity. Student governance grew out of the honor code system. As Miss McGehee states in the 1929 Handbook, “…through the Honor System and student participation in school government, the School believes that it is giving the best preparation for life in a democracy by actual practice in democratic living.” The honor code remains an essential part of the McGehee experience and grades five through twelve elect class officers who fill leadership roles for the students.

School ColorsThe class of 1922 adopted the colors of scarlet and grey for the school and those colors have endured through the years.

Class RingThe class of 1937 commissioned a class ring of enduring design that included the school’s motto Noblesse Oblige and the school’s symbol, the frigate.

School SongsIn 1938, Jean Bumstead ’39 won the contest for a new school song. Her version of the Alma Mater is the song we sing today and honors the founder, Miss McGehee. Other memorable school songs include “March Miss McGehee’s, Forward March” and “We are McGehee Girls.”

Community ServiceFrom the earliest days, the students interpreted the motto, Noblesse Oblige, as a call for service to the community. Today community service figures into the experience of every student, and includes service learning projects that combine formal instruction with social responsibility. These projects provide opportunities for reflection and enrich the learning experience, while encouraging a sense of life-long civic engagement. Service learning projects are found at every grade level and include a wide range of projects such as partnering with residents of a nursing home, rebuilding homes for Habitat for Humanity, and collecting non-perishable food items for the local food bank.

EARLY EXPANSION

Early Expansion Case

Photo of Second Campus, 1439 Louisiana Avenue, 1914

First Pre-Kindergarten Class, 1974

Photo of Bradish Johnson House with Open Gate, undated

Stock Certificate for Louise S. McGehee School Incorporated, 1929

Traditions Case 1

Class Rings (left to right) 1926, 1930, 1934, 1938, 1964, 2006, 2012

Frigate Book Plate

Letter to the Girls at McGehee School from John B. Shober, Kingsley House, 1943

Marion McHenry ‘09 and Kendall Fritchie ‘09 Volunteering at Habitat for Humanity

Photo of First Graders Recycling Cans to Restore City Park Carousel Horse, 1990s

Upper School Girls Signing the Honor Code, 2004

The early childhood program was started in 1991 with fifteen students as the ”Three’s at McGehee’s.” The goal was to offer a pre-school for three year-old younger siblings, both boys and girls, of students enrolled at McGehee.

Currently, called “Little Gate” the pre-school is located in a house at 1538 Philip Street, and has eight additional classrooms on McGehee’s campus. It has remained co-ed and presently has 160 students from the ages of six weeks to three years old. The students are faculty children, siblings of McGehee girls, children of alumnae, and children from the community.

Beginning in 2005, the Little Gate faculty and administration became inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. The Reggio curriculum is a progressive theory of education that focuses on child-directed learning and encourages a relationship with other children through exploration.

The Reggio program believes that children learn through the experience of moving, seeing, listening, and touching; and combined with strong parental and community support, the program stresses exploring the child’s environment through long-term projects. The Reggio approach fosters an atmosphere of community and collaboration, and helps the Little Gate teachers create environments and experiences that encourage higher level thinking and problem solving.

LITTLE GATE

Later Expansion Case

Louise S. McGehee School Student Body 2011-2012

Tara Badawi, NeNe McDonald, Mia Luparello, Catherine Lapeyre, Corinne Landry, Little Gate, 2009-2010

NativityOne of McGehee’s oldest traditions is the performance of The Nativity. The first Nativity play was documented in December 1922. Members of the senior class are elected to roles in The Nativity by secret ballot; these roles represent qualities of leadership, loyalty, and kindness.

Founder’s DayThe first Founder’s Day was held in March 1935, the year following the death of Miss McGehee. The event serves as a way to celebrate all that makes McGehee special. In the past, it was an occasion for plays and performances, but today it is an opportunity to recognize distinguished alumnae and birthday cake is still enjoyed by the entire school.

Baby Day/Fourteen Year ClubIn the early years, seniors enjoyed a day of returning to the simple days of childhood by dressing as babies for Baby Day. The celebration evolved into the 14 Year Club–a return to lower school jumpers for those seniors who have been McGehee girls since Pre-K.

Father-Daughter LuncheonThe first Father-Daughter Luncheon was held in 1961 and quickly became one of the most popular McGehee traditions. Graduates fondly remember the special times spent with their fathers on the McGehee campus, eating fried chicken and singing to their fathers and special friends on the steps of the Bradish Johnson House.

UniformsUniforms were adopted in 1971 as a form of self-defense during the mini-skirt craze of the times. Today, students wear a traditional blue, green and red plaid, known as the “McGehee plaid.” Middle and upper school girls wear pleated skirts with a navy vest or blazer. Over the years, lower school girls have worn a variety of jumpers including navy, red, yellow, and the enduring plaid.

May DayStarting in the 1800s, many girls’ schools and women’s colleges instituted annual May Day celebrations. May Day became a permanent event at McGehee in the 1920s and continues today as a celebration of the senior class. It evolved over the years to be a production of the sopho-more class for their “big sister” class. Lower school students dance the May pole and skits are performed for the entire McGehee community. Each May Day has its own unique program, theme, and skit. The highlight of the event continues to be the revelation of the May Day queen and her maids. One of the school’s highest honors, the May Day court is elected by the entire upper school based on characteristics of kindness and school spirit. The May Day court represents the finest qualities of a “McGehee Girl.”

GraduationThe McGehee graduation ceremony continues to be filled with some of McGehee’s longest standing traditions. Although the first class, seven strong, graduated in short white dresses, pink dresses were adopted by the class of 1926. Wearing pink was embraced as a McGehee tradition, with the exception of the class of 1936, who in a rebellious streak, chose to wear yellow. A procession begins the ceremony with a daisy chain constructed and carried by the freshman class. The ceremony ends with the seniors turning their rings; setting their sails for a life beyond the gates of McGehee.

TRADITIONS

Traditions Case 2

Founder’s Day, 1941

Photo of Father/Daughter Luncheon, undated

Singing on the Stairs, 2004

Photo of the Nativity, 1932

May Day Case

May Day Court, 50th anniversary, Reid Barkerding, Barbara Manard (Queen), Kathleen Boylan, Jane Feierabend,

1963

May Day, Queen Pochahontas Smith, 1924

Maypole at May Day, 2002

May Day 2008

1948 May Day Program

1976 May Day Program

May Day Dress worn by Jill Praetorius Oubre ‘76

Graduation Case - View 1

Graduation Case - View 2

Graduation Case - View 3

Graduation, 1934

Graduation, 1968

Graduation Invitation, undated

Graduation Tea Invitation, 1931

Daisy Chain, Graduation, 2011

Elise LeBlanc ‘08 at Graduation

Graduation Dress worn by Jill Praetorius Oubre ‘76

In August of 2005, McGehee faced one of its biggest challenges. Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans and left the student body scattered around the country. Under the leadership of Eileen Powers, McGehee was the first independent school in Orleans Parish to reopen in October of 2005. McGehee alumnae could be found in leadership positions, in organizations such as Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans, Women of the Storm, and Katrina Krewe.

McGehee girls did whatever it took to return to the city and the school they loved. The school was prepared to do the hard work needed to bring the campus and the city back to life. For the first time in its history, the school temporarily admitted boys, siblings of students at McGehee. McGehee weathered the storm by adapting to the challenging times.

The first 100 years of McGehee history have seen tremendous change and growth. A school that began in a small house with thirty students now numbers over 500 strong and the campus encompasses almost an entire city block. In 1912, girls faced limited educational and professional opportunities. Today, McGehee graduates are prepared for the most rigorous universities and enjoy professional opportunities that the graduates of 1912 could only imagine.

The Louise S. McGehee School of 2012 is a thriving institution that has grown and adapted over the years. But at its core, the mission remains as relevant as when Miss McGehee opened the school in 1912: to nurture and challenge girls in a loving environment, to find the best in each individual, and to encourage the intellectual growth and community spirit of each girl.

On this, the school’s 100th birthday, let us join together to honor Miss McGehee and her vision, to celebrate the school’s many achievements, and to look with excitement toward its promising future. “March Miss McGehee’s, Forward March!”

TODAY’S LEADERS

Today’s Leaders Case

Photo of Katrina Wall, 2005-2006

Centennial Streetcar Sign, 2011-2012

Photo of Centennial Celebration Kick-off, September 23, 2011

Photo of McGehee Spirit, 2007

Photo of a McGehee Embrace, undated

The Past, The Present,The Promise: The Louise S. McGehee School Centennial Exhibition

Selections from the Katherine Gage ’55 Archives

Special Thanks to Those Who Made This Exhibition Possible:

The Historic New Orleans Collection

Chuck and Becky Perret

Class of 2011

DeVille Framing

Suzanne Perron

Alumnae and friends who donated archival materials

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS