Institute of Notre Dame

"For schools of the same name, see Notre Dame High School".

Background

The Institute of Notre Dame is a private Catholic all-girls high school located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore.

History

The Institute of Notre Dame, known as "IND" or "the Institute" by those who are familiar with the school, was founded in 1847, making it the first school founded by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in the United States. The founder of the school is Mother Teresa Gerhardinger, now beatified in the Catholic Church. The school is unique in the fact that it has stayed in its downtown location on Aisquith Street since its founding, despite the fact it is now in one of Baltimore's poorest neighborhoods. IND is adjacent to the Caroline Center, a center run by the School Sisters of Notre Dame which provides job training to local women. IND's current president is Charisse Wernecke. Currently, around 400 girls attend the school.

In 2000, Spanish teacher William Brown won a national award from National Catholic Educators Association for his efforts in education and conflict mediation at the school.

The school also has a partnership with Johns Hopkins Hospital called "Bond to Bond", where students can be mentored by doctors, pharmacists and nurses in different areas of the hospital. [http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/dome/0403/centerpiece.cfm]

The Institute of Notre Dame is very well known for its rivalry with Mercy High School. Once a year, the two schools' basketball teams match up to play a highly anticipated game in the Towson University gym. To fans, this game is known as 'The Game' or the 'IND/Mercy Game'. Over 4000 people have been known to attend. In 2006, 'The Game' resulted in a fifth consecutive win for the Institute of Notre Dame after an intense double-overtime.

Alumna Barbara Mikulski, member of the class of 1954, had this to say about the school:

"Attending the Institute of Notre Dame taught me that I could do anything I dreamed of doing. The sisters were intelligent, caring and had incredible inner strength. They taught me more than geography or mathematics; they taught me to help those in need of help. They inspired my passion for service." [http://www.newsline.umd.edu/schools/girlsschool102805.htm]

Notable Alumni

*Rosemary Stanford Baldwin, Baltimore Colts cheerleader (one of first in NFL); 1956 graduate
*Eleanor O'Neill Dudley, Baltimore Colts cheerleader (one of first in NFL); 1956 graduate
*Barbara Mikulski, member of United States Senate representing Maryland; 1954 graduate
*Betsy Slade, actress
*Catherine "Cassie" Mackin, NBC Newsanchor, NBC's first woman floor reporter at the Democratic and Republican presidential conventions, ABC news correspondent, two-time Emmy award winner for television journalism; 1956 graduate
*Lauren Parkes, Miss Black Delaware USA 2007, Miss Maryland Galaxy 2008; 2005 graduate
*Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of the United States House of Representatives (first woman in US history to be so); 1958 graduate
*Mary Anne Perry, DJ at WLIF

References

*Institute of Notre Dame - http://www.indofmd.org
*Maryland Newsline, Schools - http://www.newsline.umd.edu/schools/girlsschool102805.htm
*Betsy Slade - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0805153/