Academy of Notre Dame de Namur


The Academy of Notre Dame de Namur is a private middle school and high school for girls in Radnor, Pennsylvania. It is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia; 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."

Background

The Academy of Notre Dame de Namur was established in 1856 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. For seventy-five years it was located on the west side of Rittenhouse Square in Center City, Philadelphia.
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, and a now demolished swimming pool located on campus, were used as location scenes in the film The Philadelphia Story, starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn but that has been disproved by historians, noting that the motion picture was filmed exclusively on a soundstage in Hollywood.

Notable alumni