St. Mary's Academy

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word established St. Mary's Academy in 1899, and the school started its life not in Amarillo, but sixty miles to the southeast, in Clarendon.

Now, Clarendon is where the story begins, but it is not where the story stays. By 1913, something was set in motion. The Reverend David H.

Dunn and the local Knights of Columbus council made it their business to bring St. Mary's Academy to Amarillo, and that is exactly what they did. The institution was moved that year, and not just moved quietly.

That same year, the original section of a three-story brick schoolhouse was completed right there in Amarillo. Three stories. Brick.

That is a statement of intention if I have ever seen one. The school kept growing, and later additions were constructed to keep up with it. Then in 1945, the Amarillo Diocese took over operations, and has been running St.

Mary's ever since. From a founding in Clarendon in 1899, to a move and a brand new building in 1913, to diocesan stewardship starting in 1945, St. Mary's Academy has been woven into the educational life of this part of Texas for a long, long time.

Some institutions just have that kind of staying power.

What the marker says

Established by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word in 1899, St. Mary's Academy was originally located in Clarendon (60 mi. SE). In 1913 the institution was moved to Amarillo through the efforts of The Rev. David H. Dunn and the local Knights of Columbus council. The original section of this three-story brick schoolhouse was completed the same year. Later additions were constructed to accommodate the school's growth. Operated by the Amarillo Diocese since 1945, St. Mary's Academy has played a vital role in the educational development of the area.