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Our Lady of Victory Academy (1910-1961)
- Mar 13
- 2 min read
Founded by the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur
German-born Mother Emilie Kemen was the founder of the congregation of the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur in Belgium in 1819, in the wake of the French Revolution, when religious communities were forbidden throughout France. The nuns came to America in the depths of the American Civil War. They settled in Lockport, New York, near Buffalo, where they established a school for immigrant children.
In 1873, the sister founded their first school, Sacred Heart Academy, in Waco, Texas. The Sisters of St. Mary of Namur came to Fort Worth and founded St. Ignatius Academy in 1885. St Ignatius was a grade school and an all-girls academy. It was located next to St Patrick’s Cathedral, where the original white building still stands. Soon, St Ignatius reached capacity, so the nuns started looking for a larger school location.
In 1909, the Sisters bought 26 acres for $55,000 at the end of the electric trolley line on Hemphill and Shaw St from the Shaw Dairy Family. They then spent $80,000 on the construction of the grand, five-story building, Our Lady of Victory Academy (OLV) in 1910. The Saguinet and Saats Firm, who were the leading architects at the time in Fort Worth, was recommended by Father Robert Nolan. OLV opened with 31 boarders plus 41 day pupils.
Due to a rigorous academic curriculum rooted in Catholic faith and moral formation, it attracted Catholic and non-Catholic boarding students from across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and beyond, becoming known for its excellence in education, music, and leadership development. No students were ever turned away for financial reasons. That building, still standing today, is a historical landmark and a symbol of the Sisters' legacy.
In 1929, the sisters were planning to open a 4-year college on the OLV campus. However, the Great Depression began and collapsed the economy, and their plans were abandoned; they never built it. In 1930, the sisters began a two-year college for women who wanted to continue their education. In 1935, they partnered with St Joseph School of Nursing to offer science classes taught by the certified nuns. In 1956, the OLV College closed to open the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas.
In 1950, they were able to build Our Lady of Victory Elementary School near the original building, but due to declining enrollment, it closed in 2021.
In 1961, OLV, the all-girls high school, and Laneri, the all-boys high school, merged to form Nolan Catholic High School, which continues the mission of Catholic high school education in Fort Worth. OLV not only educated generations of young women but also laid the foundation for the broader Catholic school system in the region. Its legacy of academic excellence, service, and spiritual growth endures through Nolan Catholic and the ongoing work of the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur.
