St. Elizabeth Academy Collection
Scope and Contents
The collection includes event programs and invitations, financial records, correspondence, a diary and scrapbook, alumnae and student memory books, and newspaper clippings relating to St. Elizabeth Academy in St. Louis, Missouri. Items date from 1892 to 2015. The collection is arranged alphabetically by topic. An untitled and anonymous essay, possibly written by St. Elizabeth Academy archivist Sr. Helen Margaret Schuette, on the early history of the site of St. Elizabeth Academy and the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood explains the relationship between the order and Mgsr. Henry Muehlsiepen (B1/f.8). It also introduces the role played by Elizabeth Schiller, a widow who owned the property and oversaw the building of an orphanage which preceded St. Elizabeth, in the history of the school. Mrs. Schiller was a German immigrant with no family in St. Louis and was determined to leave an orphanage to take of care of German girls. She lived on the campus until her death in 1892 at age 91. Brief histories of the school are also in the student and teachers handbooks (B2/f.6-7). The Principal’s Diary is a ledger used as a hybrid between a diary and a scrapbook. It was created during the tenures of three school principals (known as directresses): Sr. Theophila (1914-1920), Sr. Innocentia (1921-1936), and Sr. Borgia (1937-1945). The volume has been divided into two folders for preservation. Loose items found in the volumes were moved to a separate folder with page number notations so that their original location can be found. The volume’s front cover is retained due to a photograph pasted to it (B1/f.17). The diary begins in 1914 with lists of sisters and students and daily lists of events at the school such as recitals, plays, class parties, lectures by guest speakers, debates, religious celebrations, and convent events. The lists of students show the school’s growth and range of activities and learning opportunities for its students. As the years progress, there are more programs, newspaper clippings, and some correspondence pasted into the volume while the diary entries dwindle to nothing. Entries are chronological with one exception, after a series of blank pages (p.177-293), there are lists of student exam results taken from 1915 to 1918 in the last pages of the volume. An account book records student accounts from approximately 1934, along with various other expenses, such as plays and recitals, from 1965 to 1970. There are also receipts and promissory notes dating from 1892 to 1944. Some receipts relate to services performed by Julius Pitzman for the school grounds. There also receipts from the estate of Elizabeth Schiller. Assorted information on alumnae and sisters include a memory book from 1975 for a reunion for the Class of 1965 (B1/f.3). Information about the sisters includes a copy of a 1905 note from Sister Superior that was placed in a time capsule (German), a funeral program and tribute for Sr. Helen Margarite Schuette, and six facsimile tickets for sisters who came to New York from Germany in 1870 on the S.S. Harmonika (B2/f.3). There are two graduate albums kept by seniors at St. Elizabeth. One volume is entitled, “Alma Mater Days” and was owned by Evelyn Kollas (later Trumpour), Class of 1912. Evelyn included several photographs, some identified, and newspaper clippings in her volume. There are no verses from classmates. The second volume is entitled “Girl Graduate” and belonged to Isabell Padberg, Class of 1925. The book includes party invitations and messages and sketches from fellow students and staff. Loose items from both volumes are in separate folders with page number notations to locate their original location.
Dates
- 1892-2015
Creator
- Booher, Gert, Mrs. (Guittar) (Donor, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use
For permission to publish, quote from, or reproduce material in this collection, please contact the Archives Reference Desk at archives@mohistory.org. Copyright restrictions may apply. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.
Historical Sketch
In September 1882, the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood opened St. Elizabeth Academy in St. Louis as a Catholic boarding school for girls. It was located at 3401 Arsenal (City Block 1458) in what became known as the city’s Tower Grove East neighborhood. With the assistance of Msgr. Henry Muehlsiepen, who had welcomed the order to Missouri, St. Elizabeth Academy grew and at one time had a high school enrollment of 500 girls. In 1983, St. Elizabeth Academy was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Crittenden Avenue Historic District. In January 2013, the school’s Board of Directors decided to close the school due to dwindling enrollment. The campus was sold to The International Institute.
Extent
0.85 Cubic Feet (2 boxes, 2 volumes)
Language of Materials
English
German
Arrangement
The collection is arranged alphabetically.
Physical and Technical Requirements
There are no physical or technical restrictions.
Donor Information
The collection was donated by Mrs. Gert Booher in 2017 (accession number 2017-005 and 2017-064) in honor of Sister Helen Margaret Schuette, CPPS, archivist of St. Elizabeth Academy.
Sources Consulted During Processing
Processing Information
Processed with funding from The Stuart Foundation, Inc. by Kristina Perez, 2025.
- Autograph album verse
- Catholic high schools
- Girls' schools
- High schools -- Alumni and alumnae
- High schools -- Missouri -- Saint Louis
- Nuns
- Parents' and teachers' associations
- Schoolgirls
- Schuette, Helen Margaret, Sr., 1931-2015 (Associated name)
- Sisters of the Most Precious Blood (Associated name)
- St. Elizabeth Academy (Saint Louis, Mo.) (Associated name)
Creator
- Booher, Gert, Mrs. (Guittar) (Donor, Person)
- Trumpour, Evelyn (Kollas), 1895-1920 (Compiler, Person)
- Nabbefeld, Isabelle E. (Padberg), 1907-1991 (Compiler, Person)
- Title
- St. Elizabeth Academy Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- EAD by Kristina Perez using ArchivesSpace
- Date
- 2025
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center Repository
