Academy of the Sacred Heart at Grand Coteau

Darlene Smith is a retired schoolteacher who taught in Kansas and Louisiana for 40 years. Most of her teaching (1981-2012) was done at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau, La., where she specialized in English, literature and Louisiana history. After retiring from teaching, she worked in the Editorial Department of Acadian House Publishing in Lafayette, La., for six years as a writer, copy editor, proof-reader and researcher. She was educated in Catholic schools from First Grade until she was a junior in college. She earned a BA in English from Wichita State University, then a Masters in Gifted Education from the University of Southwestern Louisiana. She and her husband, Norman Smith, live in Lafayette, La., and are the proud parents of a daughter, Jessica, who is a graduate of the Academy where Darlene taught for 31 years.

• Message from the Head of School; Note on Sources; Foreword; Introduction; Part I - Early History of the Academy of the Sacred Heart (1821-1899) -- The Birth of a Legacy; From Small Beginnings; The Campus Expands; The Jesuits Settle in Grand Coteau; Slavery in Antebellum Times; Civil War and the Academy; The Miracle of Grand Coteau; Educating a Newly Freed People; Mater Admirabilis!; The 19th Century Comes to an End. Part II - The 20th Century (1900-1999) -- A New Century Growth of The House of Grand Coteau; Normal School and College of the Sacred Heart; The World War II Years; The Impact of Vatican II. Part III - Onward to the 21st Century -- Sacred Heart GOALS and CRITERIA; Toward a Noble Future. Part IV - Traditions, Treasures & People of Faith -- Traditions, Customs & Activities; The Saints of Sacred Heart; Women of Faith and Influence; Glossary; Timeline; Appendix 1 - The Great Flood of 1927; Appendix 2 - Hymns, Prayers and Poems of the Schools of the Sacred Heart; Appendix 3 - Treasured Recipes from the Coteau Family; Appendix 4 - Administrative Leaders; Appendix 5 - To Become a Religious of the Sacred Heart; Appendix 6 - Giving Opportunities; Sources; References; Index; Contact Information; Photo and Art Credits; Acknowledgements; About the Author.