History & Traditions

Mother Mary Louis, born Mary Ann Crummey in 1852 in Flushing, Queens, was shaped early by faith and resilience. Following the death of her mother in 1860, she and her younger sister, Ellie, were entrusted to the care of the Sisters of St. Joseph at St. Joseph’s Convent in Flushing. It was there that Mary Ann’s lifelong devotion to service and education first took root.

In 1892, she was elected Superior General of the Sisters of St. Joseph—a role she would hold for an extraordinary forty years. Under her leadership, the Congregation experienced remarkable growth and transformation. From 300 Sisters at the start of her tenure, the Order expanded to more than 1,100 by the time of her death. Her vision extended far beyond numbers; she strengthened and expanded the mission of the Sisters through the founding of institutions that would serve generations.

Mother Mary Louis worked closely with prominent leaders of the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Archdiocese of New York, including Bishop McDonnell, Bishop Molloy, and Archbishop Spellman. During her leadership, the Sisters of St. Joseph opened and staffed St. John’s Hospital in Elmhurst, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Rockaway, 32 elementary and secondary schools, and two colleges—primarily in Queens and Brooklyn. Her impact on Catholic education and healthcare in New York was both profound and enduring.

In early 1932, Mother Mary Louis began plans to establish an academy for young women on a hilltop in Jamaica Estates, overlooking Hillside Avenue. Though her sudden illness and passing on May 22, 1932, prevented her from seeing this dream realized, her vision lived on. The New York Times described her forty years of leadership as “phenomenal.”

Determined to carry forward her legacy, the Sisters of St. Joseph advanced plans for the Jamaica Estates academy and named it in her honor—The Mary Louis Academy—a tribute to her faith, courage, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to the education of young women.

Tradition holds that Mother Mary Louis first identified the site while traveling on the Long Island Railroad, gazing upon the undeveloped hilltops of Jamaica. Today, the Academy still stands prominently on one of the highest points in Queens, a visible and enduring symbol of her vision.

The school welcomed its first class of fifty-seven young women on September 14, 1936, taught by a faculty of eight Sisters. Classes were initially held in the Mary Louis Convent while construction of the permanent building progressed. On October 16, 1938, the completed school at 176-21 Wexford Terrace officially opened its doors.

Founded during the Great Depression, The Mary Louis Academy was, in itself, an act of faith. At a time marked by uncertainty and hardship, the Sisters made a bold statement about the future—one rooted in the transformative power of Catholic education. They believed deeply in the potential of young women to shape the world for the better.

For decades, The Mary Louis Academy has remained steadfast in its mission to educate, empower, and inspire young women. Building upon this rich legacy, the Academy expanded its vision in 2025 with the founding of the TMLA Middle School, extending its tradition of academic excellence and faith-based formation to girls in grades 6 through 8 and shaping future Mary Louis women from an even earlier age.

The founders of Mary Louis were women of great faith and vision. They saw the women who graduated from Mary Louis as a force for good in society. The Mary Louis woman would make a difference.

And she has.