OLA - An Angelic History Still Alive at Roger Bacon

At Roger Bacon, we are proud to honor the rich history of Our Lady of the Angels High School throughout our halls on a daily basis

Carol Dauwe Fine Arts Center

The Fine Arts Center (FAC) is named after a 1956 OLA graduate, Mary Carol (Morgan) Dauwe. The wife of Ronald Dauwe ’53, she passed away on June 13, 2013 at the age of 75. While at OLA, Carol was a member of the band, Math Club, Student Council and Senior Club. Her 1956 yearbook superlative reads as follows: “Curly-haired ‘Mog’ likes pizza and dates…found with Marcia and Jeanie…hopes to get married and rear a family.” The Dauwe family is a big supporter of the fine arts and were instrumental in the construction of the FAC.

Mural. When entering the FAC, visitors encounter a mural which contains pictures from every yearbook for both Roger Bacon and OLA from 1928 to 2024. The mural contains 440 photos – 126 of which highlight student life at OLA. Pictures from 1928 to 1984 touch on a wide variety of subjects including the fine arts, student life, community activities and academics - every year of OLA’s existence is displayed in the mural. Pictures are numbered and the display is exhibited in chronological order, allowing a visual representation of the history of OLA. In addition to drama performances, pictures include a wide variety of subject matter, to include:

Orchestra (1929)
Marching Band (1931)
Swimming Pool (1936)
Doris Day (Kappelhoff) (1937)
Chapel (1939)
War Bond Rally (1944)
May Procession (1949)
Bunny-Hoppers (1954)
Holy Name Parade (1957)
Sisters/Convent (1964)
Its Academic Team (1965)
Pep Rally (1968)
Senior Date Dance (1971)
Senior Parade (1973)
Miss Uhrig Day (1977)
Drill Team (1979)
May Crowning (1980)
Senior Retreat (1982)
Graduation (1984)

OLA Emblem. After the closing of Our Lady of the Angels High School in 1984 and the subsequent demolition of the building several years later, the OLA emblem, which was located in the main lobby of the school, was moved to a hillside adjacent to St. Francis Plaza. It remained there until 2015 when it was refurbished and relocated to its present spot of honor in the Carol Dauwe Fine Arts Center. The emblem is a central part of the FAC and holds a prominent place in our most utilized school space. An important tradition surrounding the symbol continues as well. As several OLA graduates have attested to, students were not allowed to walk on the emblem. In recognition of that tradition, Spartans are not permitted to walk on the Spartan-head emblem in the FAC. A small but constant reminder of our OLA counterpart!

Our Lady of the Angels Chapel

On Sunday, October 31, 1993 after 4 years of planning, fund-raising, architectural designing and construction, the girls’ locker room was transformed into the Our Lady of the Angels Chapel. With a seating capacity of 40 individuals, the chapel includes three stained glass windows from the convent chapel (on the grounds of OLA) of the Sisters of Oldenburg and a replica of the San Damiano Cross. These same three stained glass windows will be installed in the new atrium chapel which will become the center of our spiritual life activities in the fall of 2026.

The dedication plaque for the chapel reads as follows: “In the years 1206-09, St. Francis of Assisi rebuilt three small churches near Assisi, including Our Lady of the Angels Chapel. Eventually this place became his headquarters, and here he died on October 4, 1226. Roger Bacon’s Our Lady of the Angels Chapel welcomes everyone who wishes to pray here. May the Lord give you peace!”

Betty Rae Honors Hallway

Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Rae was born in 1925 during the Great Depression. She graduated from OLA in 1943. She received her bachelor’s degree from the Athenaeum of Ohio – Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West and master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati. She began teaching 5th grade at Nativity in 1953 and went to Loveland Elementary School in 1961 where she taught until she retired in 1989. Betty was an active member of the Catholic Community of the Good Shepherd in Montgomery, where she was a member of the choir, Shepherd's Care Outreach, the Seniors and the founding member of the Whitley City, KY Outreach Mission. She passed away on November 4, 2017 at the age of 92. The Honors Hallway is named after her.

Religious Display. A PowerPoint display in the Honors Hallway recognizes every religious who taught at either Roger Bacon or Our Lady of the Angels high schools. There are 176 religious who taught at OLA that are included in the display. Teachers, staff, administration and all the principals of OLA are displayed.

OLA principals were:

S. Mary Lawrence Giering: 1928–1934
S. Mary Cephas Keller: 1934-1941
S. Marie Dillhoff: 1941-1947
S. Hortense Fougerousse: 1947-1953
S. Therese de Lourdes Galm: 1953-1960
S. Marie Dillhoff: 1960-1962
S. Alethea (Natalie) Lamping: 1962-1970
S. Jean Marie Cleveland: 1970-1979
S. Marie Kathleen Maudlin: 1979-1982
S. Anita Brelage: 1982-1984

Veterans’ Display. A display in the Honors Hallway recognizes graduates of Roger Bacon or Our Lady of the Angels high schools who served in the armed forces after World War II. 675 alums have been honored in the display, including 5 OLA graduates. The slides use traditional OLA colors and honors the following 5 veterans:

Susan (Sammons) Neal ’70 - Army 1972 – 1998
Sherrie Lakes ’71 - Army 1974 – 2013
Ruth (Voss) Ward ’80 - United States Navy 1980 – 1992
Kelly Preston ’82 - Army 1981-1986; Air Force 1988 – 2011
Janette Abs ’84 - Air Force 1988 – 1989

Note: This is a constantly growing display. Please let the school know if there are any OLA grads who served in our armed forces so they can be included and appropriately honored.

Our Lady of the Angels Education Fund Scholarship. This scholarship, recognized in the Honors Hallway, is given to a freshman and sophomore female student based on their academic achievement and service to school and community. This scholarship was first given in 2002 and every year thereafter starting in 2006. The display is in the Honors Hallway with the Franciscan value of “service” emphasized. Winners are as follows:

2002: Clarrisa Chenault and Kelly Sirk

2006: Ellen Garner and Victoria Hartmann

2007: Helen Cappannelli and Abigail Demasi

2008: Helen Cappannelli and Jessica Cooper

2009: Jessica Cooper and Sarai Ward

2010: Maria Angel, Michelle Angel, and Rebecca Meisman

2011: Michelle Mondillo and Molly Walterman

2012: Ashley DeBurger, Rebecca DeBurger and Francesca Lipari

2013: Ashley DeBurger, Rebecca DeBurger and Ashley Cooper

2014: Shelby Watterson and Ally Woeste

2015: Abigail Merz and Kaylee Sunders

2016: Beatrice Borgert and Christine Hoffmann

2017: Anna Juengling and Christine Hoffmann

2018: Samantha Mumper and Jillian Leonard

2019: Brooklynn Flowers and Samantha Mumper

2020: Grace Hoffmann and Jocelyn Carraher

2021: Mariah Henderson and Grace Hoffmann

2022: Deaijah Thomas Turner and Daphne McCabe

2023: Maya DeStazio and Reese Reilly

2024: Adalena Vondrell and Etellina Jackson

Thomas J. Fogarty Center

Athletic Recognition. There are several banners in the gymnasium which recognize team and individual accomplishments - most notably at the state-level. OLA teams and athletes are represented in several places:

OLA 1982 State Runner-Up Volleyball Team. This includes recognition on the volleyball team banner in 1982 as league, district and regional champions. The volleyball team banner also recognizes the 1983 OLA volleyball team who were league champions.

Michelle Sica. Michelle started her high school career at OLA and was in the first coed graduating class at Roger Bacon in 1985. While a student at OLA, Michelle was a state champion in cross country (1983) and the 3,200-meter run (1984). She went on to win titles in both events for Roger Bacon during the 1984/85 school year. Her accomplishments at both OLA and Roger Bacon are further displayed in the main lobby of the Fogarty Center.

Hall of Fame. The Roger Bacon Hall of Fame started in 1971 with the induction of its first member, John “Socco” Wiethe ’30. Since that time, 228 individuals have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. This includes 31 honorees who either graduated from OLA or attended OLA during their high school years. In 1997, the first OLA graduates were inducted into the Hall of Fame. The OLA graduates/attendees in the Hall of Fame are as follows:

Melba (Vollner) Doellman ‘34
Dolores (Siefert) Herbe ‘35
Sr. Mary Ammann, OSF ‘36
Marcella “Babe” (Schappacher) Gelhausen ‘35
Rose Mary “Hap” Glaser ‘39
Mary Lou (Glaser) Clark ‘41
Martha (Ruebush) Witherby ‘42
Kathryn “Sis” King ‘44
Jane Ann (Lammert) Schildmeyer ‘55
Rita (Doerger) Gullette ‘57
Kay (Meyer) Eilerman ‘59
Carol Mayborg ‘69
Kathy Young ‘70
Karen (Doppes) Crosgrove ‘74
Lynn Helms ‘75
Donna (Doellman) Miller ‘75
Mary (Jett) Ritter ‘76
Margaret “Peg” Foley ‘77
Betty (Grein) Burkhart ‘78
Sally (Liber) Veatch ‘80
Kathy (Conway) Pierce ‘80
Karen (Gullete) Hinkel ‘81
Diane (Borgerding) Comperry ‘82
Amy Wellman ‘83
Amy (Lamarre) Grider ‘85*
Theresa Shepherd ‘85*
Diane (Sicking) Criswell ‘85*
Teresa (Chaulk) Huxel ‘85*
Maria Olberding ‘85*
Michelle (Sica) Jefferson ‘85*
Ann Maria (Schildmeyer) Goldstein ‘85*

Note: * Graduated from Roger Bacon but attended OLA

Spirit Wear

A new fashion trend is sweeping the halls of Roger Bacon – OLA spirit wear! The Spirit Shop stocks a small supply of OLA spirit wear and it has turned out to be very popular – especially with the female students! When asked why, the general consensus is the colors! Regardless the reason, it is nice to see OLA in the halls of Roger Bacon!