A Legacy of Sisterhood at SMA
St. Mary’s Academy was founded in 1889; however, ties were not part of the uniform until 1925. Since then, each class has marked their time at SMA with a colorful tie, unique and special to their class. The first class to wear ties, the class of 1925, wore a green tie as part of the uniform. The class of 1926 chose to wear an orange band on their sweater sleeves. The class of 1927 chose to wear red ties. The class of 1928 chose to wear gold ties tipped in purple; this was the only class who wore "purple ties." The classes of 1929 through 1938 wore ties of green, orange, red, and yellow--not gold. But starting in 1939 the sequence of blue, red, gold, and green was officially adopted and has remained in place ever since. The tie is an important tradition at St. Mary’s Academy and a central part of a SMA student’s individual identity as a part of her tie color and her group identity as a SMA Belle. More than a colorful piece of fabric, the tie is a significant piece of cultural continuity that connects the SMA legacies of the past to the vibrant young women of today.
The tie serves as a marker of sisterhood at SMA, in addition to a variety of events that take place throughout the year that provide Belles with the opportunity to bond with their classmates and SMA sisters of all grades.
