A new building at Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock has been named after alumna Mary Birnbach Ballard in honor of her $1 million donation to the school last week.
Little could Ballard have imagined, when she was a Depression-era student at Mount St. Mary Academy in the 1940s, that one day she would be in position to make one of the largest donations ever to the school.
Sister Deborah Troillett, RSM, president of Mount St. Mary Academy, officially announced that Ballard, a 1945 graduate, and her husband Claude had made the donation to the school’s Lasting Efforts Campaign renovation and expansion project.
Ballard, 81, a member of Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock, has three daughters and six grandchildren. She is active in her parish’s senior group, Bible study, cooking for meals after funerals and “occasionally cleaning the church.”
“I have just appreciated all the things they’ve done for me,” she said.
Her husband, Claude, said they could have chosen to support a college, but many of them already get taxpayer money.
“Mount St. Mary is supported by the people, not taxes,” he said. “Mary is an example of a first-rate student from there.”
Ballard’s gift will be used to pay for the renovation and upgrades to what had been known as the school’s 1953 building. The building, which reopened in July, is now known as the Mary Birnbach Ballard ’45 Liberal and Practical Arts Building. It includes classrooms for English, social studies, family and consumer sciences, multimedia, and broadcasting.
Ballard said two people inspired her to give the donation: her father and Sister Mary Mark Parsley, RSM.
“My father instilled in us the idea of always giving back and would say, ’Don’t take anything for nothing.’ At the time, the Sisters of Mercy allowed me to attend school for half the tuition rate, so I feel it’s a good way to say ’thank you’ to the school for helping out my family back then.”
Sister Mark was principal at the all-girls high school from 1936 to 1952.
“All the students adored her,” Ballard said. “In fact, before I accepted Claude’s hand in marriage, Sister Mark had to meet him to give her blessing.”
The couple has been married for 56 years.
Before she stepped down as principal in 1952, Sister Mark was instrumental in raising funds for the construction of the “new” building addition.
“Knowing that Sister Mark played such a critical role in getting this building built, I feel that the renovations my gift helped make have somehow connected me with Sister Mark … that I am continuing her legacy.”
Sister Deborah said Ballard is an exemplary “Mount girl.”
“Mary is a fine example of the ’greatest generation’ and a fine role model for our young women. She has always expressed deep appreciation for the education and foundation she received at Mount St. Mary. She is gracious, compassionate, capable and kind. She is a wife and mother, and she has been a teacher, a generous volunteer for her church and community … and she tells us she was a pretty good basketball player in her day as well.”
The Lasting Efforts Campaign is phase two of the school’s renovation and expansion plans.
Since 2002, the school has completed $7.7 million in renovations to the McCauley Center gymnasium and Ballard building and technology, plumbing, electrical and mechanical upgrades to two buildings. So far $6 million has been raised for this phase.
1945 alumna makes $1 million donation to Mount St. Mary
