Expansion and Growth


From Humble Beginnings...


Elizabeth Arden Cox Cahill is a native New Orleanian, who has lived on the westbank her entire life. She is an only child, who was told often by her mother, beginning at a very early age, that she would be a teacher. Her mother and father, Ida and Nolan Cox, strongly supported her endeavors, which saw Arden heading off to college at the tender age of 16. She was very young when she started her teaching career in the New Orleans Public School System at Laurel-McDonough #1 and Allan school. She spent the first three years in these schools teaching children with speech disorders. For the next three years Mrs. Cahill taught speech and drama at Fortier High School. During this period of time, she also taught homebound students and children with disabilities after school hours, including students who were deaf, as well as students with cerebral palsy.


In 1958, Arden Cox was married to Harry L. Cahill, Jr. after just three short months of knowing each other. They did not realize until years after they were married that they actually attended elementary school together at Belleville school in Algiers. During their first year of marriage, they moved to Florida where Mr. Cahill furthered his education at Florida State, go Seminoles! Mrs. Cahill taught Speech Development and also worked with the hard of hearing at Florida State University. A year later, upon the arrival of the first of their five children, they returned to Algiers to raise their family.


Once home, Mrs. Cahill taught for two years at Behrman High School. At the end of those two years she was asked to fill a job opening for Disciplinarian/Assistant to the Principal at Karr Junior High School – a little known fact is that Mrs. Cahill came up with the Karr mascot. If not for her input, the Karr “Cougars” would now be known as the Karr “Kangaroos”. Mrs. Cahill worked at Karr until the birth of her third child. After working as a volunteer for two years at St. Julian Eymard, Mrs. Cahill was encouraged by her husband to start her own school, thereby allowing her the flexibility to stay at home with her children. Soon after Mr. Cahill planted the idea, their dream began to take shape and become a reality.


Arden Cahill Academy was founded in 1968 by Arden and Harry Cahill as a private academy dedicated to the interest of early childhood education. The history of events leading up to their decision to start a school is of significant importance because Mrs. Cahill’s prior teaching experiences contributed greatly to the creation and formation of the philosophy of the academy. Mr. and Mrs. Cahill’s interest was to establish a school where the focus would be on the whole child. Our school’s philosophy is “to create a wholesome environment for learning where each child may grow and mature intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically, and morally to the best of his ability. It is the hope that through the good example and guidance of dedicated teachers each child will be encouraged to develop strength, confidence, and love for his fellow man and inspired to seek truth and knowledge.”


Out of love, admiration, and the utmost respect for their parents, the Board of Director’s of Arden Cahill Academy, comprised of Mr. and Mrs. Cahill’s children, Harry “Chip” Cahill, III, Jack Cahill, Mary Kevin Cahill, Kelly Cahill, and Chris Cahill, is dedicated to providing the westbank with an exceptional school for many, many years to come. The family is committed to bringing their parents’ dream to complete fruition by adding the high school grades, which was always a part of the original plan for the school. After more than 50 years of educating children on the westbank and the surrounding areas of the city, the Cahill family is excited about the expansion plans and looks forward to continuing the mission to uphold the standards that Mr. and Mrs. Cahill established, thus forever keeping their dream alive.



Charting the Growth…

From the babies in the Infant Centre to the anticipation of our first class of high school graduates, we are able to witness the growth taking place under the guidance and supervision of a wonderful staff.


We watch . . . as our babies take their first steps and then watch as they take their final

steps, becoming our beloved alumni at graduation.


We watch . . . as they make their first “stage debut” in the Infant Centre Spring

Production . . . perhaps as Miss Muffet, Humpty Dumpty, or the Big Bad Wolf and then

applaud each later success in class productions such as the Kindergarten Circus,

Shakespeare, or the highly anticipated upper school productions.


We watch . . . as they learn their letters and sounds, then as they later learn to put those

sounds together and actually start to read. We watch as they move from adding one and

one to solving complex algebraic equations and formulas.


We watch . . . as they continue to grow as artists, musicians, athletes, and scholars.


We watch . . . as they grow into fine, young adults and valuable members of our society.


We look forward to “charting the growth” with you and your child throughout the years in our Infant Centre, Early Childhood, Primary School, Middle School, Junior High, and High School programs! Thank you, again, for considering Arden Cahill Academy as your school of choice for your child.


An Expression of Gratitude...


Thank you for your interest in Arden Cahill Academy. We look forward to assisting you in learning about our School and the programs that we offer. Tours of our campus are scheduled daily by appointment. If at any time, while making your decision, you have questions please do not hesitate to call us. Children are precious to us and they have brought us tremendous joy over the past 50 plus years. It is evident by observing our students in their classroom environments, perusing their work displayed on the walls, and enjoying the many events and activities that take place during the school year, that Arden Cahill Academy’s philosophy is being fulfilled on a daily basis with great success.