As we celebrate Catholic School Week, we remember the work that Sister Caroleen Hensgen did to break new ground for women in the world of Catholic education. In 1967, this SSND was appointed to serve as the superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth, making her the first woman to hold that position in the United States. Despite initially being shunned by other superintendents of schools, all of whom were priests, Sister Caroleen became an influential force within diocesan schools. In 1971, the diocesan school board made the decision to freeze enrollment in Catholic schools to stop white flight from the public schools that were being forcibly integrated. The decision was controversial and costly, but Sister Caroleen kept the ban in place for eight years. She retired in 1991 and spent her remaining years writing a history of Catholic education in North Texas. Sister Caroleen died in 2013 at the age of 98.
Read more about Sister Caroleen here.