Interview with Catherine H. Dunne, March 28, 1990

Interview Summary

Catherine H. Dunne was born in Louisville, Kentucky, where her father, Patrick Dunne, had a Thoroughbred racing stable. She recalls her father first became interested in the horse business through Edward Corrigan, who built Hawthorne Race Track in Cicero, Illinois. Her mother was Helen Dinniene of San Francisco, California, and Dunne's sister was named Marietta. She mentions Governor Charles Evans Hughes of New York, who persuaded the state legislature to outlaw horse racing "because it was wicked" and recalls that, around the turn of the century, there was virtually no horse racing in any state but Kentucky for about six years, due to the influence of the local horse breeders. Dunne talks about her childhood, and says they traveled the racing circuit by train. She notes the train cars had special accommodations for the horses. As a result, she attended many different schools but when horse racing was suspended they lived in her father's family home in Kansas City for about eight years, where Dunne graduated from high school in 1919. Her mother persuaded her and her sister to attend Dominican College, a private all-girls boarding school in New Orleans, which she attended from 1919-1921, while her father was racing there. She remembers several of the Dominican nuns had degrees from Oxford University in England.

Dunne's family came to Lexington in 1921, where she enrolled at the University of Kentucky. She talks about several instructors, including John Thomas Cotton Noe, who she says taught her "art appreciation" class. She recalls she was not impressed with the level of instruction at U.K. compared to Dominican and that the local students were difficult to get to know, as they kept to themselves. Dunne mentions places where the family lived on the west side of Lexington, Kentucky during this time, as well as families her father knew such as the Maddens and the Youngs. She talks about her experiences on campus and mentions various people from that time such as Sarah Blanding. She describes her teaching experiences in Lexington and says she taught until 1969. Dunne says she never married. She returned to U.K. "in the 1940's"to get her Master's degree. She talks about the difference in focus between men and women teachers and feels that women were more interested in teaching and men were more interested in sports.

Interview Keyword

Horses Education Horse racing Lexington (Ky.) Traveling with family McVey, Frances Jewell, 1889-1945

Interview LC Subject

Dunne, Catherine H. (Catherine Helen) Dunne, Catherine H. (Catherine Helen)--Interviews University of Kentucky University of Kentucky--History Education--Women in higher education University of Kentucky--Education Women in education--Kentucky--Lexington Education--Kentucky Educators Education--Study and teaching Teachers Teaching Sexism in higher education Gender issues Sex discrimination against women Sex role School administrators

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Interview Usage

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