Interview: Katharine Everhart Paull ’62

Tell me about your Dickinson experience.

In the years of 1958-62 most students had homes in Pennsylvania or states bordering it. Although I came from the Tidewater area of Virginia, I had roots in the Harrisburg area of Central Pennsylvania, where my parents had grown up. My father’s father and my mother both had graduated from Dickinson and now my granddaughter is also a Dickinson graduate. During my years there, male students outnumbered females 3 to 1, most professors were male, and much social life revolved around 10 fraternities and 4 sororities. Since career paths were limited for women, my English major, of course, led to teaching English in Secondary School, which I eventually embraced.

In addition to my robust social life at Dickinson, I enjoyed participation in Mermaid Players as well as connections with professors and cultural events that the college brought to us: Dr. Martin Luther King, Robert Frost, Ravi Shankar. The college had 3 different presidents during my sojourn there. It was a time of national transition with the election of Kennedy. After graduation a realization that I could have been a better student at Dickinson prompted me to obtain a graduate degree from The University of North Carolina.

Can you speak to how Dickinson’s liberal-arts education helped you in your life?

At Dickinson I learned to work with other people serving on the Panhellenic Council and questioning an authoritative system. While I didn’t have a passion to become a teacher, I eventually enjoyed my work in a Title 1 school in Los Angeles and my involvement in the UCLA Writing Project with outstanding colleagues with whom I still interface in writing and reading groups post retirement. I gave numerous presentations at conferences, participated in state and national assessment groups, became a mentor teacher and literacy coach helping teachers use new literacy techniques in content classrooms. Even today I think of creative ways to present information in the classroom.

I have continued to be involved with political and community issues, fighting for environmental causes that I see as necessary for our well-being. I have managed to develop from being a reluctant undergraduate student to a passionate community volunteer and teacher of others.

What inspired your gift to Dickinson?

Because I grew up in the segregated South, Dickinson brought a new world to me. I believe that location and timing are important in a young person’s life. Most of the students that I taught in Los Angeles were living in sequestered environments. I want more young people to have access to experiences in today’s world. I believe that a small liberal arts college can provide a sense of community and generate engaged global citizens to think critically and make an impact at home.

When I have returned to Dickinson, I have been impressed with the facilities, breadth of course offerings, and small seminars. I also appreciated the engagement and interaction fostered by the teaching Earth Science Professor Ben James during my Dickinson Iceland trip in March, 2022.

Why is it important to give back to the college?

I believe that Dickinson offers something unique. The college thrives on interdisciplinary connections, small classes and a variety of people meeting together. Thanks to the support of generous alumni, facilities have improved tremendously over the years. I have enjoyed interviewing prospective students and working with students in the Posse program. It is important to invest through scholarship funding for those who can’t afford a Dickinson education.

What advice would you give to today’s students?

I would tell today’s students to take advantage of programs. Travel. Study abroad. Visit the Dickinson Farm. Learn more about sustainability and how you can take your learning back to your home, your workplace, your community. Revisit the college.