Dr. Grady Early, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, taught math and computer science at Texas State University for 29 years, serving briefly as interim chair of the newly-formed Computer Science department. After retirement, Early began researching his family history and gained some familiarity with various research tools: ancestry, familysearch, newspapers, San Marcos Record archives, findagrave and many more. This made it easy for him to segue into the histories of non-family members, which is how he began to write a story about Southwest Texas Normal in San Marcos, also known as San Marcos Normal, which is now Texas State University. This series will highlight the first staff at Southwest Texas Normal.
The 1907 Pedagogue described her in this way: “Katherine E. White was a unified rhetorical structure; has a special affinity for themes; advocate of circuses, rambles of all kinds, entertainments, etc.”
“Kate” White was born in 1871 in Smith County, probably in Tyler where her father Charles G. White was a lawyer and, later, a judge.
White received her early childhood education in the Tyler public schools. It is possible that she received her college education at Baylor University in Waco. Baylor opened its doors in 1846 in Independence, TX, but in 1886, Baylor University [Independence, TX] and Waco University merged to form Baylor U. in Waco.
Soon, she had embarked on a teaching career, which included more than just teaching. She presented papers at teachers’ meetings: “The Religion of the Teacher”, 1895; “The Teaching Spirit”, 1896; “The Scope and Method of English in the High School”, 1901; and wrote a successful play based on the romance of Janice Meridith.
She taught at Galveston, Houston and Thomas Arnold High School in Salado, about 50 miles south of Baylor University. Then, Tom Harris convinced her to become an assistant in English at the brand-new Southwest Texas Normal school in San Marcos.
She joined the Y.W.C.A. and traveled to College Station to attend the Texas Folk Lore Society meeting.
White’s association with SWTN ended when a new position, Assistant Dean of Women, was created for her at the University of Texas. She thrived.
She was active in the Y.W.C.A., the Business and Professional Woman’s Club and the University Ladies’ Club. She often spoke or served as a hostess at these meetings.
White’s father had died in 1907. Her mother stayed in Tyler until about 1914, when she moved to Austin to live with White. Her mother, too, died in 1916.
Then, also in 1916, White took a one-year leave of absence from the university, which she was to spend in Tyler where she had business interests with her brothers Joseph and Karl. Together, they owned the White Abstract Company in Tyler; White was vice-president.
On April 11, 1917, Karl and “Miss Katherine” had stopped in his car near the west side of the street when she got out and started across the street east to the home of Mrs. L.A. Henry. She was struck by a car, which passed over her body, crushing it. The car stopped a short distance down the street and returned.
White was placed in it and carried to the King’s Daughters Hospital, where she died at 8:30 p.m. At the hospital, White recognized and spoke to Mrs. Karl White and Mrs. Joe White [her sisters-in-law].
Information about her grave can be found at findagrave # 44785876.
Katherine E. White
