From the opening of Derham’s doors in 1905, to the student enrollment boom caused by World War II, to the expansion of women’s professional training in the 1960s and 70s — St. Catherine faculty are crucial to starting, shaping, and adapting programs to meet the needs of the time. Join us in honoring some of the faculty members whose vision propelled the enormous growth in volume and range of St. Kate’s education over the years.
Mary Thompson, CSJ, ’53, PhD
Sister Gertrude
1928–2017
As department chair and Endowed Professor of Science, Mary Thompson, CSJ, ’53, PhD, strengthened chemistry at St. Kate’s through grant-funded acquisition of modern scientific instrumentation, the inclusion of undergraduate research as an integral part of the curriculum, and American Chemical Society verification of the chemistry major. She challenged students to engage in demanding research and continue their education at the graduate level, setting the stage for St. Kate’s increasing commitment to preparing women scientists.
Sister Barbara Ann Mitsch
1892–1992
Business courses in preparation for a “women’s career,” such as secretarial studies, were offered from the beginning of the college, with the formal department offering a major established in 1927. Sister Barbara Ann Mitsch arrived one year later and, for the next 44 years, led the business department and accounting office with remarkable influence on business students toward the ideals of responsibility, honesty, and workmanship.
Sister Teresita Judd ’37, PhD
1908–1998
In addition to her extensive graduate study and teaching, Sister Teresita Judd ’37, PhD, was particularly active in nurturing the details that both exemplified the liberal arts and kept life at St. Kate’s humming. She ran the printing press for faculty and staff, helped various faculty members correct tests, and created over 100 charts used to teach biology at St. Kate’s.
Marguerite Hessian-Gatz, CSJ, ’49
Sister Joan Arthur
1925–2019
Over the 30 years Marguerite Hessian-Gatz, CSJ, ’49 served as nursing faculty and department chair, and as professor emerita following her retirement in 1988, her farsighted commitment to the department helped grow the nursing program from a diploma program to a full degree.
Genevieve Cummings, CSJ, ’49
Sister Miriam Joseph
1927–1994
Genevieve Cummings, CSJ, ’49 became chair of the occupational therapy department in 1961, and forged a visionary stance regarding the importance of graduate education in occupational therapy. Thanks to her work spearheading these efforts on a national level, the department continued to expand — and, decades later, graduated the first occupational therapy assistant online students in the U.S.
Lucille Bettenburg Laughlin ’36
1914–1977
Lucille Bettenburg Laughlin ’36 fostered a period of rapid expansion and remarkable growth in the business program. With initiatives such as evening classes for adult women, she focused on expanding the horizons of women leadership beyond secretarial work. When she became chair in 1972, there were just five seniors majoring in business. By only 1977, there were 44.
Agnes Keenan '31
1910–1979
Sister Immaculata Keenan '31, PhD
1912–2000
Devoted to the liberal arts, Keenan sisters Agnes and Sister Immaculata were both St. Kate’s graduates of 1931 and English professors. Agnes, one of the first lay professors at the college, was renowned for her course Catholic Literary Revival — students arranged their schedules for the privilege of taking the class, and student praise led to requests throughout the Twin Cities for lectures based on the course. Sr. Immaculata remained more devoted to classical English writers, including Dante and Shakespeare, and served as executive secretary of the alumni association from 1941 to 1951. Both Keenans were inspiring teachers, trusted advisors, and sources of great knowledge and vision.
Adapted by Michelle Mullowney ’17 from alumni publications, The Wheel archives, and More Than a Dream: Eighty-five Years at the College of St. Catherine by Rosalie Ryan, CSJ, and John Christine Wolkerstorfer, CSJ.