Catherine Cater: An Elegant Rise Above Race and Gender as Scholar and Professor

by Robert Dodge

Catherine Cater's infectious love of ideas inspired students, colleague and friends. A distinguished teacher and intellectual specializing in English literature and philosophy, Dr. Cater faced barriers of race and gender when she entered the academic world and moved to the North. She elevated the level of scholarship at universities and their communities in both the South and North, most notably North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota, where her long career left an indelible mark on the academic stature of the institution. Catherine Cater was born in New Orleans and spent her youth in Alabama. Diverse influences, from exposure to the Ku Klux Klan to immersion in Great Books, came together in the creation of this enigma who was a great lady. She popped up in North Dakota as a complete outsider, yet her dynamism naturally drew people to her. English literature and philosophy were her primary scholarly areas but her curiosity knew no bounds. The telling of her story may appear unusual or uneven due to the author's relationship with the subject of this book. The author was Catherine Cater's student over 50 years ago and remained her friend from that time onward. Here, he has blended first-person recollection with third-person narration based on research and interviews. The memories of personal encounters with this sparkling woman bring her to life as the real person she was and help to show why she is so highly regarded by those who benefited from having been in her presence.

198 pages, Paperback

Published July 30, 2016

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

In honor of my parents' college professor, my middle name is Catherine. During my childhood, I remember receiving books from Catherine Cater, thanks to her I've read more classics than I may have otherwise. In the spirit then of getting to know this woman a little better, I looked forward to this biography.

To borrow her words, though, I think this particular biography was a good attempt on a difficult subject. The author does a good job writing about historical events in the context of CC's family- but to what extent those events shaped her and the people in her life, it seems to be guesswork for all of us. The historical guesswork mostly stops after her move to the Fargo Morehead region. A number of areas of her life and hobbies could have been explored more in depth.

I would have like more show, less tell, words and stories as well as pictures. I don't know if she had a personality that would've made that easy, but I do believe the author gave his best efforts. My thanks for helping her memory survive.