OH248 Katie Freeman Oral History
Collection Title
Jackson Purchase Oral History Project - Schools and Education
Series Number
OH248
Interviewee
Freeman, Katie W.
Interviewer
Bates, Mary F.
Date Interviewed
August 9th, 1979
Processed By
O'Daniel, Hannah
Date Processed
February 20th, 2014
Description
1 sound disc (15 minutes)
Abstract
Katie Freeman describes aspects of her experiences at the high school of the West Kentucky Industrial College in Paducah, Kentucky during the 1920s. She recalls residing in the girls' dormitory, the names of her instructor, the role of the school in her life and the financial difficulties she experienced while attending school. She discusses the changes in the social standing and opportunities for African Americans in Paducah during the 1970s as compared to when she was in high school in the 1920s. She mentions the establishment of a kindergarten in Paducah with the support of Mayor Robert Cherry. Freeman talks about her position at West Kentucky Industrial College as the Recreational Supervising Counselor, including her responsibilities of assisting students who were unaccustomed to hygiene products. She provides biographical information on her children and grandchildren. Lastly, she mentions a lynching incident in Paducah when she was eleven years old.
Biographical/Historical Note
Katie W. Freeman was born in Paducah, Kentucky in 1905. She attended segregated schools in Paducah, including Garfield Elementary School, Lincoln School, and the high school at West Kentucky Industrial College. In addition to West Kentucky Industrial College, she attended Fisk University, Provost Teachers College and a summer session at Northwestern University. She established a kindergarten at the Lincoln Court in Paducah and worked at West Kentucky Industrial College for nine years as the Recreational Supervising Counselor. She died on April 4, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois.
General Information
No user access to original recordings. Use audio user copies, digital derivatives, transcripts, and/or tape indexes. This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). Permission for reproduction must be requested from Murray State University.
Subject Headings/Descriptors
Freeman, Katie W., 1905-1982.
Kentucky – Race relations.
Education – Kentucky – Paducah – History.
African Americans – Education – Kentucky.
Segregation in education – Kentucky.
West Kentucky Industrial College (Paducah, Ky.)
Garfield Elementary (Paducah, Ky.)
Lincoln School (Paducah, Ky.)
Lynchings – Kentucky – Paducah.
Loading...
Recommended Citation
Bates, Mary F., "OH248 Katie Freeman Oral History" (2025). Education and Desegregation. 18.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/oh-education/18
Audio Transcript