Donated by Dr. Frances Hall, '46

Accession No. HP-2007-012

Dr. Katherine Montgomery, a 1918 graduate of Florida State College for Women, began her professional career with the institution the very next year and never really left campus until her death in 1958. "Miss Katie" is the ultimate memorable figure of the women’s physical education and recreation program of FSCW.

During the first decade of her career, classes were housed in the original gymnasium, a wooden African-American church and school purchased by the Florida Female College and remodeled. She oversaw the design and construction of the Women’s Gymnasium (1929-30). Her advanced degrees were earned during summer vacations and a leave of absence. She received her doctorate from New York University in 1941 and wore the mortar board with its gold metallic tassel in all subsequent full academic processions at FSCW and Florida State University. She died in 1958 on the very day her retirement from FSU became official. The gymnasium was named for her posthumously. Dr. Frances Hall, a 1946 graduate of FSCW and a protégé of Dr. Montgomery, joined the faculty in 1949 and had just received her doctorate in 1958 when Dr. Montgomery died. Dr Hall paid a condolence visit to Dr Montgomery's family when they were sorting through her possessions and the family, recognizing the relationship between Dr. Hall and the departed, gave her Dr. Montgomery’ mortar board. It was worn by Dr. Hall in academic processions until the end of her association with FSU in 1969 and retained afterward as an honored keepsake.

When FSU announced the awarding of an honorary doctorate in humane letters to Mary Lou Norwood, Dr. Hall contacted her and offered the use of the mortar board for the ceremony. Ms. Norwood, who had known and respected Dr. Montgomery from her early childhood and been a friend of Dr. Hall during their FSCW undergraduate years, enthusiastically accepted the offer with the proviso that the cap would become an artifact of FSU Heritage Protocol after the ceremony. Dr. Hall enthusiastically agreed.

After briefly considering a method to polish the tarnished tassel, Dr. Norwood and organizers of the ceremony decided against even trying. Let the tarnish convey the object’s provenance and history was their conclusion.

-Dr. Frances Hall, '46