Those who are passionate about business, education, or women’s history will be interested in this illustrated talk on one of the U.S.’s most prominent female educators. During its heyday, The Katharine Gibbs School was known worldwide for its excellence in educating women. Gordon Gibbs, her son, stated, “This is not my school or my family’s; it’s a national institution.” Katharine Gibbs was a 46-year-old widow with no income, two sons to support, and only a high school education when she began to build her school in 1911. By 1918, two years before women had the right to vote and when work outside the home was a man’s world, she had become the CEO of three schools that educated women for business. After her death, the family fostered the icon of Gibbs’ excellence worldwide and added campuses, including in Bermuda. Multiple campuses, new programs of study, the introduction of degrees, and the return of male students remade Gibbs with adaptability reminiscent of the founder. The Gibbs family motto translates
to, “Hold to your purpose,” and motivated graduates from 1911 to 2011.
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