Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: Biography – Staff
Gertrude King Carter Staff
Publication date: 2021-02-01 AAE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TAGS: Gertrude King Carter, Mrs. Lillard Carter, housemothers, \u00a0teaching, Franklin College, Belmont College, Transylvania University, Mt. Allison College, Caney Creek Community Center, U.S. Censuses, Lillard H. Carter, Nolan H. Carter<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to her application and references, Gertrude was first educated at Franklin College in Nashville, Tennessee, her home town, and then South Kentucky Classical and Normal College, where she also taught. One of her references mentioned that she also taught Latin and French at Sayre College in Lexington for several years. In addition, she taught English at Belmont College<\/a> in Nashville, Tennessee, where she apparently met her husband who was also on the faculty. They married in 1897.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After her husband died in 1923, she earned an A.B. from Transylvania University<\/a> in Lexington and studied a course as a \u201cspecial student\u201d at Wellesley (MA) College<\/a>. Since then, her work experience included teaching at Mt. Allison College<\/a> in New Brunswick, Canada, for four years, where she had an opportunity to study French; and Latin and French at Morehead (KY) State Normal School and Teachers\u2019 College<\/a> for five years. In addition, she studied Library Science and spent several years in library work. (The chronology of these positions may not be exact, as dates were usually not provided.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n In April of 1932, when she applied to Pine Mountain Settlement School, she was working as a temporary replacement in the Caney Creek Community Center<\/a> library located at Alice Lloyd College, Pippa Passes, Kentucky, for a staff member who was on a leave of absence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Her references wrote positively of her experience and character, one describing her as, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…a brilliant woman of great resourcefulness and of highest integrity, and splendid initiation. Her love of service, her mothering instincts, her culture and refinement, her deep interest in youth and in the unfolding of the mind<\/em>[?]...would bring additional lustre <\/em>(sic) to the administration of your great school.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n However, at the time of her application, the Pine Mountain School had no salaried openings. When Gertrude offered to do volunteer work instead, Morris suggested a volunteer position as a housemother for the coming school year for 18 girls who were boarding at Big Log<\/a>. Gertrude was happy to accept, \u201cbecause of the abundant opportunities it will afford me to give to young girls all that the years have given me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The most recent letters in her file, dated July and August 1932, covered arrangements for her arrival at Pine Mountain a few days before the official School opening date of August 22, 1932. Only two pieces of information referring to her time at Pine Mountain have been found so far in the PMSS Collections: The PMSS WORKERS<\/a> database recording that her stay was in 1932 and was \u201cbrief\u201d and the PINE CONE 1932 December<\/a> issue of the School’s student publication, reporting in the column for \u201cSocial Activities at Pine Mountain\u201d that a student tea was hosted by “Mrs. Carter and girls at Big Log.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Censuses and her application show slightly different years in which Gertrude King was born, her birth year on her gravestone is 1862. She was born in Nashville, Tennessee, to Thomas and Elizabeth B. (Dabbs) King. As of the 1870 U.S. Census, she was the youngest of five siblings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1897, Gertrude married Lillard H. Carter (1867 – 1923), a lawyer and politician, who served one term as Lt. Governor of Kentucky. Also, he had once been a faculty member at Belmont College in Nashville where Gertrude also taught. They had one son, Nolan H. Carter (1903 – 1969), who also became a lawyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gertrude King Carter died on November 21, 1935, in Lexington, Kentucky, and was buried beside her husband in Lawrenceburg (Kentucky) Cemetery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See also GERTRUDE KING CARTER Correspondence<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n Title<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Gertrude King Carter<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Alt. Title<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Mrs. Lillard Carter ; Mrs. Carter ; Gertrude Carter ; Gertrude King ; Gertrude K. Carter ; <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Identifier<\/p>\n<\/td>\nGERTRUDE KING CARTER: Staff At Pine Mountain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
GERTRUDE KING CARTER: Personal History<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Return to Biography – A-Z <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n GERTRUDE KING CARTER Staff<\/a><\/blockquote>