THE EXECUTIVE Katharine Gibbs

What'sHerName

Dr. Katie Nelson and Olivia Meikle

Society & Culture, Documentary, History

4.8 • 538 Ratings

🗓️ 10 November 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1917, Katharine Gibbs rebounded from personal tragedy in an unusual way: she decided to train a subversive, feminist army. Nearly broke and with just a high school education, Gibbs trained women as executive secretaries, building a famous school in just a few years. "Gibbs Girls" were so intelligent, competent, and polite, that no one could justify the dusty old notions that women belonged at home. The American workplace was changed forever. Our guest is Vanda Krefft, author of Expect Great Things! How the Katharine Gibbs School Revolutionized the American Workplace for Women. ____________________ Check out our upcoming TOURS: witness women's history with What'sHerName and find your people! Music in this episode: Irving Aaronson & His Commanders, "If I Had You" and "All By Yourself in the Moonlight"; Nat Shikret & The Victor Orchestra, "The Things That Were Made for Love"; Johnny Marvin, "True Blue Lou"; Arden & Ohman, "We'll Be the Same"; Paul Whiteman Orchestra, "Love Me"; Fred Rich & His Orchestra, "Nobody But You"; Leo Reisman & His Orchestra, "I Kiss Your Hand Madame"; Amulets, "Resolver"; JVNA, "Athena". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This season of What's Her Name is sponsored by the Women's History Initiative at the Utah Historical Society.
0:05.3	Utah Women's History is so much more than you think.
0:08.3	History.ututon.combe, and by our patrons.
0:12.8	Hannah Hesara, Kim Hockinson, Courtney Boyce, Bree Smith, Robin Brown, Carrie Gilbride,
0:19.2	Skyler Collins, Cornelia Weiss, Heather Juistin, Heather
0:22.7	McKinnon, Amanda Gilmore, Valerie Jacobson, Jamie Lang, Jill Harrigan, Maria Sanchez,
0:29.0	Michaela Frue, Monique Harris Pixato, Sarah Macado, and Caitlin McTaggart.
0:34.3	Thank you so much for being our sponsors. We couldn't do it without you.
0:47.6	Hi, Olivia. Hi, Katie. Today, our story begins on a bright spring day in 1909, Cranston, Rhode Island.
0:57.7	Hmm.
0:58.8	We open on a perfect middle-class family.
1:03.4	Catherine Gibbs and her husband William, who is a watchmaker at a fancy department store.
1:09.5	Hmm.
1:10.8	Catherine, of course, is a homemaker.
1:12.6	She's nailing it.
1:14.6	They have two bright, strapping young sons
1:18.6	and a lovely middle-class house.
1:20.6	They go to their middle-class clubs and lunches.
1:23.6	They ambitiously join the yacht club.
1:26.6	Oh, it's all-American goodness.
1:31.4	And on this spring day in 1909, William is getting his yacht ready for a fresh coat of paint for the season.
1:39.2	He climbs to the top of the mast, and it snaps. He comes crashing down to the deck. Oh. He died without a will.
	...

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