Ms. Kathryn Ohman

Ms. Kathryn Ohman

Kathryn Ohman grew up in Superior and began her teaching career at Superior Central High School. In 1926 she joined the Superior State Teachers College (now UW-Superior). She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bellevue College and her Master’s of Arts degree from the University of Chicago. She continued her education with studies at the Northwestern University drama school.

At Superior State Teachers College, Ms. Ohman taught in the English department and worked with the Drama Club. She was an early advisor to Sigma Pi, the national social sorority, Alpha Psi Omega, the national drama fraternity, and she served as head of the drama department for 18 years. During this tenure, she directed the senior play each year.

Ms. Ohman was greatly loved by her students as witnessed by the Gitche Gumee (annual yearbook) 1950 edition’s dedication, which stated, “The annual staff in making its choice knows it expressed the feelings of the many students who have been fortunate enough to take one of her famous English literature courses or worked with her on one of the many outstanding stage productions presented on the college stage.”

In 1964, Ms. Ohman retired. Before McCaskill Hall was recycled in 2011-12, the theater it housed was named after Ms. Ohman. After the recycling, the original Kathryn Ohman Theater plaque was relocated to the Holden Fine and Applied Arts building, and the plaque’s surrounding area continues to commemorate Ms. Ohman’s life. The UW-Superior Foundation continues to memorialize Ms. Ohman through the Kathryn Ohman Scholarship.