Catherine Dunn BVM PHD - Hall of Fame Class 2011

CATHERINE DUNN, BVM, PH.D.
CONTRIBUTOR

Catherine Dunn, BVM, Ph.D. is president emerita at Clarke University where she served as president for 22 years. In this role, she is still active at the university and serves as an adviser to the institutional advancement office. She came to Clarke in 1973 after receiving her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Arizona State University. She began as a member of the education department faculty. In 1979 she moved to administration as vice president of institutional advancement.

Dunn became Clarke's fourteenth president on January 27, 1984, just 111 days before the disastrous fire of May 17, 1984, which destroyed three of the campus' historic buildings. Since that time, she oversaw the rebuilding of the university and the subsequent growth and expansion of enrollment, programs and facilities.

Clarke's intercollegiate lineup included three sports (women's basketball, women's volleyball and men's soccer) when Dunn became president. Under her leadership, 15 varsity programs were added – men's basketball (1985), men's and women's cross country , men's and women's golf and women's tennis (1987), softball (1989), men's and women's alpine skiing and men's tennis (1990), baseball (1991), women's soccer (1993), men's volleyball (1995) and men's and women's track and field (2005).

During Sister Catherine's tenure, Clarke compiled 45 conference championships, including men's basketball (1), women's basketball (3), women's soccer (3), softball (3), women's cross country (4), alpine skiing (6), men's golf (7), men's alpine skiing (9) and women's tennis (9).

Dunn also played an instrumental role in the construction of Clarke's athletic facility, the Robert and Ruth Kehl Center.

Sister Catherine has served on the boards of numerous local, regional, and national education and civic organizations.