Interview with Downing Jett Kay

Downing Jett Kay graduated from the Maryland Normal School in 1931 with a two-year certificate in teaching. Mrs. Kay started the kindergarten program at Grace and Saint Peter's School in Baltimore where she taught for

25 years. These are her reflections. Mrs. Kay, it's so nice of you to take the time to spend with us this afternoon to talk a little bit about your life, your

career, and your time at the Normal School at Towson. The first thing I'd like to have you talk about is your early history, where you were born and where you grew up. Could you talk a little bit about that?

I was the third child in my family, and we lived in a part of Baltimore called Walbrook, from which we moved when I was six years of age. We then moved into Forest Park, and there I lived until I was

married. I see. And that was in 1932. Uh huh.

When you were growing up, when you were going through high school, did you have any idea of what you might want to do after high school? Not much, not much.

I thought that I, of course, I graduated with friends. We had our heads together about what we would do and I took a short business course. You did. And from that I had a job in a business, typing and

shorthand, that sort of thing. And I did not like it. I didn't care for it. And I thought, all this time I was always teaching Sunday

school at my church to small children. And I thought, well, this is what I would like to do. I'd like to be a teacher. And I decided two years after graduation that I would become a

teacher, or try to. And you chose to come to the campus at Towson? You chose to come to the normal school at Towson to get your training?

Well, at that point it was either Goucher College or I had two brothers who were in professions, one a doctor and one a lawyer, and a family of five. I was the third child.

And it was more economical. Really. Yes. To go to the Towson University.

Sure. The normal school, as it was called then. The normal school then. Now, when you decided to go there, did that mean that you

had an obligation to do some teaching after you graduated? I had no obligation other than the Sunday school. OK. No, I had no obligation to teach.

So could you tell us a little bit about your experience at the normal school? What do you remember about that? I remember that I had a long drive to get there.

I had no car, but I could drive. I had a long drive on the number 8 streetcar going up York Road, and I did not know anyone at that point in the school because my friends had all graduated from high school two years

earlier. And so it was a new experience. But it was a real conviction, let me say. It was a conviction that I knew I wanted to do.

I knew I wanted to be a teacher. And of course I later taught, of course, I taught in the public schools waiting my graduation in 1931 I think it was. Because of illness, I had to stop attending classes at

the normal school and in order to... And so I just began to do a good deal of substituting in the public school system. I had missed the senior activities, really, at Towson. Because you were ill. Because of illness and being away

part of the time. So when you finished the work that you did at Towson and you graduated in 1931, where did you first go to teach? Do you remember what school you were teaching in when you first

started teaching? Well, I had been doing a lot of substituting... I see. through the year when I was not attending classes. I'd done a lot of substituting and one school there was on the

edge of Guilford. I was very fond of going there. I knew the the children and I knew the teachers and I liked that.

But I was... As a substitute teacher, I went anywhere I was sent, of course. Absolutely. And what grade level did you enjoy?

What grade level? Primary grades, always, kindergarten through the 3rd. And how long did you actually teach? As a substitute teacher, fof and on almost every day.

Wow. And sometimes I remember going to a school in Hamden and I loved it. I loved the parents.

The parents were dedicated and their children were dear and I was there for three months teaching as a substitute teacher. And then I do remember, and this is going back in memory, that

the principal called me in and she said, I'm sorry, but we won't need you any longer. The real teacher who's been ill is now returning to her class after the Christmas holidays.

And she said, she told a teacher that I had tears in my eyes. I don't remember that. But I loved those children.

They were from Hamden and their parents were just charming. Now not too long after you graduated in 1931, you got married, is that correct? I was married in 1932. And so, and had children.

I still did the substituting. Oh, you did? After graduating. Well, that was my question to you. I do not recall having been permanently at one school then.

It was substituting mainly, and preparing for marriage. Absolutely. Which was in '32, right. Now, after you got married, you started a family. We moved out of town. We moved to Salisbury, Maryland, and I did no teaching there.

No teaching. I was getting used to being married. I guess you were. Cooking, learning to cook and whatever, right.

And you were getting used to a new location too. New location. And I imagine Salisbury was a pretty... Very attractive town. It has grown greatly since then.

But it was only a 25 minute ride to the ocean from from Atlantic City, from Salisbury, MD, just 25 minutes. And we often went down to the ocean from our home in Salisbury.

And you started a family. Started my family in 1934. And I had a son. And he was a great joy to our family, a great joy.

He is the father of Jenna, my granddaughter. And other children followed? And a daughter followed, a long time later. Eight years later, I think it was or something, and quite a

surprise. And anyway, it was wonderful. I was going to say. And she is the one that lives in Florida.

I have two children. I had two children. My son died in 1975, but my daughter lives in Fort Lauderdale and I enjoy her and her family.

Well, it sounds to me like you probably had an opportunity to use some of your training as a teacher with your own two children. Well, my main teaching job after I married was to attend Grace

and Saint Peter's School, which is at Park and Monument St. Now, I'm talking about a private school. And you're not too interested in that, I think. Oh, no.

But I loved it, the school was starting. I took my young daughter four years of age with me and we began the kindergarten and each year we added a year and she was able to stay through the second grade.

They added a year, as I say, each year, a grade each year and that school still continues. I left there after 25 years and I loved it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The children were mainly from working parents and they would drop them off on their way to their jobs and I loved that teaching job. Well, it sounds like it.

It was a great pleasure to me and I retired after being there for 25 years. I thought it was time to leave. 67 years of age then. But who knew?

So I'm not really a product of public school teaching too much. But you are a teacher and that's what we're interested in. I did some substituting after I retired at some of the private

schools where I knew the teachers or I knew the principal. Now, Mrs. Kay, you said that when you were just married, you moved to Salisbury.

And how long did you live in Salisbury? We were only there a year. And then we moved to Westminster, Maryland. I see.

And then finally back to Baltimore City. And I really lived in most of my married life in in the suburbs of Baltimore. Forest Park, I think you'd call it.

Yeah. Forest Park. So all of your kids, then, your two children went to school in the Baltimore area for the most part.

Beg pardon? Your children went to schools in the Baltimore area. Well, I had my little girl with me through the second grade. My son who was eleven years difference in their ages, he

went on to Hopkins and graduated from Hopkins. How wonderful. And my husband had graduated from Hopkins. So yeah, we were definitely local people in our education.

Well, it sounds like you spent most of your life in Baltimore. Was born here and and married here. And my husband was a teacher at the University of Maryland. He was? Yes.

And what did he teach? Oh, dear. Science. Business?

Science. Something related to science. I wasn't too interested in it really. Business science, business management. But we were all in teaching really, I guess.

My son was not, nor was my daughter. My son went on to Armco Steel, lived out of town with children, five of them, Jenna being one of the first. Jenna is a twin.

You are? Two of them. Isn't that something? Wonderful. And then three others, came along. So we are a large,

we are a large family. You are indeed. My daughter has two children... My daughter has one child, excuse me. Let me ask you this.

This is a question we ask everybody we have a conversation with. What would you say to young people who are thinking about becoming teachers?

Do you think that that's a good career choice to become a teacher? I think it is a career choice. I think you have to feel a real dedication to being with young,

younger minds, and hoping, with the dear Lord's help, to help them as they grow older, which you would get in teaching children or even older children, high school age. Right.

OK, let me ask you this. One of the things that is very impressive is the fact that if I'm not mistaken, you're 106 years old. 106. That's right.

Yeah, 106 as of November the 23rd. There you go. And what do you think makes that happen? What do you attribute that to?

Do you do daily exercise or... Because I'm sure everybody would love to know if you have a secret to living a long time I wish that I did. And if I did, I'd be rich.

You certainly would. I'd pass it on. I don't know. I do not know why.

I do feel that some form of exercise is awfully good for everyone. And my father used to sign us, we were five children in the family.

He'd sign us up in front of the open window and make us breathe deeply. And some of that carried over because I go out on my balcony whenever the sun is out and whenever the weather is nice and

I exercise. You do? Moderately, let me say, because I feel keeping active. I don't know.

I don't know why I'm this old. I really do not know why. Well, I think for your birthday on November 23rd, somebody, a member of your family, had a little article put in the

Baltimore Sun newspaper to say happy birthday to you. And one of the things that was in there mentioned that every day you drink a number of half cups of coffee. I did what?

You drink a lot of coffee during the day. Oh, I drink a lot of coffee. I drink coffee whenever I have a chance to. Now, is that decaffeinated coffee or is that...

No, regular thing. Regular coffee? And there was something else in the article that talked about... I didn't know that. There was something else in the article that talked about your drinking lemon juice.

Oh, that's right. What is that all about? Yes, somewhere along the way, and I was all married.

My father, I think he started it. Anyway, he was living with us after mother died and he would take the juice of a half lemon every morning with warm water and drink it. And he lived to be 95.

And I thought, well, that's a good thing, I think I better do that. And I have been doing that not as regularly as he did, but I picked up that habit of the lemon juice before breakfast.

I see. Well, that's one we certainly are going to remember. Take your advice on that. We'll all go out and buy a whole bag of lemons.

Give that a try. Let me ask you this. What kinds of things would you like us to know? Are there stories or information that we should have,

since we're sitting here having a conversation, what would you like to tell us? That's a hard question to answer. I have always maintained a great interest in other people,

what they are now doing, what they have done, what they hope to do. I'm very much interested in other people and here at Pickersgale I'm awfully interested in the new people

coming in. I like to meet them for dinner and hear a little bit about them and that is certainly an interest of mine. Is that what you wanted to know?

Yeah. Whatever you want to tell us. Now, one of the things I know that's sitting right here. In fact, we sort of had to move it when we moved the chair was a certain... The Scrabble?

Tell us about... Oh, my goodness. I'm a firm believer in Scrabble. I can sit at the Scrabble table and no cares are in my mind. I'm completely relaxed and I play Scrabble quite frequently.

You do. About twice a week, and we play here. I have the lights, I've got the game under the chair. People come in, pull out the game, put up the card table, and we play two games of Scrabble almost every night.

And if you don't play Scrabble, you better learn how. Great game. Uh huh. Let me ask you this.

Do you win? Do you win often? Beg your pardon? I will tell you that... You might be interested in this.

This when I was at home with my young daughter and could not go out at to work or anything or teach. I work for Gallup Poll and I did interviews for Gallup poll for about 5 years.

Did you really? And that was interesting. I was given a cross section of people to visit, those in the upper brackets, nice money, middle brackets, and the poorest.

Five people. I had the interview of those categories and I thoroughly enjoyed that. I could do it on my own time.

I could hire a sitter to be at home with my children. I had two then and I thoroughly enjoyed that. I met all kinds of people and I picked the addresses at random. I was never told where to go, but it was to the well-to-do,

those who are not so well-to-do, middle class, and those who are poor. Five categories of interviews I would try to give, and I did talk to Gallup poll.

He called once from Baltimore City. I talked to him on the telephone. Now that was interesting. It is interesting.

He's still working, isn't he? I don't know. Oh, I think there's still Gallup poll. Not sure.

I think so. Now, did you actually go to the people's home to interview? Ring the doorbell, honey. Really.

Sometimes it got slammed in my face. Yes. Ring the doorbell. And I would say, just like your opinion about this and I

would know the questions to ask. I was given the questions and sometimes, as I say, they did not like it at all and I would leave abruptly, believe me, in a hurry.

I don't blame you at all. What kinds of questions did you ask them? What kinds of questions? They were current problems that were, that we were thinking about in the news and, you know, and

about the wars and about... They were not of a general, not about their personalities or anything. But about current problems in the news usually so that they could be reprinted.

I think Gallup is still working. I think they are too. And then that would be used later. And so they were collecting a whole bunch of information and

you were part of that. So that was an interesting... It was interesting. I could do it on my own time and I submitted a bill and they always paid, frankly, paid briskly and very often.

So I and I guess that was a... And I sold magazines. We were awfully poor. We didn't have any money. So I sold magazines.

And Gallup poll that helped to boost the income a bit. Yeah. But my husband was also a teacher.

Teachers don't get too wealthy, do you think? No, they don't. You're absolutely right. That hasn't changed a bit.

If you want to make big money, you don't go into teaching. Not at all. One other thing I was going to ask you was what kinds of things do you enjoy doing in addition to your

playing Scrabble? What else do I like? Enjoy... I love enjoying, being with my family.

I have a large family and I love being with them and hearing what they're doing and that sort of thing. I like to be around people. So do I.

And it's been very nice to be here with you because you're a very special person. It's not often that I get to sit and talk to somebody who's more than 100 years old and has lived well.

So we really appreciate your willingness to talk to us this afternoon. Is there anything else that we should talk about? I've told you all about me.

I can't think of anything else. I wish I could think of something more exciting that I have done. I think 106 years is pretty exciting.

Maybe I think or something hen I go to bed tonight. I can't right now. I did have, you know, a rather recent trip to New York City. Went to Brooklyn.

Yes. And tell us about that. That was lovely. A very brief interview.

I don't know how in the world's going to be worth viewing, to tell you the truth. And everybody wants to know when is it going to be shown. I'm not telling. No. You don't want the word to get out.

But it was a very lovely experience because the studio paid for my train ride up to New York City and the wonderful station there which I had not been in for years. And then they also, by car, waiting for us, took us down

into Brooklyn where the studio was, and then a three hour drive after the interview through New York City. And that was wonderful because it was the Friday before Christmas, and so everything... Was it Christmas or Thanksgiving?

Anyway. It was before a busy time, you know, and there were a lot of people around before Christmas. Yeah.

And there were decorations out? Yeah, decorations were up. People were out. And it was a beautiful day.

We had good weather, very bright, lovely day. It was lovely. I can't think of anything else that I took courses when I could.

Was very much interested in speech courses. By that I mean talking properly. I like that sort of thing. There's quite a lack of that, I think, among us.

And anyway, I think that kind of show... I think I've told you everything about me I know. Well, thank you very much.

This has been a delightful conversation and we really appreciate your... Well, not very exciting. Oh, it is exciting.

You have wonderful things to tell us. Thank you. So I'm very thankful to be here, to be living. And it's wonderful to see my family grow up and hear about

them. And I'm particularly blessed in having Jenna to come one day a week and I'm ready for her, got everything ready for her. Good.

I don't, I can't read. I have a magnifier and things under the magnifier I can read. And I can't hear. And the hearing aids are not good.

I mean, they work, they're better. They're better than nothing. Right. But as the audiologist has explained to me, that technology has progressed very much into other areas of medicine.

We have many, many that live on the fourth floor here that are not well, but they're kept alive. But they haven't done much, says he, for hearing. You get your aid, which of course I have, two of them, but that's as far as it goes.

And it isn't sufficient for anyone as deaf as I am. But as you said, better than nothing. Much better than nothing. And I'm thankful for it, you know, thankful that I

hear as much as I do. I think I have exposed my whole life. Well, we appreciate the fact that you've exposed your whole life.

It's nice to have sort of a picture of what you've been up to for 100 plus years now. When I went to the, we called it the normal school, which, unfortunate name, don't you think? People would say, normal?

How'd you get there? You know. There was this long ride, #8 streetcar up York Road to go to the normal school. And I could often study some of my homework on the ride,

because I had such a long ride. Right, right. And the normal, I don't know whether you're interested in this or not, but when the people that I had known had graduated two years earlier. Right.

And they had all belonged to a sorority at the normal school. And of course, when I came along, sororities were absolutely banned. Nothing to do with sororities.

So my sorority, which was DBD, why I remember it, I don't know. Anyway, we decided to meet anyway, and we met in the homes of those who wanted to be in the DBD chapter, and I was president of that, but I didn't think much of it.

And it did continue on with those who'd gone before me, and they were very attractive young women mostly, and some of them had become principals of schools. And we would still meet, even though I was not, I was

still at the school, you know, and I would meet with them even though our chapter was not meeting regularly. I don't know whatever happened. Do they have sororities now?

They do. They have both sororities and fraternities. I don't know why they were banned. Well, you know, they seem to be strong for one period of time

and then they sort of lose favor and then they come back into favor. And right now they're very popular. Right.

Well, we, as I say, my term at at Towson University was interrupted with illness, you know, so I wasn't even quite familiar with my class that was graduating.

I substituted that interval that that was in the third term of the year. I did a lot of, as I say, substituting. And do you think...

And then there was a picture taken and they called me in for it at the graduation time. Now it might be here because I think there was a picture book given to me and that would have been what, 1928, 29, or 31.

It would be 31. I would be interested to see that if it still exists. They called me in to be something, an attendant or something, but I was getting ready to be married.

I wasn't interested, really. I hate to say that. I hope that doesn't go in print. You eliminate all the things that aren't right.

That's good. But you were busy to get married and start your own family. That in itself is a very noble ambition.

I was getting ready to be married, right. Absolutely. And, but I never regretted making the decision to stop a job.

And it was a fair job. And of course, I was living at home, you know, and wanted my independence. But I never regretted making the decision to go to the Towson

Normal School. Never regretted that. Well, that's nice to hear. We appreciate your saying that.

Right. Oh, I definitely enjoyed it. Because of my interruption because of illness, I wasn't as active maybe in things that I might have been in my senior year.

But we're happy that that you had a good experience. Well, thank you very much for talking with us. You're very welcome.