Jewells of Thought

One of the first women who came to mind was Professor Claudine Cutchin. She was my advisor and the head of the History Department when I was in College. She was a superwoman or at least she gave off that vibe.

This woman left a legacy through her students. I am grateful for her personal touch. She was not born American, but she went through the process and had dual citizenship. She was French and had a heavy accent that made her an intriguing professor to listen to in her classes.

She gave her students a way of seeing history in different ways. A couple of her classes stand out to me. One being ‘Hollywood versus History’ and ‘Nazi’s’. Both of these classes were eye-opening in different ways. We all know Hollywood takes an artistic license with historic events, but this class allowed us to see the real event from the movie.

Then in ‘Nazi’s’ there is a movie called ‘Fatherland’ it still freaks me out. It answers the question what would have happened if the Nazi’s had won. Thankfully this didn’t happen. Yet watching that movie brought out different factors that we tend to forget were also at play. Instead of JFK being our President, his father in this scenario became the one seated in the Oval Office. Doesn’t that seem like such a foreign idea?

Last but not least she introduced me to two men Count Claus von Stauffenberg and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. These men gave me a sense of hope that Germans weren’t all ‘go along to get along’ with the Nazi’s. Some were doing so much to stem the occupation and its effects.

Thanks to her ingenuity with her classes she kept an interest with her students. She even had a class named ‘The 80’s’. She had fun with her history classes. Which helped us to learn easier. This American Professor jazzed up our classes with Plains Indians and Ancient Egypt also. She was simply an unforgettable teacher.

Her love of teaching encouraged my love to learn and it has directed me ever since she handed me my degree on graduation day. She is so missed I know by her students as well as by me. I am blessed to have had her teaching touch in my life.

Her daughter was following in her footsteps. They were both teaching at OCU when the tragic accident happened and a drunk driver killed both of them. The College Community lost so much that day the Dean of the History Department and a new professor who was gaining traction in her mothers field of study. Although she was first generation American in their family.

How do you define a Woman or an American Woman?