Evelyn Donohoo: Exceptional Nerinx Teacher

Advocate for women. Champion for diversity. Trusted advisor. Force for positive change.

These are just some of the phrases one might use to describe Evelyn Donohoo, a longtime faculty member whose work has left an enduring impact on the Nerinx community. Now 98-years old, Evelyn considers her tenure at Nerinx the highpoint of her career. As a member of the Nerinx faculty, Evelyn taught history, politics, and psychology for thirty years: from 1965-1970 and again from 1975-1999. As former colleague Marion Golden Curtis '61 noted, “Evelyn Donohoo chaired the Nerinx Hall Social Studies department when I taught at Nerinx. She led the Seniors in a deep dive into the nation’s challenges— civil rights, war, dissent, poverty, racial divisions, violence —all against the tumultuous background of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Ever an encourager, Evelyn strove to model what it means to be a woman of hope. She challenged her students to realize that their critical thinking skills could make a difference in driving needed change.”

A life-long dancer, Evelyn also taught modern dance. Kathy Roach Day ’68 recalls, “I was lucky to have Mrs. Donohoo for Modern Dance, where I learned and created. It was pure delight! And as a senior, I was challenged to think critically in her American Problems class. I still remember learning that problems in our society are complex, involving a number of factors, what Mrs. Donohoo called ‘multiple causality.’”

Evelyn also played a lead role in bringing key programs to Nerinx. She spearheaded Nerinx’s Close-up Program, an annual trip to Washington, D.C. that provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students to make personal connections with the people and institutions that embody our democracy. She also established Nerinx’s Model U.N. club. (One of Evelyn’s fondest memories was Nerinx beating SLUH in a Model U.N. debate!) Above all, Evelyn cared deeply about her students— their growth, their success, and the mark they would leave on the world. Her daughter, Christine Donohoo ’68, put it this way:

My mother had an exuberant and unorthodox way of teaching. She understood that not every student learns the same way. She saw her students as individuals. She recognized their special gifts. She spent a lot of time outside of class encouraging and counseling her students to reach their full potential.” Evelyn’s daughter, Patricia Bohn ’70, added, “Mom was all about empowering her students at a time when women did not have the same opportunities they have today. She did things that were atypical for women in those days. She was ahead of her time in many ways.

From registering students to vote to helping them find internships and equipping them with the skills they needed to succeed after graduation, Evelyn truly took the time to invest in the young women around her. She believed in experiential learning, arranging field trips to a women’s prison and to low-income neighborhoods, among many others. For her work, Evelyn was honored by the state of Missouri with the “Classroom Without Walls” award.

After retirement at age 76, Evelyn continued to display a zest for life. She is the oldest co-member of the Sisters of Loretto. Until recently she maintained her love of swimming and dancing, including teaching chair tap dance lessons at retirement communities and organizing a synchronized swim group. She was a finalist in the Miss Missouri Senior competition and volunteered with the Cameo Club to entertain seniors across St. Louis.

As we know, this type of personal investment and focus on women’s empowerment are hallmark traits of Nerinx faculty — since its founding in 1924 to Evelyn’s time as a teacher, and now to the present day. Ultimately, we’re grateful for trailblazers like Evelyn who helped mold and shape many of our alumnae into the individuals they are today, and who helped cultivate a Nerinx community that’s continually poised for progress.

Mom was all about empowering her students at a time when women did not have the same opportunities they have today. She did things that were atypical for women in those days. She was ahead of her time in many ways.”

—Patricia Bohn '70

Evelyn Donohoo with her granddaughter, Robyn Bohn '04

CLOSE-UP FUND

The Evelyn Donohoo Close-up Fund, part of the Student Experience Fund, will help provide financial support to students who wish to participate in Nerinx’s annual Close-Up Washington, D.C. trip, but lack the funds to do so.

Evelyn’s family hopes that other alumnae will join in contributing to this important effort.

To donate, please visit nerinxhall.org/evelyndonohoo or mail a check to Nerinx marked as "Close-up Fund" in the memo.