Documenting the American South Logo
Excerpt from Oral History Interview with Kathrine Robinson Everett, April 30, 1985. Interview C-0005. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) See Entire Interview >>

A response to combining work, family, and marriage for women

Everett responds to the suggestion that not only was she a pioneer as a woman lawyer, but that she was also a pioneer in terms of successfully combining work, marriage, and family. Everett says she cannot offer advice for women in the late twentieth century who were still working towards achieving this balance, but says she thinks it's possible to balance work and family.

Citing this Excerpt

Oral History Interview with Kathrine Robinson Everett, April 30, 1985. Interview C-0005. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Full Text of the Excerpt

You were certainly a pioneer as a lawyer. You were also certainly a pioneer as a woman who combined successfully career, marriage, motherhood. How did you do that? That's something women are still trying to perfect and you seem to have made it. Can you say anything about how?
KATHRINE ROBINSON EVERETT:
I'm afraid you've got me stumped. I wouldn't give them advice. I think, maybe, your interest in both. Your interest in people. I like people. I'm interested in what they do. Of course, I'm very interested in my son; still am. And I try to stimulate him and encourage him and I think he has done well. Someone has said that I think he has gone much farther than I have, but maybe it was easier for him because he had the good opportunities. Well, I had the opportunities too, but anyway . . . I've always been interested in the people I meet; maybe it's a curiosity. But I think a woman can combine both. It's even easier today with all the things that are available that you did not used to have. For instance, all these foods that you pick up or go out to meals. So many people can go easily. And I still think you can keep your family intact working, because after all, children are away at school a lot of the time. I don't think just necessarily being with them every minute is the answer. Do you?
PAMELA DEAN:
No. I've been a working mother.
KATHRINE ROBINSON EVERETT:
You are?
PAMELA DEAN:
I'm a working mother and one of the things I think is much better for my daughter that I'm not there all the time.
KATHRINE ROBINSON EVERETT:
How old is your daughter?
PAMELA DEAN:
She's 15.
KATHRINE ROBINSON EVERETT:
Fine. Well you've got time when you need it. And what you're doing, I don't think hurts her. Maybe you've stimulated her, maybe you haven't.
PAMELA DEAN:
I hope so, I hope it works that way. Let me ask you something, just tangentially, on this subject. Did you have any servants, or household help when you were raising your child?
KATHRINE ROBINSON EVERETT:
Yes that was one advantage. I don't know whether the fast-food places offset that! We were very fortunate in having good servants and they're increasingly hard to find. My husband, on the other hand, used to say that maybe we got our freedom when we realized we had to do things ourselves and could do them, without having to call and be dependent on somebody. So there are two ways of looking at it. It may not be as easy, but I think you can do it.