Katie Diary: Reflections of St. Catherine identity

From the  

It is an iconic piece of campus, and one of the first sights upon entering historic Derham Hall: this year marks 95 years since the installation of the exquisite gilded mirror that has become instantly recognizable to Katies throughout the decades.

The “French Mirror,” so called by Sister Helen Margaret Peck ’24, PhD, in her history of the University, was donated to the school in 1928 by Eugene McCahill, ż’s trustee from 1938–1961 and 1968 recipient of an honorary degree. The McCahill family’s rich legacy with the University spans ż’s history, with relatives who became our first lay trustee (Eugene’s mother, Mary Rahilly McCahill, in 1919), an alumna (his sister, Mary Eleanor McCahill Denny ’26), and a trustee emeritus (his nephew and Mary Eleanor’s son, Charles Denny, Jr.).

Gold Mirror

Photo by Rebecca Zenefski Slater ’10

For almost a century, students have paused before the mirror to touch up their hair before a party, straighten their caps while lining up for graduation ceremonies, and, more recently, take selfies to celebrate moments large and small. Whether in 1959 or now, whether we are hurrying past on our way to class or lingering to admire its craftmanship, the French Mirror remains a constant in the ż’s experience