Kathleen Mae Donahue Bruyere, USN (United States Navy), (February 5, 1944 - September 3, 2020) was a Chestnut Hill College Alumna of 1966. She served in the military for 28 years from 1966-1994.
Captain Bruyere changed history of the "Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948," signed into law by President Truman.
The website Britannia.com says that, this act "enabled women to serve as permanent, regular members of not only the army but also the navy, marine corps, and the recently formed air force. The law limited the number of women who could serve in the military to 2 percent of the total forces in each branch." This policy also prevented women from being engaged in combat, serving on aircraft ships or even firing a gun.
Captain Bruyere's fought for the right for women to serve at sea and to gain equality with their male counterparts in the Navy. Additionally, she, along with five female sailors, argued to have the "Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948," repealed. With garnered success, in 1977 this act was deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. District Court.
According to the website Naval Times, Captain Bruyere stated that,
"Some people thought it was treason — ‘How dare I try to challenge the system?" "Bruyere told the Orlando Sentinel in a 1991 interview. "But others kept saying, 'Good for you, good for you.’"
This accomplishment gained her recognition and led her to being included as one of Time Magazine's Twelve "Women of the Year," back in 1976. She shared this acknowledgment along with other influential women such as Betty Ford, Billie Jean King and Barbara Jordan.
Logue Library has a copy of this Time Magazine in our archives
Captain Bruyere's photo is at the lower right of this image
When this Chestnut Hill Alumnae was a Lieutenant Commander, she was interviewed by Today Magazine of the Philadelphia Inquirer back in 1976. The reporter, asked her a question of what her classmates thought about her enlisting in the Navy back in the 1960's.
"I had to laugh because when I graduated from college there were several of my classmates who thought, 'Going in the Navy? She must be out of her tree!' They thought that was weird. They were going off to much safer things -New York, working for some publisher, you know. What I found out was - and it really came back to me when I attended my 5-year reunion here-seeing where I was and where they still were. They were still at the bottom, fighting to move up. And I was practically at middle management already."
After reading this quote, the television Mad Men came into play. since it was the 1960's her classmates careers were similar to the actors who portray the secretaries in the television show Mad Men.
Captain Bruyere was from a childhood that prepared her for her career. She was an Army brat due to her father's career as an Army officer and she and her siblings moved around constantly. Her career decision of joining the Navy was not only a successful one but her presence helped future female enlistees join the ranks of top Naval officers.
Military History of Female Naval Officers here..
Captain Bruyere continued to serve on many note-worthy organizations even after her retirement from the Navy. For instance, according to the website, Legacy.com, "she selflessly continued to step up and serve veterans
and the community through her volunteer work at the Miramar National Cemetery, the George G. Glenner's Alzheimer's Center, and numerous board
positions at the Parkinson's Association of San Diego, and the local
chapter of the Military Officer's Association of America Captain."
On November 10, 2021, Chestnut Hill College held it's First Annual Veteran's Award honoring Captain Bruyere. Their first recipient of this award is CHC Alumnae, Rita Schwartz. Ms. Schwartz is the former president of Local 1776 of the Association of Catholic Teachers. The Drexel University Color Guard also presented at this event.
Assessing readiness in military women: the relationship of body composition, nutrition, and health
Videos based on the topic of this blog..
Ladies Wear the Blue (1974) - Part 1
Ladies Wear the Blue (1974) - Part 2
Captain Kathleen Bruyere discusses the
Miramar National Military Cemetery
Women in Service - The United States Navy - A Short History
Navy Women
Life at Sea: Navy Ship
Feel free to comment on this blog.
Which Book listed above would you most likely read?
Have you ever heard about this CHC Alumna, Captain Kathleen?
Thank you to the following Logue Librarian and CHC Faculty with helping me with this blog:
Sister Mary Jo Larkin, SSJ Dean of Library Information Resources
Lorraine Coons, PH.D., Chair of the History Department and Professor of History
Posted by J. Presley, Systems Management Librarian.
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