Catherine Dunn

Who is Catherine Dunn?

Sister Catherine Dunn, BVM, PhD is a former President of Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa. She was named the 14th President of the school on January 27, 1984. She retired on June 30, 2006.

Dunn earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Arizona State University. She then joined Clarke College as a member of the education faculty. She would remain in that post until 1979, when she became the school's Vice President of Institutional Advancement. Clarke College named Dunn the school's 14th President on January 27, 1984.

One of the first major challenges that Dunn faced came on May 17, 1984 when a fire destroyed three of the historic buildings on campus. Dunn oversaw the reconstruction of the buildings, which was completed in 1986. The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education gave her its silver award in 1985, and its bronze award in 1986 for her leadership during and following the fire.

Dunn has served on the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Council of Independent Colleges, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the Iowa College Foundation, and the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. In 1989 Dunn was also named to the Iowa Transportation Commission, and in 1994 was named the first female chair of the Commission. Dunn also served on the boards of the Junior Achievement of the Tri-States, the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce, American Trust and Savings Bank, and the Tri-State Community Health Center.