Archives West Finding Aid

Katharine Gay (1890-1962) and Dorothea Gay (1888-1918) were YMCA social workers that served during WWI. Both sisters were canteen workers, a job that entails not just cooking and serving food, but also providing entertainment and companionship to American soldiers during WWI. The Gay sisters served in France when Dorothea passed away on November 13th, 1918, due to pneumonia. Katharine continued her service until she was honorably discharged on July 8th, 1919.

As YMCA girls, Katharine and Dorothea’s service to American troops was to maintain morale by providing a “home away from home”. Dorothea served in Bordeaux, France until her passing. She was buried in the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial in France. Katharine served in Le Mans, France before being transferred on February 18, 1919, to Ransbach, Germany to be a hut secretary for the First Division, Sixth Field Artillery. Both locations provided various performances and dances on top of serving food. Although YMCA girls were expected to provide companionship to American soldiers, the Gay sister documented strict protocols, schedules, and traveling restrictions that were enforced onto YMCA girls to prevent immoral activities. Other notable documentation from their service is preserved in this collection, including Katharine’s community service records for crashing into the mayor’s car in Ransbach, travel guides, and other pamphlets produced by YMCA and the US military.

Dorothea and Katharine were educated women, with Dorothea attending Vassar College and Katharine attending Barnard College, Columbia University. Both women participated in suffrage campaigning and were notable writers in their circles. Due to their active participation in society, memorial services were held for Dorothea by the YMCA and the US army, their family and friends in New York, and Vassar College. Documentation of Vassar College’s memorial for Dorothea is in this scrapbook. After service, Katharine continued to be a writer, journalist, and educator until her passing in 1962. She was survived by two adopted sons and her oldest sister, Eleanor Gay Van de Water.

Sources: Collection materials; "The Santa Fe New Mexican"; "The New-York Tribune"