Kay Bullitt

Katharine Bullitt (née Muller; February 22, 1925 – August 22, 2021) was an American education reformer, civil rights activist, and philanthropist. Bullitt was instrumental in attempts to desegregate Seattle's public schools. Early life and education Katharine Bullitt was born in 1925 in Boston and was raised in Arlington, Massachusetts, the daughter of Marion Churchill and William Augustus Muller. Her mother had a long career as dean of women at Colorado College before marrying in her late 30s and having three daughters. Kay was the middle child between Marion ("Barney") and Margaret ("Margie"). Bullitt attended Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bullitt's interest in civic projects began early and focused on education and peace. She attended Radcliffe College, which both her mother and sister had attended. While in college, Bullitt worked in a community center in Cambridge which primarily served African-American children. Kay's sister had written her thesis on the difference between African-American students from Barbados and the South. Kay's own senior thesis was on the role of the federal government in education. Career During World War II, Bullitt spent a summer at the Hampton Institute in Virginia as part of an interracial farm project. Bullitt was also active with the Massachusetts Fair Employment Practice.