Background
Katherine Anderson was the eldest child and only daughter of three children born to John Herbert Anderson, a chartered accountant, and his wife, Lizzie (née Dawson).
Katherine Anderson was the eldest child and only daughter of three children born to John Herbert Anderson, a chartered accountant, and his wife, Lizzie (née Dawson).
The family moved to Middlesbrough, where Kitty attended the High School for Girls in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, where she became head girl.
She was the first girl from the school to go up to university and attended Royal Holloway College, University of London to read history where she obtained a Bachelor. In 1925 she obtained a teaching diploma from the London Day Training College, now the Institute of Education and part of the University of London. In 1926 she taught at Craven Street secondary school in Hull. In 1930, she returned to Royal Holloway as a Christie scholar and received a Doctor of Philosophy in 1933 in Elizabethan history.
She then taught at Burlington School for Girls, London before taking a position as headmistress of King"s Norton Grammar School, Birmingham in 1939.
In 1944 she became head of the North London Collegiate School until retirement in 1965. As headmistress there she became an outstanding figure in the educational world.
She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1961, and served on the Robbins Committee from 1961-1963. On her retirement she became chairman of the Girls" Public Day School Trust.
She was a Governor member of the Council of her alma mater from 1947-1953 and member again from 1962 until at least 1967.
