Oral History Interview with Sue Kendrick

Partial Transcript: Today is April 2nd, 1984. My name is Teka Ward. I'm interviewing Sue Kendrick.

Segment Synopsis: Ward introduces the interview by giving the date, her name, her interviewee's name (Kendrick), their location, and their topic: Lou Tate and the Little Loomhouse.

Keywords: Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; Sue Kendrick; Teka Ward; The Little Loomhouse; Woodmore Ave.; Woodmore Avenue

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: As we begin, Sue, I want you to tell me a little bit about your background.

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick shares about her childhood growing up on a farm in Franklin County, Kentucky. She also shares the history of her name and nicknames, as well as about how she met her husband at Berea College in 1924.

Keywords: Berea College; Franklin County, Kentucky; Franklin County, Ky; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Sue Kendrick; Susan Lee Cardwell; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Universities and colleges; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Tell me when you first met Lou Tate and how long you've known her.

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick shares about how she came to know Lou Tate at Berea College. She also details how Lou Tate was given her nickname by First Lady Hoover while Lou Tate was teaching at one of Mrs. Hoover's mountain schools in West Virginia.

Keywords: Berea College; Christine Vest; First Lady Hoover; Herbert Hoover; Lou Henry Hoover; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Mountain schools; Mrs. Hoover; Pi Epsilon Pi; President Hoover; The Little Loomhouse; West Virginia

Subjects: Aerobic dancing; First ladies; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Presidents; Presidents' spouses; Schools; Universities and colleges; Weaving; West Virginia--History

Partial Transcript: You said that you started Berea in 1922.

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick shares briefly about her training at Berea College and about the education required of teachers in the 1920s.

Keywords: Berea College; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Teacher training; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Education; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Teaching; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Tell me what the other students thought of Lou Tate.

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick talks about the way other students perceived Lou Tate. She also talks about how Lou Tate went to Michigan to get her master's degree in history, and about how Berea College recommended Lou Tate to work at Lou Henry Hoover's mountain school in West Virginia. Finally, Kendrick shares that she does not believe that Lou Tate was weaving regularly until she moved back to Louisville, Kentucky.

Keywords: Berea College; Christine Vest; First Lady Hoover; History; Lou Henry Hoover; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Master's degree; Michigan; Mrs. Hoover; The Little Loomhouse; Weaving patterns

Subjects: Education; First ladies; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Master of arts degree; Michigan--History; Presidents; Presidents' spouses; Universities and colleges; Weaving; Weaving--Patterns

Partial Transcript: She wove as a student. All of us had to do two hours of labor a day. That was a Berea requirement.

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick explains the work requirements at Berea College in the 1920s. She also describes the restrictions on the way people dressed at Berea College during that time period. Ward and Kendrick suggest that Lou Tate may have been seen as out of the ordinary in the way she dressed while at Berea.

Keywords: Berea College; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Student labor; The Little Loomhouse; Tuition

Subjects: Clothing; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Universities and colleges; Weaving

Partial Transcript: You graduated from Berea, and eventually you moved to Louisville.

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick talks about graduating from Berea in 1929 and then returning to Berea to teach. She married her husband, Sam, in 1933 and then they spent one year at Pine Mountain Settlement School before moving to Louisville, where they became acquainted with Lou Tate again.

Keywords: Berea College; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Park Blvd.; Park Boulevard; Pine Mountain Settlement School; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Schools; Social settlements; Teaching; Universities and colleges; Weaving

Partial Transcript: So how did you an Lou Tate get in touch with one another?

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick recalls how she got to know Lou Tate in Louisville, Kentucky. She also describes the family home that Lou Tate lived in on 3rd Street in Louisville.

Keywords: 3rd St.; 3rd Street; Berea College; History; Looms; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Master's degree; Park Blvd.; Park Bouldevard; Silo; The Little Loomhouse; Third St.; Third Street; Turret

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Master of arts degree; Universities and colleges; Weaving

Partial Transcript: What would she talk to you about?

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick talks about her friendship with Lou Tate and about Lou Tate's interest in playing Bridge.

Keywords: Berea College; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Mary Waters; The Little Loomhouse; Virginia Waters

Subjects: Bridge (Game); Card games; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Universities and colleges; Weaving

Partial Transcript: What was her family like -- Lou Tate's?

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick tells about her perception Lou Tate's family. She goes into detail about the personalities of Lou Tate's mother and father.

Keywords: 3rd St.; 3rd Street; Family; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; New York; The Little Loomhouse; Third St.; Third Street

Subjects: Bridge (Game); Card games; Kentucky--History; Lawyers; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: So you saw the big loom and you knew that she was weaving...what are your first memories of the cabins and how that came about?

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick explains that Lou Tate's mother gave her the cabins as a birthday present. She also tells the story of Lou Henry Hoover inspiring Lou Tate to invent the Little Loom, otherwise known as the Lou Tate Loom. Kendrick also explains her husband Sam's role in inventing the Kendrick Shuttle, and Dr. S.W. Mather's role in recruiting Sam Kendrick to help make the loom, the loom stand, and the shuttle. Kendrick tells about how the cabins came to be called The Little Loomhouse and about the specific names for each cabin. Kendrick goes into detail about the construction of the Little Looms.

Keywords: Charles White; Chuck White; Dr. Mather; Dr. S.W. Mather; Esta; First Lady Hoover; Gamble Brothers; Hard Maple; Heddle; Kendrick Shuttle; Loom benches; Loom stands; Lou Henry Hoover; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Lou Tate Loom; Louisa Tate Bousman; McKnight; Mrs. Hoover; Rock Maple; Roy Heimerdinger; Sam Kendrick; Samuel Kendrick; The Little Loom; The Little Loomhouse; Top House; Treadle; Wisteria Cabin

Subjects: First ladies; Kentucky--History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Presidents; Presidents' spouses; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Before long, she was selling them.

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick describes how Lou Tate sold her Little Looms all over the world. She also shares about the long hours her husband, Sam Kendrick, spent at The Little Loomhouse helping to design the Kendrick Shuttle and the loom stands and benches. Kendrick also talks about Lou Tate's car, "Willie", and her dog "Wudgie." This segment ends at the end of side one of the cassette tape.

Keywords: Belgium; Canada; England; Four Harness Loom; Four-Harness Loom; Germany; Kendrick Shuttle; Little Loom; Loom benches; Loom stands; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Shipping; The Little Loomhouse; Treadle; Two Harness Loom; Two-Harness Loom; United States

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: This is the beginning of side 2, tape 1, Interview with Sue Kendrick.

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick talks about how early her children were involved in weaving at The Little Loomhouse. She also talks about when her family moved to the Kenwood Hill neighborhood in 1954. Kendrick also talks about how Lou Tate taught many children to weave on Saturdays. Kendrick did not learn how to weave until after her children did. She shares that her husband and Lou Tate would give her colored thread for special occasions, and then Lou Tate would come over to use her colored thread collection.

Keywords: Ann Kiper; Babysitter; John Waitman; Kenwood Hill; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; The Little Loomhouse; Two Harness Loom; Two-Harness Loom

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: What kind of relaxations did Lou Tate take part in?

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick explains a little bit about what Lou Tate did in her free time. Lou Tate was an avid reader, a Bridge player, and a teacher.

Keywords: Indiana; Kentucky; Loom stands; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Recreation; Spinning wheels; Tennessee; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Bridge (game); Card games; Indiana--History; Kentucky--History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Reading; Spinning; Spinning-wheel; Teaching; Tennessee--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: We went to Fort Knox and put on a demonstration one time.

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick talks about the occupational therapy program that Lou Tate began with some of the injured soldiers at Fort Knox.

Keywords: Army; Fort Knox; Fort Knox, Kentucky; Fort Knox, Ky.; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Occupational therapy; Teaching; Weaving; Weaving patterns

Partial Transcript: She also had, in addition to her teaching, an extensive collection of drafts and coverlets.

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick talks about Lou Tate's collection of weaving drafts and coverlets and how she came to have such an extensive collection. Kendrick also talks about her family history with the M's and O's pattern.

Keywords: Bedspreads; Double Bow Knot; Frankfort, Kentucky; Frankfort, Ky,; Kentucky Historical Society; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; M's and O's; Ms and Os; The Little Loomhouse; Weaving drafts

Subjects: Coverlets; Coverlets--Private collections; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving; West Virginia--History; Woolen and worsted drawing

Partial Transcript: There were also hot plate patterns that Lou Tate made.

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick talks about Lou Tate coming up with the hot plate mat patterns and selling many of them.

Keywords: Ditto machines; Hot plate mats; Hot plate patterns; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Mimeograph machines; Placemats; The Little Loomhouse; Xerox

Subjects: Coverlets; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Mimeograph; Photocopying; Place mats; Weaving

Partial Transcript: You also talked about Fool's Puzzle.

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick tells a story of a woman coming by with a Fool's Puzzle pattern and how different weavers at the Little Loomhouse turned it into many different variations. She also tells the story behind the "End of Harvey" pattern, which was based on a story about a rabbit that visited The Little Loomhouse often.

Keywords: Drunkard's Path; End of Harvey; Fool's Puzzle; Hot plate mats; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Pillow tops; Pillowcases; Rabbits; Stories; The Little Loomhouse; Wall hangings

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: You also took lessons...I mean, you finally were able to learn how to weave. How did you talk Lou Tate into letting you learn how to weave?

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick shares about how she convinced Lou Tate to teach her how to weave. She talks about the process of learning which included counting threads and drawing the patterns on graph paper. Kendrick explains that Lou Tate did not give up all her secrets when teaching somebody how to weave.

Keywords: Counting threads; Graph paper; Kenwood Hill; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Teaching; Weaving; Woolen and worsted drawing

Partial Transcript: You were on the founding board of directors, and you were also, in the very month after Lou Tate's death, instrumental in opening the Loomhouse back up again.

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick talks about Lou Tate's death, reopening The Little Loomhouse after her death, and serving on the Founding Board of Directors of The Little Loomhouse. She also talks about the nature of her friendship with Lou Tate, and how Lou Tate taught young students at the very end of her career. She tells a story about the wedding dress that Lou Tate helped Mabel Palmore Waitman weave, and how that dress has been passed down in the Waitman family.

Keywords: Ann Kiper; Bob Waitman; Founding board of directors; Lemuel Russell Waitman Jr.; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Lou Tate Foundation Incorporated; Louisa Tate Bousman; Mabel Allene Palmore Waitman; The Little Loomhouse; Wedding dress

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Teaching; Weaving; Wedding costume

Partial Transcript: I do want you to tell a little bit about being on the Founding Board of Directors.

Segment Synopsis: Kendrick thanks Ward for letting her share in this interview. She shares her gratitude for being involved in the Founding Board of the Directors of The Little Loomhouse since July 1979.

Keywords: Founding board of directors; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Boards of directors; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving