Oral History Interview Frederica Dunnagan

Partial Transcript: Today is June 9th, 1984. My name is Teka Ward. I am interviewing Freddie Dunnagan. We are at 1313 Morton Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky. Our topic is Lou Tate and the Little Loomhouse.

Segment Synopsis: Teka Ward introduces the interview with Frederica Dunnagan.

Keywords: Freddie Dunnagan; Frederica Dunnagan; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bouseman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; Maria Frederica Dunnagan; Morton Ave.; Morton Avenue; The Little Loomhouse

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

Partial Transcript: As we begin, tell me just a little bit about yourself.

Segment Synopsis: Frederica Dunnagan, from Germany, introduces herself. Her husband died in an army accident when her son was young, but she and her son stayed in Kentucky. Dunnagan met Lou Tate through Hal and Kitty Tenny. She met the Tennies through an International Club hosted by the YWCA. She describes the scene on Kenwood Hill on the day that she met Lou Tate. Her son, Philip, began taking weaving lessons from Lou Tate shortly after.

Keywords: Fort Knox, Kentucky; Fort Knox, Ky; Ft. Knox, Kentucky; Ft. Knox, Ky; Germany; Hal Tenny; Kitty Tenny; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse; YWCA

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving; Young Women's Christian associations

Partial Transcript: I was not a weaver, but I supported her projects as much as I could because they really interested me...

Segment Synopsis: Frederica Dunnagan explains how Lou Tate had experiences with First Ladies, Eleanor Roosevelt and Lou Henry Hoover. She talks about the different products that were woven at the Little Loomhouse, and how many of the items were made to be gifted. Dunnagan also talks about how Lou Tate was always doing weaving research. She was especially interested in the heritage and patterns of families. She shares a story about finding a coverlet at a flea market and purchasing it after Lou Tate told her how special it was.

Keywords: 1856; Damask napkins; Decatur County, IN; Decatur County, Indiana; Eleanor Roosevelt; Ellen Tenny; First Lady Hoover; First Lady Roosevelt; Herbert Hoover; Indiana; Jacquards; Lou Henry Hoover; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Mrs. Hoover; President Hoover; Scotland; Serapis; The Little Loomhouse; W.C. Craig

Subjects: Coverlets; Coverlets--Private collections; Damask weaving; First ladies; Flea markets; Indiana--History; Jacquard weaving; Kentucky--History; Kilts; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Place mats; Plaid; Presidents; Presidents' spouses; Research; Stoles (Clothing); Tartans; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Lou was a great one for parties. She loved to give exhibits...

Segment Synopsis: Frederica Dunnagan talks about Lou Tate's generosity, as well as her great parties, gatherings, and exhibits. Dunnagan talks about the decorations Lou Tate had in her home, and she recalls bringing her carved angels from Germany and weavings from Ecuador.

Keywords: Chili; Fieldstone fireplace; Germany; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Christmas; Exhibitions; Fireplaces; Kentucky--History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Parties; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Teka Ward: You must have some special memories.
Frederica Dunnagan: Of Lou Tate? Yes, I do. Many.

Segment Synopsis: Frederica Dunnagan describes a happy memory of hosting a Christmas Eve party for Lou Tate and Hal and Kitty Tenny. She specifically remembers Lou Tate's festive jacket that she purchased on a trip to Canada, and a game that she brought to the party. A Christmas Day party at the Tennies followed, and Frederica remembers a very wonderful photo she took of Lou Tate on that day. When Lou Tate was very sick in the hospital, she asked Frederica to get the photo cropped so that it was just a portrait of herself. She wanted many copies printed so they could be given out to her friends after her death. Frederica goes on to explain her struggle in getting the photo cropped and printed.

Keywords: Bob Kuprion; Canada; Christmas Eve; Hal Tenny; Kitty Tenny; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Nova Scotia; Philip Dunnagan; Robert Kuprion; Rouladen; Shuman's Click Clinic; The Little Loomhouse; Walgreens

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

Partial Transcript: Since I'm talking about the time when Lou got ill, I should tell you that she was several times in the hospital, and I think in the end she knew that they were not going to operate anymore or do anything else...

Segment Synopsis: Frederica Dunnagan recalls how Lou Tate spent some time in a nursing home towards the end of her life when she would get out of the hospital. She began teaching weaving lessons to other nursing home residents, and even continued after she was able to return home.

Keywords: Hal Tenny; Kitty Tenny; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Death; Hospitals; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Nursing homes; Weaving

Partial Transcript: I have to tell another little thing that was so endearing to me, and that was that when I first met Lou Tate, she always said "we"...

Segment Synopsis: Frederica Dunnagan talks about Lou Tate's dog, Skipper. She also recalls how Hal and Kitty Tenny's dog would crawl into bed with Lou Tate when they were away from their house. Dunnagan also expresses how much presence Lou Tate had, and how much respect she commanded.

Keywords: Hal Tenny; Kitty Tenny; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Philip Dunnagan; Skipper; The Little Loomhouse

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

Partial Transcript: And, personal memories you asked me? Yes, one day in the later years...

Segment Synopsis: Frederica Dunnagan remembers how Lou Tate gave her close friends her belongings before she had passed away. She did this instead of leaving items to people in her will. She shares about the decanter that Lou Tate brought to her a couple of years before her death, and she reads the letter that Lou Tate had written and placed inside the decanter. She goes on to read and describe a letter about Lou Tate's trip to Nova Scotia to teach about weaving and a letter written to invite the Dunnagan's to participate in a Mid-summer Art Fair she was planning at the Little Loomhouse.

Keywords: Ann Kiper; Bob Douglas; Canada; Coon Trail; Hal Tenny; Kitty Tenny; Last Will and Testament; Letters; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Mid-summer Art Fair; Nova Scotia; Possum Path; Silver filigree; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Art fairs; Correspondence; Decanters; Kentucky--History; Letters; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving; Wills

Partial Transcript: And now I think I will just tell you that in the very end I was one of few last people to see Lou Tate at the hospital.

Segment Synopsis: Frederica Dunnagan explains that she was one of the last people to see Lou Tate at the hospital before her death. She tells a story about how Lou Tate decided to give an oriental rug to her instead of Kitty Tenny because the Tennies had dogs and she wanted the rug to remain nice. Lou put pieces of paper on her belongings so that her lawyer could figure out what needed to be given to people after her death. She recalls the very last time she visited Lou Tate in the hospital, when Lou Tate requested that she stay longer and they talked for two hours.

Keywords: Ellen Tenny; Hal Tenny; Kitty Tenny; Loom stands; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Hospitals; Kentucky--History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Rugs, Oriental; Weaving

Partial Transcript: But, a person like Lou Tate, I guess you can use that phrase, is one in a million.

Segment Synopsis: Frederica Dunnagan closes the interview by describing how Lou Tate's memory will be kept alive through the Little Loomhouse and the foundation.

Keywords: Heritage; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Lou Tate Foundation; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

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