McCain, Rea, 1882-1973

Dr. Rea McCain served as the first chair of the English Department at Bowling Green Normal College from the opening of the College in 1914 until her retirement in 1952 at which time she became Professor Emeritus.

Dr. McCain directed the first plays on campus, taught public speaking and oversaw the debate teams. She was instrumental in organizing the campus chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society, as well as other local honor societies.

Upon her retirement, for several years, Dr. McCain served as Chair of the Humanities Division at Bishop College in Dallas, Texas.

Dr. McCain traveled extensively. Fifteen years prior to her retirement she visited Europe on at least five occasions. In 1950 she was a delegate to the International Federation of University Women's Convention in Zurich, Switzerland. Once retired she traveled to Iceland on a freighter and in 1953 drove to Alaska on the Alaskan Highway. She even wrote a travel column for the Bowling Green Sentinel Tribune.

Dr. McCain was born July 2, 1882 in Lebanon, Ohio and grew up on a farm near there. She was a graduate of National Normal University, Antioch College, and Columbia and New York Universities. She died on Saturday, May 19, 1973 at the Community Nursing Home in Bowling Green, Ohio.