“A lot of people think of Title IX in terms of physical education, but Title IX actually covered the whole spectrum of education from kindergarten through graduate school. Any school with federal funding had to do this self-examination. It was not just about women, but involved minorities, also,” said Perkins.
Perkins was born in Dayton. Her grandparents, William J. and Myrtle Lukaswitz owned a tobacco factory on First Street.
Following the flood of 1913 that inundated the factory and the Lukaswitz home on Main Street in Dayton, William Lukaswitz became involved in the flood control project. Meanwhile, Myrtle Lukaswitz was very active in the Dayton Catholic Women’s Club and taught bridge lessons.
Perkins’ father, Ralph Behringer, was a decorator who moved from Salina to Dayton. Perkins lived with her family on South Main Street, attended Julienne High School where she was active in the National Honor Society and on the basketball team before graduating in 1940.
While studying history at the University of Dayton, Perkins met her husband, Robert J. Perkins. Due to accelerated programs that included summer classes during World War II, Perkins graduated in 1943 and worked as a secretary at UD. The couple wed in 1945. Although Robert Perkins was in the UD ROTC program, he was allowed to complete his training as an engineer before being sent to serve in Europe.
Perkins moved to Columbus after her husband returned from Europe, so that he could complete a graduate degree in engineering at Ohio State University. The couple moved to Centerville in 1950, and Perkins became a stay-at-home mother. Except for Kathleen, the oldest, all of Perkins’ children graduated from Archbishop Alter High School. They include: Kathleen Perkins, a graduate of Julienne High School, who teaches theater in Chicago; Lynn Perkins Brumfield, a school psychologist in West Carrollton; Gregory Perkins, principal at Cardinal Ritter High School in Indianapolis; Jeffrey, who works in the computer field in Cincinnati; Barbara Perkins, a retired CPA; and Matthew, a retired teacher.
“I completed my master’s degree in 1967 and began to teach in the history department at UD,” said Perkins, who has been married 65 years and has seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. “I also chaired UD’s task force on the handicapped and after I finished teaching, I volunteered for 10 years at Womanline.”
Perkins retired from UD in 1984. She was very active in the Centerville Historical Society and became chairwoman of the Centerville Historical Commission in 1989.
She and her husband, Robert, who continues to serve on the Centerville Property Review Commission, received the Centerville Mayor’s Award for Community Service. They also remain active at Incarnation Church.
Contact this columnist at (937) 432-9054 or jjbaer@aol.com.
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