Katherine Dunham

Katherine Mary Dunham (1909 - 2006)

Born in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States
Died at age 96 in New York, New York, United States

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Biography

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    Katherine Dunham is Notable.

Katherine was an American dancer and choreographer, author, educator, and social activist.

Katherine Mary Dunham was born on 22 June 1909 in Illinois, United States.[1][2][3] (Her birth year is listed as 1912 in some later sources,[4][5][6] but she was 1 year old in the 1910 census.[1])

She was the daughter of Albert M. and Fannie (nee Williams) Dunham.[1][2] The Annette Dunham mentioned by other sources was her stepmother[7][4].

In the 1910 US census, Kathryn Denham (age 1, born about 1909) was living in Milton, Dupage, Illinois, with parents Albert M Dunham (33) and Fannie E Dunham (40), and with siblings Louise Taylor (19), Henry Taylor (17), Albert Taylor (15), Abert Denham (1) and grandmother Victoria Buckner (57).[1][8]

In the 1920 US census, Catherine Dunham (age 10, born about 1910) was living in Joliet, Illinois, with parents Albert Dunham (38) and Anette Dunham (38), and brother Albert (13).[9]

She first married Jordis McCoo on 29 May 1930 in Cook, Illiinois.[10] but they soon drifted apart and divorced in 1938.

She subsequently married John Pratt.[2]

Katherine Dunham died on 21 May 2006 in New York City, New York, United States.[6][2]

Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "1910 United States Federal Census", Year: 1910; Census Place: Milton, Dupage, Illinois; Roll: T624_285; Page: 3a; Enumeration District: 0008; FHL microfilm: 1374298, Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7884 #130380582 (accessed 26 October 2025), Kathryn Denham (1), single daughter, in household of Albert M Dunham (33) in Milton, Dupage, Illinois, USA. Born in Illinois.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "U.S., Cemetery and Funeral Home Collection, 1847-Current", Publication Place: Hudson, Wisconsin, USA; URL: http://www.memorialobituaries.com/memorials/memorials.cgi?action=Obit&memid=167713&clientid=officer, Ancestry Record 2190 #3579615 (accessed 26 October 2025), Katherine Dunham death 21 May 2006 (born 22 Jun 1909), daughter of Albert Millard Dunham & Fanny June Taylor, in New York City, New York.
  3. "Puerto Rico, U.S, Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1901-1962", The National Archives At Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Series Title: Manifests of Ship Passengers Arriving At San Juan, Puerto Rico, in Transit to Other Destinations, 07/01/1923 - 16/30/1947; NAI Number: A3584; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85, Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2257 #408302 (accessed 26 October 2025), Name: Katherine Dunham; Gender: Female; Nationality: Euae; Marital Status: Single; Arrival Age: 26; Birth Date: abt 1909; Birth Place: USA Chicago, Illinois; Last Residence Place: Port Au Prince, Haiti; Arrival Date: 7 Aug 1935; Arrival Place: San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA; Arrival Destination: San Juan, Puerto Rico; Ship: Saint Domingue.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Brasil, Cartões de Imigração, 1900-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KC6X-LP5 : 5 August 2017), Katherine Dunham Pratt, Immigration; citing 1950, Arquivo Nacional, Rio de Janeiro (National Archives, Rio de Janeiro).
  5. "United States Public Records, 1970-2009," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KPXX-WZM : 22 May 2014), Katherine Dunham, Residence, East Saint Louis, Illinois, United States; a third party aggregator of publicly available information.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JT6L-34D : 20 May 2014), Katherine Dunham, 21 May 2006; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
  7. "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJZH-L84 : accessed 5 January 2019), Catheine Dunham in household of Albert M Dunham, Joliet Ward 4, Will, Illinois, United States; citing ED 167, sheet 19A, line 25, family 541, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 415; FHL microfilm 1,820,415.
  8. "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK8Y-QMC : accessed 31 January 2019), Kathryn Denham in household of Albert M Dunham, Milton, DuPage, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 8, sheet 3A, family 57, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 285; FHL microfilm 1,374,298.
  9. "1920 United States Federal Census", Year: 1920; Census Place: Joliet Ward 4, Will, Illinois; Roll: T625_415; Page: 19A; Enumeration District: 167, Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6061 #96504993 (accessed 26 October 2025), Catheine Dunham (10), single daughter, in household of Albert M Dunham (38) in Joliet Ward 4, Will, Illinois. Born in Illinois.
  10. "Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1920," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q21V-X4CV : 28 November 2018), Jordis W McCoo and Katherine W Dunham, 29 May 1930; citing Marriage, Cook, Illinois, United States, citing Cook County Clerk. Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm 102115063.

See also:

Photos of Katherine: 2

Katherine Dunham
(1/2) Katherine Dunham Katherine Mary Dunham (1909-2006). 25 Jan 1956
Catherine Dunham
(2/2) Catherine Dunham Katherine Mary Dunham (1909-2006). San Francisco, California, United States 1943

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Adoption Connection Checkers: Katherine is 28 degrees from Steve Jobs, 22 degrees from Melissa Gilbert, 24 degrees from Scott Hamilton, 26 degrees from Jeff Healey, 20 degrees from Art Linkletter, 19 degrees from Sarah McLachlan, 24 degrees from Frances McDormand, 20 degrees from Jim Palmer, 23 degrees from Nicole Richie, 22 degrees from Bill Stephenson, 20 degrees from Dave Thomas and 26 degrees from Jack Thompson

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