With her head of silver hair and her tall and upright figure, Dorothy T. Kao still has the bearing of a distinguished teacher, despite her 80 years of age. Altogether, she has spent 60 years in education, in a career that can be divided into three stages.

From 1919 to 1949, she taught physical education at the Peking Women's Normal University, and Northeastern University on the China mainland, two institutions which laid a solid foundation for women's physical education in China. During the eight years after she moved with the government of the Republic of China to Taiwan, she was the principal of the primary school affiliated to the Taiwan Provincial Hsinchu Junior Teachers' College, and set the future direction for physical and mental hygiene education for primary school children. From 1956 to 1968, she was director of the Elementary School Teachers' In-Service Education Center, and helped to cultivate numerous outstanding primary school teachers.

Of herself today, she says: "I am running the last few miles of a marathon race. I will be faithful to myself, and finish the last journey of my life carefree and relaxed." She recalled that some 60 years ago, it was unheard of for women to study physical education. Her persistence and determination finally persuaded her parents to let her have her way, however. After graduating from the Nantung Normal College in Kiangsu province, she left home for Shanghai to pursue her chosen career.

On her graduation in 1919, Kao was invited to teach physical education at the Peking Women's Normal College. She said it was an interesting experience because some of her students were of the same age or even older than she was. Today, many of them, such as legislator Chou Ming, writer Su Hsueh-lin and Chiang Hsueh-chu, former principal of the Taipei Municipal First Girl High School, are women's leaders in politics, writing and education in Taiwan.

A year after entering the Peking College, she created a sensation by becoming only the second woman in Chinese history to be selected to study physical education in the United States. After a two-year stay at the Mill College and the University of Wisconsin, she returned to teach at her old college, whose name had been changed to the Peking Women's Normal University in 1925. Until 1931, she remained as director of the Department of Physical Education at the University.

She met her husband, Hau Keng-sheng, also a famous teacher of physical education, in 1924 at Wuchang in Hupei Province. From then on, they cooperated in sponsoring numerous competitions to push Peiping to prominence in sports. In 1929, the two were married in Peiping, at a ceremony attended by such celebrities as Hsu Chih-mo, Chao Yuan-jen and Liang Chi-chao. They were to spend 46 years of happily married life together. In 1931, when Hau was appointed director of the Department of Physical Education in the Northeastern University in Shengyang, Dorothy Kao followed him to teach the same subject at the same university.

Asked why she chose to be principal of the primary school affiliated to the Taiwan Provincial Hsinchu Junior Teachers' College, she said: "Physical education must start from primary school. Besides, my son was studying at the primary school at the time, so I was more interested in children's education."

The first thing she did after taking up her new position was to persuade students at the school to participate in the Hsinchu city games. For her, winning was not important. But she knew that only with a healthy body can children have lively minds and a vigorous and optimistic view of life. She also hoped to take this opportunity to bring unity to the school. She first conducted stamina tests and physical examinations to find qualified athletes. Moved by her enthusiasm, all the students practiced hard and finally won all the gold medals in the games.

Side-by-side with physical education, Dorothy Kao pays attention to regular education. She always tidies the children's clothes and picks up waste paper on the campus herself. She told the teachers it is not enough to teach students new words or symbols. Teaching them how to learn and cultivate a sense of patriotism and responsibility is most important because each person represents his country. She instilled a fresh, lively, open and progressive atmosphere in the primary school during her eight-year stay.

When, in 1955, the then Minister of Education, Chang Chi-yun, decided to set up a permanent Elementary School Teachers' In-Service Education Center to raise the standard of primary school teachers, Dorothy Kao was invited to take charge of the planning work. When the center was officially inaugurated, Minister Chang invited her to be director. All the teachers and students of the primary school saw her off at the Hsinchu Railway Station as she left for Taipei, to show their gratitude for her contribution to the school.

At the opening ceremony of the training center, located at Panchiao in the suburbs of Taipei, Miss Kao said: "Good teachers can help strengthen a nation. The training will help you to attain the following three goals--to bring in new concepts on primary school education, to learn advanced teaching methods, and to encourage the students to see, speak, do and think as well as listen."

As always, she put special emphasis on education for life. Rising promptly at 6 a.m. each day, she practices calisthenics, eats breakfast, reads the morning lessons, and attends the flag raising ceremony with the teacher trainees. She insists that teachers keep classrooms, restaurants and rest rooms immaculately clean. To serve as a good example in punctuality, she always arrives at meetings first.

At first, some teachers find it difficult to fit in with her strict schedule. Gradually, however, they all start to cooperate with her because they realize that her strictness is symbolic of her deep concern over welfare. She insisted in particular that the trainees eat well.

Since 1962, the U.S. Agency for International Development has entrusted the Elementary School Teachers' In-Service Education Center to train teachers for third nations, including the Philippines and Thailand, and formerly Vietnam and Laos.

Once an Associated Press reporter asked Dorothy Kao: "How can you expect the trainees to keep up their learning and desire to specialize if they cannot hope to receive higher rank or pay after the training?" Miss Kao pointed at a large bronze bell on the campus, and said: "Confucius said that 'Heaven will make the master a bell.' This means that the duty of a teacher is sacred and of tremendous importance. Their efforts cannot be assessed on a material basis.

In 1965, the Department of Education of the Taiwan Provincial Government entrusted the center to train principals and student directors. Other institutions also entrusted the center to train teachers. When she retired in 1968, a total of 17,899 teachers had completed training at the center, including 208 from foreign countries, and 1,172 principals and student directors. Most of them still keep in touch with Miss Kao. Whenever they visit Panchiao, they never forget to bring some fruit or other gifts for their old director. Miss Kao said: "The world is fair. As long as you work hard, people will support and acknowledge your achievements."

In 1973, the business of the center was enlarged to include the research and development of primary school courses, the design and provision of teaching materials for primary schools, and assistance to primary school programs. A total of 34,000 persons have been trained so far.

Now Dorothy Kao is a professor at the Shih Chien Home Economics College and the University of Chinese Culture, and a member of the Zonta Club, Y.W.C.A., Executive Committee of the Girl Scouts' Association of China, and Chairman of the China Youth Corps Superintendent Committee.

Though her husband died in 1975, and her left arm was injured by an electric shock, she still practices calisthenics every day to keep healthy. She said: "Running water never gets polluted, nor can door hinges be eaten by worms. The more you use your body, the more usable the body becomes." In what little time she has for leisure, she practices calligraphy, painting, and Peiping opera.

At the end of her "marathon race," Dorothy Kao remains a strong runner.

[Picture Caption]

Dorothy T. Kao with a pamphlet introducing the Elementary School Teachers' In-Service Education Center in her hand.

An oil painting of Dorothy Kao (left) done by Yao Wei-ling is hung at Yang Chiao Hall (right) located at the Elementary School Teachers' In-Service Education Center in Panchiao.

Dorothy Kao watering flowers and practicing calisthenics.

An oil painting of Dorothy Kao （left） done by Yao Wei-ling is hung at Yang Chiao Hall.

located at the Elementary School Teachers' In-Service Education Center in Panchiao.

Dorothy Kao watering flowers and practicing calisthenics.

Dorothy Kao watering flowers and practicing calisthenics.