June 5, 1854-Sept. 15, 1933

Kate Mason Hofstra was born in Boston in 1854. She married William Hofstra in New Orleans and they moved to Hempstead, New York in 1903. It was in 1904 that their home, "The Netherlands" was completed. William died in 1932 leaving Kate the bulk of his estate. When she died in 1933 she stipulated in her will that, with the exception of several monetary and gift disbursements, the estate be set up for charitable or public use as a memorial to her husband, William Hofstra. Two years after Kate's death, New York University's Nassau College-Hofstra Memorial opened its doors.

Mrs. Hofstra was vice president of the Bide-a wee Home Association in New York City from 1903 until her death in 1933. She was also president of the Atlantic Cat Club. Her fondness for animals prompted her to leave enough money to care for those pets that survived her, including: twenty-five cats, four dogs, and three parrots.