With both CaO and MgO catalysts, the hydrogen pretreated material is a selective dehydrogenation catalyst while the oxygen pretreated material has about the same activity for both dehydrogenation and dehydration. Initially the air (or oxygen) pretreated MgO sample produces an alkene distribution from 2-ols that resembles that obtained with alumina; as the reaction temperature is increased a similar alkene distribution, different from the equilibrium value, is obtained with both pretreatments. The three temperatures used with CaO yield an alkene distribution, with either pretreatment, that resembles the highest temperature run with MgO. Pure cis-2- or trans-2-methylcyclohexanol undergoes extensive cis—trans isomerization; the different alkene distributions from the two alcohols suggest that a trans elimination pathway contributes to the dehydration mechanism.