Imagine stumbling across a century-old advertisement that sheds light on the remarkable women who shaped Harcum College. This thrilling discovery recently unfolded at the Charles H. Trout Library, where the archives gained three original advertisements for The Harcum School for Girls, published in Harper's Magazine. Generously donated by Mrs. Margaret Tucker DeTemple and Mr. David Lockwood, these seemingly modest documents open a window to the early years that shaped Harcum’s legacy. In this blog post, we’ll look at two of the three advertisements.
Cornelia G. Harcum
A clipping for The Harcum School for Girls where trailblazing academic, Cornelia G. Harcum is listed as Head of Academic Department. Donated by David Lockwood and Margaret Tucker DeTemple.
The earliest of these treasures is a 1919 advertisement mentioning Cornelia G. Harcum, Ph.D., as Head of the Academic Department. Cornelia, the elder half-sister of Harcum’s co-founder Octavius Marvin Harcum, was a trailblazer in academia and a brilliant scholar. According to her Wikipedia entry, she earned both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1914—a rare feat for women at the time. Her distinguished career included teaching Latin at Vassar College and Wellesley College.
Cornelia Gaskins Harcum portrait from Goucher College, 1908 yearbook. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Harcum College archives confirm that Cornelia held the role of Academic Head at The Harcum School for Girls between 1919 and 1920, before leaving to join the Royal Ontario Museum of Archaeology and the University of Toronto. An accomplished researcher, Cornelia published extensively on food and culture in the Roman Empire. Her contributions earned high praise from her advisor at Johns Hopkins, David Moore Robinson, who described her as "one of the best archaeology students ever graduated from Hopkins." Despite her untimely passing in 1927 at the age of 49, Cornelia’s legacy endures through the advertisement that sheds light on her vital role in Harcum’s history.
Harcum in Harper’s
Years later, Harcum’s dedication to empowering women through education remained strong, as reflected in another intriguing advertisement from Harper's Magazine. While undated, clues help narrow its publication to the late 1920s. College records reveal that Mrs. L. May Willis, Academic Head, worked at Harcum College between 1921 and 1929. Further analysis shows that Harper's New Monthly Magazine became Harper's Magazine in 1925, leading to an estimated publication period of 1925-1929.
An advertisement for The Harcum School for Girls clipped from Harper's Magazine, likely from between 1925 to 1929. Donation of David Lockwood and Margaret Tucker DeTemple.Mrs. L. May Willis, B.P., Academic Head, Harcum College 1921 to 1929
Mrs. Willis’s inclusion in this advertisement underscores Edith Harcum’s commitment to working with remarkable women educators. Mrs. Willis was a life-long educator. Read about Mrs. Willis in a previous blog post and her connection to artist Georgia O’Keefe. The advertisement also exposes a deliberate strategy to connect with students nationwide by advertising in widely-read publications. Intriguingly, Harcum also placed ads in Harper's Bazar, demonstrating the intention to expand its reach. This piece is not just a marketing relic; it’s a testament to Harcum’s evolving mission and national prominence.
A Vision Ahead of its Time
Both advertisements offer a compelling glimpse into Harcum College’s visionary approach to education. Edith Harcum’s philosophy of individualized learning broke barriers, providing opportunities for women in a time when such prospects were rare (Back 21). These artifacts, now part of the archives, encapsulate Harcum’s enduring legacy of empowering women through education.
The Harcum community is invited to explore these treasures and delve deeper into the rich history that shaped the College’s foundation.
Sources
Back, A. Harcum College: a centennial history. The Donning Company Publishers, 2016.
“Cornelia Gaskins Harcum.” Canada’s Early Women Writers, 18 May 2018.
"Cornelia Gaskins Harcum." Goucher College, Donnybrook Fair (1908 yearbook): 32. via Goucher College Digital Library., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=153653300
Miss C.G. Harcum archaeologist, dies. The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland, Friday, May 20, 1927, page 3
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Imagine stumbling across a century-old advertisement that sheds light on the remarkable women who shaped Harcum College. This thrilling discovery recently unfolded at the Charles H. Trout Library, where the archives gained three original advertisements for The Harcum School for Girls, published in Harper's Magazine. Generously donated by Mrs. Margaret Tucker DeTemple and Mr. David Lockwood, these seemingly modest documents open a window to the early years that shaped Harcum’s legacy. In this blog post, we’ll look at two of the three advertisements.
Cornelia G. Harcum
The earliest of these treasures is a 1919 advertisement mentioning Cornelia G. Harcum, Ph.D., as Head of the Academic Department. Cornelia, the elder half-sister of Harcum’s co-founder Octavius Marvin Harcum, was a trailblazer in academia and a brilliant scholar. According to her Wikipedia entry, she earned both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1914—a rare feat for women at the time. Her distinguished career included teaching Latin at Vassar College and Wellesley College.
Harcum College archives confirm that Cornelia held the role of Academic Head at The Harcum School for Girls between 1919 and 1920, before leaving to join the Royal Ontario Museum of Archaeology and the University of Toronto. An accomplished researcher, Cornelia published extensively on food and culture in the Roman Empire. Her contributions earned high praise from her advisor at Johns Hopkins, David Moore Robinson, who described her as "one of the best archaeology students ever graduated from Hopkins." Despite her untimely passing in 1927 at the age of 49, Cornelia’s legacy endures through the advertisement that sheds light on her vital role in Harcum’s history.
Harcum in Harper’s
Years later, Harcum’s dedication to empowering women through education remained strong, as reflected in another intriguing advertisement from Harper's Magazine. While undated, clues help narrow its publication to the late 1920s. College records reveal that Mrs. L. May Willis, Academic Head, worked at Harcum College between 1921 and 1929. Further analysis shows that Harper's New Monthly Magazine became Harper's Magazine in 1925, leading to an estimated publication period of 1925-1929.
Mrs. Willis’s inclusion in this advertisement underscores Edith Harcum’s commitment to working with remarkable women educators. Mrs. Willis was a life-long educator. Read about Mrs. Willis in a previous blog post and her connection to artist Georgia O’Keefe. The advertisement also exposes a deliberate strategy to connect with students nationwide by advertising in widely-read publications. Intriguingly, Harcum also placed ads in Harper's Bazar, demonstrating the intention to expand its reach. This piece is not just a marketing relic; it’s a testament to Harcum’s evolving mission and national prominence.
A Vision Ahead of its Time
Both advertisements offer a compelling glimpse into Harcum College’s visionary approach to education. Edith Harcum’s philosophy of individualized learning broke barriers, providing opportunities for women in a time when such prospects were rare (Back 21). These artifacts, now part of the archives, encapsulate Harcum’s enduring legacy of empowering women through education.
The Harcum community is invited to explore these treasures and delve deeper into the rich history that shaped the College’s foundation.
Sources
Back, A. Harcum College: a centennial history. The Donning Company Publishers, 2016.
Barney, Brett, and Lisa Paddock. “Harper’s Monthly Magazine.” Encyclopedia of American Literature, by Inc. Manly, 3rd ed., Facts On File, 2013. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6MTI0MzUxOQ==?aid=237793.
“Cornelia Gaskins Harcum.” Canada’s Early Women Writers, 18 May 2018.
"Cornelia Gaskins Harcum." Goucher College, Donnybrook Fair (1908 yearbook): 32. via Goucher College Digital Library., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=153653300
Miss C.G. Harcum archaeologist, dies. The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland, Friday, May 20, 1927, page 3
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-miss-c-g-harcum-arc/156735773/
Wikipedia contributors. "Cornelia Gaskins Harcum." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, 20 Oct. 2024. Web. 14 Mar. 2025.
Roxanne Sutton
Reference and Special Collections Librarian
610-526-6022
rsutton@harcum.edu