Members of PAHS Class of 1899
The class of 1899 is usually considered the first class that graduated from Pen Argyl High School, even though there was an eleven-year educational program at that time. There were only four students in that class. They were Carmon Ross, who later became a well-known educator; Justina E. Bonney, who taught school for a year and then went to Pierce Business College in Philadelphia before marrying Thomas D. May; Bertha Garis, who became a teacher before her marriage to Granville Harding; and Ethel Stidworthy, also a teacher, who became the wife of Morris W. Fox, a Bethlehem druggist. It is interesting to note that all four 1899 graduates went on to become teachers.
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Dr. Carmen Ross
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Carmen Ross was born in New York City in 1884. As one of the four graduates of Pen Argyl High School's first graduating class in 1899, Dr. Ross went on to earn an undergraduate degree from Lafayette College in 1905, a Ph.B. from Columbia University and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in 1922. Dr. Ross was a Supervising Principal of Doylestown Public School from 1906 to 1934. He was married in 1914 to Emma Kratz and later had three daughters. He was appointed as President of Edinboro State Teachers College in 1934 and continued to serve in that capacity until 1940. He was serving as the President of the Pennsylvania Education Association at the time of his appointment. Dr. Ross later returned to Doylestown and died at the age of 62. Ross Dining Hall was opened on the Edinboro campus in 1962 and named after President Ross. Frank G. Pogue, the President of Edinboro University today, states that, "The Edinboro Family is grateful for his many contributions which helped to establish the fine principles and standards that make Edinboro University of Pennsylvania the success it is today."
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Justina Bonney -
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Justina M. Bonney, one of four members of the first Pen Argyl graduating class in 1899, was employed as a teacher in Pen Argyl for a year and then went on to attend Pierce Business College in Philadelphia. After graduating from Pierce she was employed as a bookkeeper in Philadelphia at the Atkins Furniture Store. She was married in 1903 to Thomas D. May and the family built a home on Schanck Avenue in Pen Argyl in 1905. Justina had two daughters, both of whom attended school in the Lincoln and McKinley buildings. Kathleen graduated in 1924 and Marjorie in 1927. Both of her daughters taught school in Pen Argyl: Kathleen in the Garfield building from 1926-1933; Marjorie in the Lincoln building from 1929-1930 and in the two high school buildings on Laurel Avenue from 1952-1955 and 1957-1974. Marjorie also served in the Peace Crops after retiring from teaching, and is known locally for her support of the AFS Exchange Student program and a number of schools in Africa. Below is a picture of her mother's diploma.
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In 1999, one of Justina Bonney May's daughters presented a scholarship to a future teacher in the PAHS Centennial Class in memory of her mother's Class of 1899. Marge May presented the scholarship to Michael Sakelarides who will be studying mathematics education at Susquehanna University.
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Ethel Stidworthy was born in Ogdensburg, New Jersey. In 1899, she graduated from Pen Argyl and in 1903, received her teaching certificate. Mrs. Stidworthy then came back to teach at Pen Argyl before moving on to teach in Friendsville, Pennsylvania. In 1908, she married Morris Fox and later had two children, Julia and George. She was an active member of the Presbyterian Church. The picture below was taken on Children's Day, June 21, 1897. On the extreme right is the pastor of the Presbyterian Church, Rev. William Bulloch, and to his left is Ethel Stidworthy. Two of her sisters, Orella (Stidworthy) Fitzgerald, and Elizabeth Stidworthy are the adults seated in the front row. A third sister, Mrs. Stidworthy Daniels is in the back row, third person from the left.
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Julia F. Moorhead, daughter of Ethel Stidworthy Fox, is donated a $1000 scholarship in memory of her mother to a Pen Argyl student who will major in education. The scholarship went to Erica Carcione who will be studying early childhood education at Northampton Community College.
Ethel Stidworthy and Justina Bonney
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Bertha Garis
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Bertha Garis was the fourth member of the class who also became a teacher. She was married to Granville Harding and had one daughter, Kathryn, who graduated from Pen Argyl in 1930.
An interesting point about the class of 1899 is that they all became teachers. They probably all appreciated the wisdom of Henry Adams (1838-1918) who said, "A teacher affects eternity; she can never tell where her influence stops."