Violet Ingram

At Wilson College Miss Violet Ingram was laboratory assistant in the Physical Science Department, which included physics and chemistry, and taught classes in physics in two academic years, 1912-1913 and 1913-1914. Writing to Dr. Anna J. McKeag on August 8, 1912, Miss Ingram said that one of her professors at Barnard College had encouraged her to apply for the position of assistant in physics and chemistry at Wilson College and in stating her academic credentials noted that she had graduated from Teachers College, Columbia University, with a Bachelor of Science degree and a diploma in the teaching of physics and chemistry and that she had specialized in physics with study at Barnard College. She added that she had prepared herself for college at the Packer Institute and had graduated from there in 1908. Having received high recommendations from her professors, she began her work at Wilson in September 1912. Writing from her home in Brooklyn, New York, she asked Dr. McKeag how she upon her arrival in Chambersburg would get to the college from the railway station and where she would obtain the key to her room.

During the second semester of her first year Miss Ingram became understandingly concerned as the Board of Trustees had made no decision about the retention of her position as laboratory assistant. Dr. McKeag in a letter giving this information to Miss Ingram on February 12, 1913, added: “ It is my plan in the case of a first year laboratory assistant not to make any recommendation until an entire year of work has been completed” and added that the Board of Trustees would make a decision in June. Miss Ingram replied that she needed to know the decision before June, that her parents wished her to be closer to her home, that she also thought it advisable to seek a position in New York, and that, if she were to return to Wilson, she, having had a year’s experience, should have a raise in salary. On February 13 Dr. McKeag responded that, although the trustees would not meet until June, a special committee of the Board would meet “within a few weeks” and that she would take up Miss Ingram’s situation with the committee. When Miss Ingram had not heard from Dr. McKeag by the beginning of March, on March 26 she wrote to Dr. McKeag and reminded her of the special committee that was to meet “within a few weeks” and asked Dr. McKeag if she could refer to her when she was in New York with the implication that she would seek another position. On the next day Dr. McKeag in answering Miss Ingram’s letter stated again that the committee would meet in a few weeks, that Miss Ingram should notify her if she did not want her name recommended to the committee, and that “if anything more advantageous should develop you are, of course, at liberty to refer to me in regard to your work at Wilson College.” On April 4 Miss Ingram wrote to Dr. McKeag to say that she would like her name recommended to the committee but that she felt that she deserved a raise in salary. She said, “My year at Wilson has brought me both pleasure and profit and I feel that another year there would be of advantage to me and, in view of the fact that I am now thoroughly familiar with the requirements of the work, to the college as well.” Ten days later, on April 14 Miss Ingram again wrote to Dr. McKeag to say that she thought that it was in her best interests not to accept a position at Wilson College for the next year and ended with the thought that the work “is an experience, the value and importance of which I realize and appreciate.” The next day Dr. McKeag wrote to her, “I will understand, therefore, that you are not an applicant for the position in physics and I will, therefore not present your name to the committee when it meets in about two weeks.” On June 11 Dr. McKeag again wrote to Miss Ingram this time to tell her that she had been reappointed as assistant in the Physical Science department at a salary of $350 and home, which included room, board, and “plain laundry” when the college was in session, and that again she would be responsible to Miss Green, the head of the department. In her acceptance of the position for the 1913-1914 academic year Miss Ingram stated that she would be glad to return to Wilson at the stated salary but added that she would come with the understanding that the maximum number of hours that she would be required to teach each week would be eighteen “as was agreed upon in the interview I had with you on this subject….” Throughout this time from mid-February until mid-June Miss Ingram showed ability to cope with a challenge, persistence, and spirit.

In December 1913 having decided not to return to Wilson for another academic year, Miss Ingram sought other opportunities. After she had applied to the Committee on Scholarships of Teachers College, Columbia University, Dr. McKeag wrote a gracious letter to the committee in which she said that Miss Ingram was “an eminently suitable candidate for the scholarship,” added that she would do work “worthy of a holder of a scholarship,” and noted her work at Wilson both in assisting in the laboratory and in teaching physics. That fall on September 29, 1914, Miss Ingram, now in her home in Brooklyn, again wrote to Dr. McKeag to ask for a reference this time to be sent to the Board of Education of New York City as she was applying to be a teacher in a high school in the city and needed “verification of my assertion that I taught two years at Wilson College.” Again Dr. McKeag responded promptly and graciously and verified Miss Ingram’s statement that she had taught class in physics. However, the examiner at the Board of Education did not accept Dr. McKeag’s statement that Miss Ingram had taught physics as her position as listed at Wilson was that of an laboratory assistant. In writing again to Dr. McKeag, Miss Ingram wrote, “I hesitated to trouble you with the matter, but I feel that I would be unfair to myself if I let it pass….I do not want to fail to secure the position because of a mere technicality.” Dr. McKeag in her reply was supportive of Miss Ingram’s efforts and stated, “ Although Miss Ingram’s title was that of laboratory assistant, she was instructor in charge of classes in physics….Miss Ingram’s experience at Wilson College has been such that, in my judgment, the mere fact that her title was laboratory assistant should not deprive her from the professional privileges accorded to persons whose title has been instructor.” Miss Ingram was extremely grateful to Dr. McKeag for this second letter and in her response said that, when she presented Dr. McKeag’s letter to the proper authority, she was assured of an appointment and added, ”I cannot express my gratitude to you for I feel that without a doubt I owe my position to you.” Again Miss Ingram acted with an independent sppirit, and Dr. McKeag exhibited graciousness and support to a young woman beginning her careeer.

Note: The Wilson files do not include any additional information about Miss Ingram’s life after Wilson.