| On campus 1916 - 1918 |
Amelia Earhart's early years at the Ogontz School
While it is widely know that she was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932, few know that she was a student at the Ogontz School for Young Ladies, an elite finishing school that occupied the property now owned by Penn State Abington during the early decades of the 20th Century. Earhart entered the school in 1916 and remained there as a student until February 1918 when she moved to Toronto to join in the war effort.
See related story at www.philly.com.
See related story at www.phillyburbs.com.
While at the Ogontz School, Amelia served as senior class vice-president and secretary of the Ogontz Red Cross chapter. She played hockey, studied French and German, and excelled in her classes. An independent thinker, she was willing to challenge established policies and spoke out strongly against the secret sororities here. In response, Abby Sutherland, headmistress and owner of the school decided to disband them entirely. Amelia was subsequently appointed to an Honor Board, created in part to prevent the sorority girls from disobeying the rules and continuing to meet. Entering her senior term in the fall of 1917 she began planning for graduation, and composed the class motto: "Honor is the foundation of Courage."
In December, while visiting her sister Muriel in Toronto Canada over Christmas, Amelia was moved by the sight of four wounded soldiers walking on crutches together down the street. After a brief return to the Ogontz School, Amelia decided not to stay and graduate, but left in February 1918. After achieving worldwide fame, she returned to the Ogontz School several times for various events.
Penn State Abington’s Ogontz School archive room
The archives contain photos of Amelia, her report card, and other documents related to her life and times here as a student from 1916 to 1918.
Cultural Arts Program
On Sunday, November 8, 2009 Penn State Abington will host "Amelia Earhart: From the Ogontz School to Worldwide Fame," a presentation of archive materials of Earhart's life at the Ogontz School with Lillian Hansberry, library staff assistant, followed by lively discussion of the motion picture Amelia by faculty member and film critic Dr. Moylan C. Mills, Professor Emeritus of Integrative Arts.
Motion Picture "Amelia" (from The Internet Movie Database).
Penn State Library information about the Ogontz School.
Penn State Library Information about Amelia Earhart and the Ogontz School.
