March 9, 2005

GRADUATES OF THE PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF HORTICULTURE FOR WOMEN TO VISIT 2005 PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW

WHERE:    Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch streets, Philadelphia

WHEN:       Wednesday, March 9, 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

When 10 graduates of the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women visit Temple University Ambler’s 2005 Philadelphia Flower Show exhibit at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Wednesday, March 9, it will be like coming home.

The Best of Show-winning exhibit, “Progressive Women in Horticulture: A Driving Force in Philadelphia — 1904 to 1924,” pays tribute to the determination and drive of the individuals who founded the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women (the forerunner of Temple University Ambler) and three other groundbreaking organizations.

“We were pioneers and the women that began these organizations paved the way for us,” said Jean Froy, a graduate of the Class of 1955. “We never gave any thought to whether what we were doing was unusual or different. We were doing what we loved and you are a lot more healthy when you are doing what you love to do.”

In a span of just 10 years, a group of progressive women, no longer willing to be trapped in established roles such as teacher or nurse, created four organizations, which had an immediate and enduring impact.

The Garden Club of Philadelphia, founded in 1904, was followed by the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women in 1910, the Garden Club of America in 1913, and the Woman’s Farm and Garden Association in 1914 — their founding members would shape the future of public and private horticulture for years to come.

“As alums of the Horticulture School, we’ve wanted to make this trip together for years now. Some of the members that will be visiting on Wednesday are coming from as far away as North Carolina and as far back as the Class of 1939,” said Claire Whiting, President of the Ambler College Alumni Association. “This is not a part of history that is often highlighted. We have a strong connection and bond to the women who are being honored by Temple University Ambler — we couldn’t miss this celebration.”