Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers in Industry
Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
A pioneering liberal arts school for working women was held here on the campus of Bryn Mawr College, 1921-1938. Led by Hilda Worthington Smith, it graduated over 1,700 students from diverse racial, ethnic and geographic backgrounds; some became community, labor union, and public leaders. The school served as a model for workers' and labor education programs at colleges and universities across the nation.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
From 1921 to 1938, the campus of Bryn Mawr College hosted a bold experiment: a summer liberal arts school for women who spent their days in factories and workshops. Led by educator Hilda Worthington Smith, it welcomed more than 1,700 students of varied races, ethnicities, and backgrounds, offering wage-earning women the kind of humanities education usually reserved for the privileged. Many graduates went on to become leaders in their unions, communities, and public life.
Why it matters
The school pioneered workers' education in America and served as a model for labor-education programs at universities nationwide, insisting that intellectual life belonged to working women too.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- African American Museum in Philadelphia9.9 mi away · 701 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- National Constitution Center10.0 mi away · 525 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Bridgette Mayer10.0 mi away · 709 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Independence Visitor Center10.0 mi away · 599 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Liberty Bell Center10.1 mi away · 526 Market Street, Philadelphia
- Congress Hall10.1 mi away · Philadelphia, PA
Attractions
- Discovery Center at East Park Reservoir7.0 mi away
- American Bandstand7.0 mi away
- Pennsylvania Railroad, Connecting Railway Bridge7.1 mi away
- Philadelphia Zoo7.2 mi away
- Rocky Steps8.2 mi away
- The Universal Sphere9.0 mi away
Food & drink
- Burger King9.9 mi away
- Philly Pretzel Factory9.9 mi away
- Munchie’s Cafe9.9 mi away · 728 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- El Azteca10.0 mi away
- Dunkin'10.0 mi away · 634 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Park’s Salad Bar10.0 mi away
Places to stay
- Days Inn Philadelphia Convention Center - Philadelphia9.4 mi away · 1227 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Residence Inn Philadelphia Center City9.4 mi away · 1 East Penn Square, Philadelphia, PA
- The Notary Hotel9.4 mi away · 21 North Juniper Street, Philadelphia
- Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia City Center9.4 mi away · 1201 Race Street, Philadelphia
- Home2 Suites by Hilton Philadelphia - Convention Center, PA9.5 mi away · 1200 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Cambria Hotel Philadelphia Downtown - Center City9.5 mi away · 219 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
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Related people
- · Hilda Worthington Smith
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
The Baldwin School
Lower Merion Township, PA · est. 2000
This grand French Chateau-style structure began life in 1890 as the Bryn Mawr Hotel, a summer resort built for the Pennsylvania Railroad and designed by the celebrated architect Frank Furness — his last surviving building of its kind. In 1896 the Baldwin School, a girls' preparatory academy founded in 1888, leased the building, and by 1922 it owned the property outright. The transformation from railroad resort to respected school mirrored the rise of serious academic education for young women.
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