Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 48(6): November 2022 during her husband’s tenure and was also affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. In his resignation speech from 1910, Charles referred to Ellen as his “right hand” (Old Penn Weekly Review 1910b). At a reception celebrating his retirement, Charles shared a letter from an alumnus expressing regret about his resignation. This same letter also “expressed the hope that Mrs. Harrison would never retire from her ser- vice, so long continued to the University of Pennsyl- vania” (Old Penn Weekly Review 1910b). Ellen and Charles’ Prominent Sociopolitical Standing The Harrisons were heavily involved in civic activi- ties outside of the university. For the majority of her life, Harrison was a prominent member and leader of several organizations, including women’s patriotic societies, as well as an advocate for the preservation of historically significant structures and landscapes (McNulty 2020). Her affiliations included the Daugh- ters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the Soci- ety of Colonial Dames, both of which honor women who are descendants of colonial leaders. She was also involved with the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, which maintains and preserves George and Martha Washington’s Mount Vernon plantation as a historic site in Virginia; and the Bartram’s Association, which protects the Philadelphia garden and house of bota- nist John Bartram. Bartram’s Garden is the oldest sur- viving botanical garden in the nation (Historic American Landscapes Survey 2002). Belonging to Philadelphia’s power structure of well-connected, high-society residents, both of the Harrisons were involved with the CPA (Armstrong 2012; Milroy 2016). The FPC and CPA, run by city elites, were the main groups working to improve and expand Philadelphia’s parks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Before the city had a planning com- mission, the FPC and CPA served as de facto planners of Philadelphia (Armstrong 2012). The Harrisons were also politically connected at the national level. They dined with US President Wil- liam McKinley and First Lady Ida Saxton McKinley on various occasions (The Philadelphia Inquirer 1898a). In February 1898, President and Mrs. McKin- ley stayed at the Harrison residence while visiting Philadelphia, and the Harrisons were later entertained by the McKinleys at the White House (The 339 Philadelphia Inquirer 1898b). Harrison, however, was opposed to appearing overtly political. At a Phil- adelphia Chapter DAR meeting in 1898, Harrison stated that she did not want to “mix education and politics” (The Philadelphia Inquirer 1898c). This statement is humbly modest at best and potentially disingenuous in light of her undeniably powerful social and political standing. Harrison also had a significant social influence among elite families in Philadelphia and was fre- quently mentioned in the society pages of local news- papers. She served as patroness at various university functions and hosted many events at her home near Rittenhouse Square, which was considered the center of old Philadelphia. Many of Philadelphia’s elites had residences in her neighborhood during the late 19th and early 20th centuries (McCarthy 1987). Ellen Harrison as a Local Leader in Civic Beautification Harrison’s interests in civic beautification extended beyond paying for planting efforts. She was also interested in and knowledgeable about horticulture. In 1900 a letter written by Emlen Hare Miller, a Uni- versity of Pennsylvania law professor, proclaimed, “I respectfully support that the words—Mrs. Charles C. Harrison, preceptress of Horticulture, be added to the list of the faculty” (The University Archives and Records Center 1900). Due to the dearth of direct writings and quotes from Harrison, her thoughts about having women on the university faculty are unclear, nor is there evidence that she sought a faculty position in horticulture. There is evidence, however, of Harrison’s sustained interest in botany. Both Ellen and Charles were members of the Botanical Society of Pennsylvania (The Times 1897). This society was created by the Biology Department at the university for anyone interested in botany (The University Archives and Records Center 1897). At the society’s initial meeting on October 24, 1897, Harrison pre- sented an arrangement of specimens to assist with lectures on trees, and she praised the work of botany professor MacFarlane (The Times 1897). In addition to Harrison’s urban greening activities on the university’s campus, her positions in women’s patriotic groups involved tree planting. As First Vice President of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Colonial Dames (National Society of the Colonial Dames of America 1911), Harrison and 5 other members were ©2022 International Society of Arboriculture
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