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White-Williams Scholars:

White-Williams Scholars is a non-profit organization that serves high-achieving, low-income Philadelphia public high school students. White-Williams Scholars was originally founded in 1800 as the Magdalen Society of Philadelphia, and it is one of the oldest charitable organizations in the nation. White-Williams Scholars has undergone two name changes: from The Magdalen Society of Philadelphia to White-Williams Foundation in 1917, and from White-Williams Foundation to White-Williams Scholars in 1994. Currently White-Williams Scholars provides monthly stipends and academic support for over 1,400 students.

History:

The Magdalen Society of Philadelphia (1800-1917):

The Magdalen Society of Philadelphia was founded in 1800 as a private, charitable organization to aid and reform prostitutes and other “fallen” women. The Second Great Awakening, which was a religious movement that based its actions on education and moral redemption, influenced the start of the Society. The Society was incorporated in 1802 and opened its first asylum house in 1807 at the northeast corner of Race and 21st Streets.

The members of the Society were prominent Philadelphians including Bishop William White (Bishop of Pennsylvania), the first Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania and the first president of the Magdalen Society; Mayor Robert Wharton (Philadelphia), the Society’s first Vice-President; and George Williams, a Quaker merchant.

The original mission of the Magdalen Society was to "restore to the paths of virtue those unhappy females who in unguarded hours have been robbed of their innocence." The women, who were mostly young immigrant workers between the ages of 17 and 23, were called magdalens upon entering the aslyum house. The Society provided the magdalens with vocational training in domestic skills, education, and a chance for moral redemption.

By 1916, other private and state organizations and institutions had become concerned with the treatment of “delinquent” girls. In 1917, the Society began to seek a new direction for its work. The Board members of the Magdalen Society decided to shift their focus from rehabilitation to prevention of delinquent behavior by providing direction and assistance in moving children away from trouble before it occurred. Consequently in 1917, the Magdalen Society of Philadelphia changed its name to White-Williams Foundation for Girls. Overall, the Magdalen Society aided 2,726 women from 1800 until 1917.

White-Williams Foundation (1917-1994):

The White-Williams Foundation was named after Bishop William White, the first president of the Magdalen Society, and George Williams, a Quaker philanthropist and former Board chairman. When the Foundation began helping boys in 1920, the name simply became to White-Williams Foundation.

The mission of White-Williams Foundation was to provide counseling to those children who were either students or in the workforce. To help lead this new focus and mission, the Foundation hired Anna B. Pratt as its first director. After Anna Pratt passed away in 1932, Edith M. Everett, the Director of the Department of Counseling and Training and Assistant Director, became the director of the Foundation. Initially, the Foundation focused on counseling for young workers. By working with the Board of Compulsory Education, the Foundation staffed four workers at the Junior Employment Service (JES) to provide vocational guidance. The staff helped to insure that when a child “works, it can find employment, remain there, and grow.”

When the counselors suggested that school was the best choice for the girls, the Foundation provided stipends to help offset the financial impacts of foregoing employment. This practice began simultaneously with the vocational guidance in 1917.

The Foundation also provided social workers as counselors for the children in school. The Foundation started providing counselors in elementary schools in 1917 and in high schools in 1921. The counselors addressed mental and physical health issues and nutrition. The counselors also performed psychological testing and teacher training in social work. The Board of Education overtook the counseling duties from the White-Williams Foundation in 1924, but the White-Williams Foundation continued to train teachers and counselors for schools. In 1942, the Board of Education assumed complete responsibility for school counseling. The Foundation continued to provide stipend support for needy students. In 1994, the White-Williams Foundation changed its name for the second time to White-Williams Scholars, which more accurately reflected the organization’s mission to honor and encourage high-achieving “Scholars”.

White-Williams Scholars (1994-Present):

White-Williams Scholars is a private, non-profit, independent 501 (c) (3) organization and is not associated with any organization of a similar name. White-Williams’ non-profit 501 (c) (3) status was first established in 1949 and most recently renewed in 2002. In 2000, the organization was proud to celebrate its 200th year of service to Philadelphia youth.

White-Williams Scholars serves high-achieving, low-income Philadelphia public high school students. Today, the mission of White-Williams Scholars is to “inspire and support high achieving Philadelphia public high school students of limited financial means to fulfill their potential”. The organization serves more than 1,400 students each year within most of the public schools in Philadelphia. It provides monthly stipends from $50 to $75 to students who achieve A’s and B’s in all their classes. The students use the stipends for meals, school clothes, school supplies, school activities, college testing, or other needs. The stipends encourage the students to do well in school, maintain their good grades, and participate in school activities.

In addition to stipends, White-Williams Scholars offers several opportunities to help prepare students for the rigors of college coursework and careers beyond college including one-on-one tutoring, college scholarships, and workshops. White-Williams Scholars launched College Connection in January 2007. College Connection is an after-school program that helps students with “enhanced academic training, college and career guidance, leadership development and opportunities for cultural and civic engagement throughout their four years of high school”. In November 2008, White-Williams Scholars launched Back on Track, a supplementary tutoring program offered to students who became academically ineligible to be a scholar due to failing grades. This program motivates scholars by offering the necessary support to regain their good standing status as a White-Williams Scholar.

In addition to the stipends and academic support, White-Williams Scholars also works in partnership with the Charles E. Ellis Trust. The Ellis Trust provides grants to girls from single parent families to assist them in completing high school. The Ellis Trust dates from 1909 when it established a school for fatherless girls. Since 1995, White-Williams Scholars has been contracted to handle the review of applications and the award decisions for the Ellis Trust.

Works Cited:

"Magdalen Society of Philadelphia". The Historical Society of Philadelphia. Collection 2016 Magdalen Society of Philadelphia Records 1800-1974 (bulk 1800-1918.) 

Gillam, Mildred S and Toll, Jean Barth. "White-Williams Foundation". Invisible Philadelphia: Community through Voluntary Organization. Atwater Kent Museum: 1995. Philadelphia. 349-350.

"About Us". White-Williams Scholars. 