Cordelia Camp
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Cordelia Camp (May 22, 1884 – July 10, 1973) was an American educator. She was a prolific writer and was president of Delta Kappa Gamma in 1942. She was also the director of student teaching at Western Carolina College for twenty-three years. In 1965, Western Carolina College dedicated the Cordelia Camp Laboratory School to her.


Early life

Cordelia Camp was born in
Rutherford County, North Carolina Rutherford County is a County (United States), county in the southwestern area of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 64,444. Its county seat is Rutherfordton, North Carolina, R ...
on May 22, 1884, to Merrick Rickman and Letitia Morrow Camp. She was the oldest of five children. After she graduated school, she worked as a teacher for a few years before entering the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...
. She graduated from the university in 1920. She later got her
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
from
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
in 1925.


Career

Camp worked for twenty-three years as the director of student teaching at Western Carolina College before retiring from that job in 1950. After moving to
Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populous city in Western North Carolina a ...
in 1952, she taught at the local Plonk School for four years. She was one of the twelve people who founded the North Carolina branch of Delta Kappa Gamma. She was made their president in 1942, having previously been their first vice president. She wrote biographies of the governors
Zebulon Vance Zebulon Baird Vance (May 13, 1830 – April 14, 1894) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 37th and 43rd governor of North Carolina, a U.S. Senator from North Carolina, and a Confederate officer during the American Civil ...
and David Swain for junior high students. Her biography of Swain was reviewed positively by the
News and Record The ''News & Record'' is an American, English language newspaper with the largest circulation serving Guilford County, North Carolina, and the surrounding region. It is based in Greensboro, North Carolina, and produces local sections for Greensbo ...
. In 1963, at the request of the Carolina Chapter Tercentenary Commission, Camp wrote a booklet titled ''The Influence of Geography upon the History of Early North Carolina''. She also wrote most of the Delta Kappa Gamma publication ''Some Pioneer Women Teachers of North Carolina''. In 1968, she wrote a book about the history of the Asheville Normal and Collegiate Institute, the school that she received her secondary and first professional training at, titled ''A Thought at Midnight''.


Personal life

Camp believed that it was important to save for big things like traveling instead of spending on little things. She traveled around the United States, and also traveled internationally to places such as Canada, Mexico, Europe, and the Caribbean. She also believed that teachers should not engage in political activities as teachers. She died on July 10, 1973, after a brief illness.


Legacy

Western Carolina College gave Camp a honorary Doctor of Education degree in 1956. The college also honored her in the naming and dedication of the Cordelia Camp Laboratory School in May 1965.


Bibliography

Source: * ''North Carolina by Problems: A Handbook for Teachers'' (1929) * ''The Settlement of North Carolina'' (1942) * ''Governor Vance: A Life for Young People'' (1961) * ''David Lowry Swain: Governor and University President'' (1963) * ''The Influence of Geography on Early North Carolina'' (1963) * ''A Thought at Midnight: The Story of the Asheville Normal School'' (1968) * ''A History of Piney Knob Baptist Church'' (1972) * ''The Family of Merritt Rickman Camp''


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Camp, Cordelia 1884 births 1973 deaths 20th-century American women writers Academics from North Carolina Historians from North Carolina American women historians American women biographers Columbia University alumni University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni Western Carolina University faculty