Early life
Born 7 March 1902 in Beijing, Ingram was the daughter of American Congregational missionary James Henry Ingram (1858-1934) and Myrtle Belle (Prough) Ingram (1871-1941), his second wife. Her passport and a ''New York Times'' article (cited below) give her sisters as Miriam Ingram and Ruth Ingram. Other siblings were Kathryn Ingram (Rowe), Robert Ingram, and Lewis Ingram.Tutor to Wanrong in the Forbidden City
Ingram graduated from Wellesley College in Massachusetts in 1922, she returned to China, was admitted into theAccounts of Isabel Ingram in Richard Halliburton, ''The New York Times'' and ''Time''
Famous in his era, travel-adventure writer Richard Halliburton wrote his parents in December 1922 that he called on "the young American tutoress of the Empress of China." He added that he found the visit quite interesting. The young Ingram was petite and quite attractive. He wrote that on Christmas Eve he "went for a walk about the city wall with Miss Ingram" and that "the Royal Pair were only married a day or two before," adding that "this girl" and Reginald Johnston, Pu Yi's tutor, were the only people of European stock "at the great ceremony." In his book ''The Royal Road to Romance'', he wrote that the empress was not to be outdone by the emperor with his tutor and that Ingram taught her the speech, modes, and manners of the West. The two girls tried to look like one another and traded clothes on at least one occasion. A 21 November 1934 ''New York Times'' article stated that the empress received part of her education from two American women. It named the women as Miriam Ingram and Isabel Ingram and stated they are daughters of a Congregational missionary from Philadelphia. The article explained that from them the empress learned English, history, and something about life in the Western world. On 12 May 1924, ''Time'' had a piece titled "Henry The Democrat," Henry referring to a name adopted by Puyi, who, according to ''Time'', had a "beautiful consort" with the court name Elizabeth (Wanrong). The article states "Elizabeth was accompanied by Miss Isabel Ingram, graduate of Wellesley, her American tutor."Scholarly writing
As a reflection of her interest in Chinese art and culture, she wrote "A Scroll of the Eight Views by Chang Lung Chang" for ''The Pennsylvania Museum Bulletin'' as well as "The Siren Collection of Chinese Sculpture,", both from 1927 to 1929.Passport data
According to Ingram's American passport, in case of death or accident, she wished that a sister Ruth Ingram be notified at Peking Union Medical College. A note on Ingram's passport reads "Travelling to British ports, Egypt, Palestine, and the United Kingdom en route to the United States of America. British Consulate, Peking. 23/2/27." On 12 April 1927, it was stamped by the harbour police inReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ingram, Isabel American expatriates in China 1902 births 1988 deaths Writers from Beijing People from Edgewood, Maryland