pen name
A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name.
A pen na ...
, Adidnac; – August 23, 1932) was an American educator and author. She contributed to the ''Southern Quarterly'', under her father's direction and wrote for the New Orleans press. In addition to a poetry collection, ''Donata and Other Poems'' (1880), and a textbook,
''Spoken thought : a text book on vocal expression for use in high schools, normal schools and colleges'' (1927), she wrote several plays. Whitaker was elected president of the
Southern United States
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
.
Early life and education
Lily Candida Whitaker was born about 1850, in Charleston, South Carolina. Whitaker's father was a man of letters and the editor of ''Southern Quarterly''. Her mother,
Mary Scrimzeour Whitaker
Mary Scrimzeour Whitaker (, Furman; after first marriage, Miller; after second marriage, Whitaker; February 22, 1820 – March 12, 1906) was an American litterateur, author, poet, essayist, novelist, and critic. Born in South Carolina, she became a ...
, was one of the best known writers of
Southern
Southern may refer to:
Businesses
* China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China
* Southern Airways, defunct US airline
* Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US
* Southern Airways Express, M ...
literature. Whitaker was reared in an atmosphere of books and culture. Of the six Whitaker siblings, only one other besides Lily survived to adulthood: a younger sister, Ida (d. 1925), who was born in
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Georg ...
. Since early girlhood, they lived in New Orleans.
They were educated privately and both were graduates of St. Simeon's Academy of New Orleans, where they also did post-graduate work. Whitaker completed the nine-year course in four years' time. Whitaker continued her education abroad after graduating from St. Simeon's.
Career
Author
Before her education was completed, her literary productions appeared in the leading local journals. She contributed to the ''Southern Quarterly'' under their father's direction and for years wrote for the New Orleans Press.
Whitaker's literary style was characterized as being "...full of grace, ideality and imagination, further possessing strength, wit and pathos". Her plays included ''The Useful and the Beautiful'', ''The Study of the Rainbow'', ''The Earth and the Ocean Peris'', ''The Fate of Narcissus'', ''The Golden Rod'', ''Cupid and Pysche'', ''Among the Stars'', ''One Day in the Legislature'', ''The Hobby Club'', ''The Sunday Law'', ''At the White House'', and others numbering fifteen plays, all of which were produced at the New Orleans Grand Opera House with great success. The manager of the New Orleans Grand Opera House stated that Miss Whitaker was the best stage manager he had ever seen. Whitaker adapted her mother's novel, ''Albert Hastings'', to the stage. Whitaker's volume of poems entitled ''Donata'', though written when a girl, won for the writer an enviable reputation. She was also a frequent contributor to the press in New Orleans and elsewhere.
Educator
Whitaker, at her own expense, gave six receptions to a large circle of acquaintances, at each of which the actors of the day lectured upon some great play, playwright or dramatic epoch. The lectures led social events each season. Whitaker did a great deal of acting, playing such parts as Pauline in the ''Lady of Lyons''. It is said that she was born to be a musician, so decided was her musical talent.
Whitaker, for a number of years, was the principal of McDonough School No. 9. While in charge of the Department of Expression at St. Simeon's School, Whitaker, realizing the increasing demand for the harmonic development of physical, mental and moral faculties, began the instruction of a private class of fifteen pupils at Grunewald Hall. This was in October 1887, and was the primary effort from which the history of the New Orleans College of Oratory and Elocution had its beginning. This class expanded and greatly enlarged, and she added other courses and in January, 1894, the New Orleans College of Oratory was chartered by the Legislature and incorporated. The state charter was granted by the Senate and House of Representatives without a dissenting vote. It was the only school of oratory chartered south of
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
. Whitaker had studied oratory under Professor Caldwell and in every school of oratory east of
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
. The fundamental principle of her school was not to make orators or actors but to develop the talent inherent in the individual; the aim was individuality and originality. Branch schools were established for the benefit of pupils living remote from the college. This normal department by proficiency gained the recognition and approval of the City Board of Education, and credit for work by public school teachers was given there. Associated with Whitaker was her sister, Ida, who held the office of secretary and treasurer and was also on the staff of instructors.
During the
World Cotton Centennial
The World Cotton Centennial (also known as the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition) was a World's Fair held in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States in 1884. At a time when nearly one third of all cotton produced in the United Sta ...
of 1884, she wrote articles regarding the fair for
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
newspapers. Whitaker was elected second vice president of the
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...
State Teachers' Association in 1890. In 1894, she was elected president of the St. Simeon's Alumnae Association. In the summer of 1897, she took charge of the department of elocution at the Monteagle (Tennessee) assembly.
In 1907, she attended the
National Educational Association
The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the United States. It represents public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college stud ...
meeting in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
, and then spent some months in the west.
Later life and death
In June 1910, Lily and Ida departed for
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
on a European sojourn. They spent a week in the English metropolis before departing for
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
. They traveled from there to
Lübeck
Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the stat ...
and then to
Berlin
Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...
in an automobile. From there, they fared to
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
and to
Oberammergau
Oberammergau is a municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria, Germany. The small town on the Ammer River is known for its woodcarvers and woodcarvings, for its NATO School, and around the world for its 380-year tradition ...
. At Berlin, they attended the
Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
festival. From Oberammergau, the Whitaker sisters traveled through Switzerland and visited
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 ...
,
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
,
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
, and
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, where they had a private interview with the
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
, and then went up the
Rhine
The Rhine ; french: Rhin ; nl, Rijn ; wa, Rén ; li, Rien; rm, label=Sursilvan, Rein, rm, label=Sutsilvan and Surmiran, Ragn, rm, label=Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader and Puter, Rain; it, Reno ; gsw, Rhi(n), including in Alsatian dialect, Al ...
to
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
, thence to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
. Crossing over the
Strait of Dover
The Strait of Dover or Dover Strait (french: Pas de Calais - ''Strait of Calais''), is the strait at the narrowest part of the English Channel, marking the boundary between the Channel and the North Sea, separating Great Britain from contine ...
, they again reached London. They studied paintings of the masters and famous statuary, and visited all the elocution schools they were able to visit and secured valuable data before returning home in October. In July 1913, Lily and Ida went to visit friends in Pasadena, California. Thereafter, Lily would attend the summer school at Stanford University.
The New Orleans College of Oratory and Elocution closed in 1927 due to Whitaker's failing eyesight.
In religion, Whitaker was Catholic.
She died at her home in New Orleans, August 23, 1932.
Selected works
Poetry collections
* ''Donata and Other Poems'' (Baltimore, Maryland, 1880)
Textbooks
* ''Spoken thought : a text book on vocal expression for use in high schools, normal schools and colleges'' (1927)
Plays
* ''The Useful and the Beautiful''
* ''The Study of the Rainbow''
* ''The Earth and the Ocean Peris''
* ''The Fate of Narcissus''
* ''The Golden Rod''
* ''Cupid and Pysche''
* ''Among the Stars''
* ''One Day in the Legislature''
* ''The Hobby Club''
* ''The Sunday Law''
* ''At the White House''
* ''Dreamland''
* ''Ghosts of Cluna''