Ethel Hampson Brewster (July 3, 1886 – August 18, 1947) was an American college professor and

philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...

. She was

Dean of Women The dean of women at a college or university in the United States is the dean with responsibility for student affairs for female students. In early years, the position was also known by other names, including preceptress, lady principal, and adviser ...

and taught Greek and Latin at

Swarthmore College Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the earliest coeduca ...

, where she was a member of the faculty from 1916 to 1947.

Early life and education

Ethel Hampson Brewster was born in

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester is ...

, the daughter of Joseph Fergus Brewster and Jane (Hampson) Brewster. She graduated from Chester High School in 1903. She earned a bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College in 1907, and a master's degree from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

in 1911. She held the Bennett Fellowship in Classics from 1912 to 1914, and completed doctoral studies at Penn in 1915, with a dissertation titled "Roman Craftsmen and Tradesmen of the Early Empire".

Career

Brewster taught Latin, French and English at Chester High School after she graduated from Swarthmore in 1907. She taught Latin at

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...

from 1914 to 1916, and became associate professor of Greek and Latin at Swarthmore College in 1916. She taught at Swarthmore for over thirty years, and was department chair, Dean of Women and acting Dean of the college during her Swarthmore years. In 1919, she addressed an audience at the

Philadelphia High School for Girls The Philadelphia High School for Girls, also known as Girls' High, is a public college preparatory magnet high school for girls in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As its name suggests, the school's enrollment is all female. Established in 1848, it ...

, saying "It is as stupid to oust ancient history from the schools in favor of American and modern European history as it would be to knock out the first two stories of a skyscraper and expect the structure to stand." Brewster was a member of

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

and the

American Association of University Women The American Association of University Women (AAUW), officially founded in 1881, is a non-profit organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. The organization has a nationwide network of 170,000 ...

Publications

Brewster's work was published in academic journals, including ''

Classical Philology Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

'', ''The Classical Weekly'', ''

The Journal of Higher Education ''The Journal of Higher Education'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal covering higher education. The journal was established in 1930. It is published by Taylor & Francis. Previously, it was published by Ohio State University Press. Th ...

'', and ''

The Classical Journal ''The Classical Journal'' (CJ) is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal of classical studies published by the Classical Association of the Middle West and South. Print edition The journal currently has about 2300 subscribers, including app ...

''. * "On

Suetonius Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; c. AD 69 – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies ...

, ''De grammaticis 5''" (1915) * "The

Synthesis Synthesis or synthesize may refer to: Science Chemistry and biochemistry *Chemical synthesis, the execution of chemical reactions to form a more complex molecule from chemical precursors ** Organic synthesis, the chemical synthesis of organ ...

of the Romans" (1918) * "The Functions of a Teacher" (1923) * "Modern Antiquities" (1920) * "Experiments with Translations" (1924) * "Social Life as an Academic Problem" (1924) * "A Weaver of

Oxyrhynchus Oxyrhynchus (; grc-gre, Ὀξύρρυγχος, Oxýrrhynchos, sharp-nosed; ancient Egyptian ''Pr-Medjed''; cop, or , ''Pemdje''; ar, البهنسا, ''Al-Bahnasa'') is a city in Middle Egypt located about 160 km south-southwest of Cairo ...

: Sketch of an Humble Life in Roman Egypt" (1927) * "Reading for Honors" (1930) * ''A Weaver's Life in Oxyrhynchus: His Status in the Community'' (1931) * "In Roman Egypt" (1935) * "Poster Politics in Ancient Rome and in Later Italy" (1944) * "The Place of Latin in the Post-War Curriculum" (1946)

Personal life

Brewster died at her niece's home in 1947, at the age of 61, in

Great Neck, New York Great Neck is a region on Long Island, New York, that covers a peninsula on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore and includes nine villages, among them Great Neck (village), New York, Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, New York, Great Neck Es ...

. Her body was found in a closet, with a bottle of sleeping pills, after she had expressed concerns for her declining health.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brewster, Ethel Hampson 1886 births 1947 deaths Chester High School alumni People from Chester, Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania alumni Swarthmore College faculty Vassar College faculty Deans of women Philologists 20th-century American academics 20th-century American women academics