Collection of cover letters and printed applications for teaching positions in Blaine Township, PA, 1931-1932
Collection of 22 cover letters and printed applications forms for employment in the Taylorstown School Board, Blaine Township, Washington County, Pa. The majority are from May 1931, made in response to an ad for 7th-8th grade teacher placed in the Washington Observer, including 14 ALS responses and 5 forms. Outliers range from January 1931 through 1933; one is undated.
Some of the ALS responses are charming: Joseph Kulikowski from Coal Center, PA has included a headshot and volunteered that he received only a "B" grade for practical teaching experience. Another applicant has written 5 pages, including a "Data Sheet" (resume). Miss Margaret Kimbel's letter is accompanied by two typed letters of recommendation. Mary Elizabeth Wagner, who wrote unsuccessfully in 1931 before the first call had been published, tried again in 1932.
Fields on the application form offer insights into hiring priorities and comparisons to modern employment regulations, asking age, marriage status, height and weight. Questions include, Can you sing? ("Slightly," one replies.) To what church do you belong? Are you regular in attendance? (No one dare say "no.") Applicants are asked to select which topics they have studied (one underscore), can teach (two underscores) and prefer (three underscores) from a list that includes Commercial Law, Manual Training, Caesar, Cicero, Virgil, Folk Dancing, Play Coaching, Operatic Coaching and Stenography. "Manual Training" is listed twice. The printed application asks about familiarity with educational testing, namely the Courtis Tests—standardized reading exams developed in the early 20th century.
The proximity to the Normal School in California, PA is reflected in the applicants. Margaret B. Button has even written on State Teachers College letterhead in perfect Palmerian penmanship. Those with less direct training have also applied, possibly indicative of the wider nets cast in Depression-era job searches. George A. Stolze, who has no teaching experience, but studied Physio-Therapeutics and Obstetrics from 1920-1924, but had recently enrolled in teachers' college and was looking to be paid no less than $1200 for his first gig (previously making $1500). Another applicant wrote "Minimum" for salary requirement.
The final section is also to be completed by a physician, attesting to the applicant's overall health, history of contagious disease (including Phthisis/T.B.), and vaccination status. Most of these have been left blank.