Call Number:

04

Repository:

Old York Road Historical Society

Extent:

11.0 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

circa 1960-2005

Creator:

Rankin, Lillian Bassett, 1913-2009

Abstract:

Lillian Bassett Rankin (nee Stringfellow) was born in 1913 and died in 2009. A graduate of Beaver College (now Arcadia University) and later a teacher there, Rankin lived most of her life in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. A large proportion of the Lillian Rankin papers, circa 1960-2005, consists of photographs and slides. The collection also contains a sizeable amount of her notebooks and writings, and a small amount of financial records, correspondence, and Beaver College/Arcadia University alumni ephemera.

"Lillian Bassett Rankin (nee Stringfellow) of Rydal Park since 1987 died on September 17, 2009 at Rydal Park [in Abington, Pennsylvania]. She also resided several months a year at Belfast, Maine. Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late Issac Anderson Stringfellow and Gertrude (nee Hockman). She was the wife of the late Samuel E. Bassett and Lynn Rankin.

"Mrs. Rankin was a 1930 graduate of John Harris High School in Harrisburg, PA. She went on to graduate from Beaver College [now Arcadia University] with a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1934. She received awards in Chemistry and was a life member of Phi Kappa Phi. Then, in 1941 she attained her Master's Degree from Penn State University. She was elected to be a member of the Iota Sigma Pi Honor Society at Penn State University. She was a life member of Alumni Association at Arcadia University and Penn State. She also attended Magill University for one year.

"During WWII Mrs. Rankin was a volunteer at Abington Hospital under the Navy League Volunteer Program. She was a life member of the Navy League. Mrs. Rankin was an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Beaver College. She taught at Beaver College for 17 years and Cheltenham High School for 4 years. She also was a permanent substitute at Abington High School for 1.5 years. She was involved in homebound tutoring in N.J. & Maine and also taught at St. Bernard's Academy in Fair Hill, N.J. Mrs. Rankin was voted in 1983 the Volunteer Woman of the Year for Waldo County, Waldo, Maine.

"Mrs. Rankin was active in many organizations. She was on numerous committees in Belfast and on the Board of Waldo County Hospital. She also wrote education programs. She was also a member of Maine Citizens for Better Courts & on Panel C for Overseers of the Bar. She was a life member of the National Council of State Garden Clubs and a former President of the Belfast Garden Club and the Mid-Coast Farm & Garden Club for Maine. Mrs. Rankin was also a former Flower Show Judge. She was a 55 Alive Driving Instructor for AARP. She also did volunteer work for Rydal Park services. She was an Officer in Wags & served as President from 1998-2000. She was also a member of Abington Presbyterian Church. She was a member of the President's Council & Chairman's Forum at Abington Memorial Hospital."

Bibliography:

Helweg Funeral Service, Inc. Obituary for Lillian Bassett Rankin. 2009. Accessed February 17, 2012. http://www.helwegfuneralservice.com/obit-display.php?rec_id=18

A large portion of the Lillian Rankin papers, circa 1960-2005, consists of photographs and slides; the collection also contains a sizeable amount of writings, and a small amount of financial records, correspondence, and Beaver College/Arcadia University alumni ephemera. Color slides in the collection primarily document Rankin's domestic and international travels, circa 1960s-1980s; there is also a travel scrapbook and many family photos, including a family history scrapbook with photographs of Lillian's extended family and clippings/ephemera from her childhood. Rankin's writings include a large amount of notebooks and some short fiction, as well as several travel journals.