Submitted by LaDale Winling on Fri, 04/15/2011 - 19:30
Since the founding of the institution in 1884, Temple University has been inextricably linked with the community of North Philadelphia. Russell Conwell's effort to educate future ministers at Grace Baptist Temple night classes came from a commitment to the local community, a theme he returned to again and again in his oft-delivered speech, "Acres of Diamonds." North Philadelphia was a mix of dense neighborhoods housing industrial workers and grand, palatial estates of the city's most affluent families. It was into that setting of economic disparity and with a responsibility to community development that Temple College, the precursor to Temple University, was born.
On this site graduate students from Temple University's Public History program present their research and interpret the relationship between the university and the neighborhood over the last 125 years. Explore the menu on the right to learn about this interaction and to read stories, hear audio, and look at maps and videos about the interaction of these two communities. This site is also the basis for a graduate student's further research on digital history and community engagement. Please send comments to lwinling[AT]gmail.com.
