Submitted by, Robert W. Evans `65

Every year Wyndcroft awards the Edith G. Ebert Prize for Excellence in Mathematics. We’ve all seen Mrs. Ebert’s name on the plaques in an upstairs hallway. But who was she? As we celebrate our Centennial we’ll take a look back at some of the iconic teachers of half a century ago.

Mrs. Ebert taught Upper School mathematics and science at Wyndcroft in the 1950’s and 1960’s. By 1960 she had already established her Mathematics prize, which was awarded at Commencement that year. I had her, as nearly as I can recall, in 6^th through 8^th grades in 1962 - 1965. She was a soft-spoken but dignified and authoritative lady of the old school.  Never once did I see her angry, only a bit tight-lipped on occasion. To the best of my recollection there were no hijinks – even of the minor variety – in her class. We were all too busy trying to follow along. The New Math had arrived at Wyndcroft by this time, and Mrs. Ebert seemed at home with it just as she must have been at home when she was teaching traditional math in prior decades. All our science was theoretical – Mrs. Ebert had to teach without a laboratory because Wyndcroft didn’t get one until 1968, when the classroom building adjacent to our present Main Entrance was completed. Mrs. Ebert retired around 1970.

As a young woman Edith Gray was an active member of the former Searles Memorial United Methodist Church at Hanover and Beech Streets, Pottstown, as she remained throughout life. At least two Pottstown Mercury articles archived at Newspapers.com state that she later held committee chairmanships in the Women’s Society of Christian Service. In March 1929 both Edith and fellow parishioner Horace S. Ebert (1905-1985) represented the Epworth League of the Searles Church at the annual conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. Three months later the couple applied for their marriage license in Norristown, and presumably were married shortly thereafter. They made their home at 778 North Evans Street, where they lived for decades. They had no children. Horace had a long career as a general insurance agent, and Edith taught. In addition, in 1949 she went into partnership with two other women to open the Sew and So Shop at the corner of High and Beech Streets, Pottstown.

Our records of early faculty members are incomplete – we don’t even know where Mrs. Ebert earned her teaching degree – and we encourage you to share your  memories and any missing details with us.