On this page we will look back at life in the city during the war years. Here we will provide the visitor with the stories making the news, what was happening in sports and entertainment, city politics, the social scene and the prominent people at the time. We will also recount the events occurring in the war on that day. So, check back each day for new editions.

To share your family or neighborhood stories, please email PhillyWWIyears@gmail.com

TODAY IN PHILADELPHIA – MONDAY, MARCH 20, 1916

Spring arrives today at 5:47pm but one would not know it by the weather. There will be cloudy skies over the city today and this evening with the probability of rain or snow overnight. The high will be about 36° with the low tonight near 20°.

The Law School of the University of Pennsylvania will henceforth consider moral character along with scholastic ability in the granting of a degree. Prior to receiving a law degree the candidate must receive a certificate attesting to his good moral character both in and out of school by the faculty. This action was taken because of recent instances where several bar associations objected to men known to be of immoral character becoming lawyers.

In business news today vocational experts of this city asserted that girls who wish to stay pretty should become private secretaries for a business or professional man. The experts were lamenting the fact that those occupations often “go begging” because of the dearth of women trained for such work. Arnold Lloyd of Banks Business College, Milton Stauffer of Temple University and Miss Eva Young, vice president of Strayer Business College all said that requests for women to fill those occupations are continually received by their institutions. Wages for stenographers and private secretaries are higher than ever. The demand is so great that even incompetent stenographers can find work, whereas a competent girl can make over $90.00 a week. L.B. Moffett, Director of the Peirce School, added that becoming a private secretary preserves a girls’ beauty and keeps them from getting old in contrast to becoming teachers which makes girls age more rapidly.

In Mexico, Brigadier General John “Black Jack” Pershing (shown below) is now in Mexico and has taken command of all American forces there. Also, two Philadelphia aviators, Wilbur Kays and Haldeman von Figyelmessy, have volunteered their services to the War Department to track Villa in Mexico from the air. Both men are members of the Aero Club of Pennsylvania.

WAR NEWS 

A fleet of 65 British, French and Belgian aeroplanes raided and bombed the German naval base at Zeebrugge, Belgium and the military aerodome at Houltade. All the flying machines returned safely to their base. Each machine carried on average 200 pounds of explosives. The British government stated the raid was in retaliation for a German air raid Sunday on Dover, Deal and Margate in Kent which killed 11 and injured 31.

GET YOUR COPY OF PHILADELPHIA: THE WORLD WAR I YEARS BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW.