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Washington
Gladden A RELIGIOUS GIANT MOST PEOPLE are not aware of the fact that one of the most important figures in 136
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BELOVED ACTRESS ELSIE JANIS was simply one of the bestloved actresses in America in her own time. Born in 1889 and managed by a classic stage mother, Elsie Bierbower began
BOTTOM: COURTESY COLUMBUS IN HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS COLLECTION/COLUMBUS METROPOLITAN LIBRARY (2)
Elsie Janis
TOP: ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN THE MIAMI DAILY METROPOLIS IN 1922
American religious thought spent most of his time preaching and teaching in Columbus. Washington Gladden not only preached the Social Gospel, he also Mary practically invented it. K a t h e r i n e He was born Solomon Washington C a m p b e l l Gladden in 1836 in Pennsylvania. His COLUMBUS’S FIRST father died when he was 6 and he grew up on the farm of an uncle in upstate New (AND SECOND) York. Wishing to become a clergyman, he MISS AMERICA eventually graduated from Williams MARY KATHERINE CAMPBELL was born College. While there, he wrote its alma in Columbus in 1905 in comfortable mater, “The Mountains.” circumstances. She was only 16 when she Wishing to “realise the Kingdom of graduated from East High School in God in this world,” Gladden was a pastor February 1922, and she seemed destined in Massachusetts and New York, married for a quiet life in Columbus. Jennie Cohoon and had three children. His Decisions made several hundred miles to newspaper work for the New York the east would change all of that. The 1920s Independent helped with the exposure were something of a golden age of economic and fall of Boss Tweed in New York. prosperity in the years after World War I. It In 1882, he became pastor of the First was, as one writer observed, “The Age of Congregational Church in Columbus and Ballyhoo.” The president of the chamber of would lead that spiritual center for the commerce in Atlantic City, N.J., persuaded next 35 years. His congregation was quite hotel owners in the resort city that a new conservative politically and theologically. event might keep people coming to town. The Gladden was not. He supported Atlantic City Pageant would include, among unionization of workers, settlement other things, a beachfront beauty contest houses and many of the reforms of what with entrants from across the country. came to be called the Progressive In the first year, 1921, Margaret Gorman of Movement. Washington, D.C., became the first “Miss His congregation did not cast him out. America.” In 1922, Campbell beat out 170 Instead, they supported many of the ideas other young women to become Miss that came to be called the Social Gospel. Columbus (and Miss Ohio) and went on to A man of absolute integrity, Gladden defeat Gorman to be the second Miss opposed a gift of $100,000 to his church America. In 1923, she won the title a second by John D. Rockefeller as “tainted money.” time. The following year, she was first runnerOpposed to the anti-Catholicism of the up to Ruth Malcolmson of Philadelphia. At American Protective Association, he was that point, contest officials made a new rule: later awarded an honorary degree by the A person could only win the title once. University of Notre Dame for his stand. Campbell retired from competition as Author of 40 books, Gladden also wrote the only (and only possible) two-time Miss the music and lyrics to “Master Let Me America. She attended Ohio State Walk with Thee,” among other hymns. University and Ohio Wesleyan University, Washington Gladden died in 1918. married DuPont executive Frank Townley and spent a long and quiet life out of the public eye until her death in 1990.