This sweet photograph of a little girl with her doll in an outdoor scene was taken in 1918 by J. B. Hostettler of Davenport, Iowa. The original negative envelope was labeled “Mrs. Seth Temple daughter.” From our research, we have learned that this little girl’s name was Alice Muriel Temple. She was the daughter of Seth Justin Temple and Alice Maude Gamble. She was born on August 2, 1909 in Davenport, Iowa. She had four siblings named Holmes (1897-1912), Gilbert (1899-1983), Arthur (1902-1951), and Malcolm (1906-1997).
Miss Alice Muriel attended Pierce School in the Village of East Davenport similar to her elder brothers. She was in kindergarten in 1914 according to an article published in The Davenport Democrat and Leader where she went by “Muriel Temple.”
The Temple family was frequently found in the newspapers of Davenport. Seth Temple was a prominent architect in Davenport and designed many of the houses in McClellan Heights where he had his own home.
One such article details an annual summer lawn fete held by the Woman’s Missionary Auxiliary of Trinity Cathedral at the Temple Home. The fete offered talks about recent missionary works, a humorous story told by Miss Alice French, and delights of various performances by girls and women of all ages including a dance with little girls including Muriel Temple who performed in “‘The Dandelion,’ a charming little flower dance.” The event successfully raised a nice sum of money for the regular mission fund.
Alice attended St. Katharine’s School and graduated from Davenport High School in 1927. She went on to attend the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts and the New York School of Interior Decoration. After graduating, she became a member of the Edgewood Park Junior College faculty in Greenwich, Connecticut.
We have a strong inkling that Alice met her future spouse James Francis Glenn at Edgewood Park Junior College where he was a professor of chemistry. He is the son of William Darby Glenn and Ella Cynthia Carroll in York, South Carolina on December 20, 1905. They married on her parent’s 40th wedding anniversary on June 12, 1936, at 25 McClellan Boulevard.
The Temple home was decorated with candlelight, ferns, and flowers for the nuptial ceremony. The Davenport Democrat and Leader reported that Alice wore a “lovely pink chiffon floor-length afternoon gown, fashioned with short sleeves puffed to the elbow. She carried a shower bouquet of pink roses.”
After their wedding, they returned to Connecticut where they continued to work as teachers. In the 1940 Census, it shows that they had moved to Briarcliff Manor, New York. According to the 1950 Census, they lived in Salisbury, Maryland with their two sons, James D. and Thomas C. They had moved there in 1944 for James’ position as a chemistry professor at Salisbury State College. After a long illness, Alice passed away on December 27, 1972, in Salisbury, Maryland. James passed away on October 12, 1984, in Omaha Nebraska. They are both buried at Wicomico Memorial Park in Salisbury, Maryland.
Bibliography
Lanie. “Alice Muriel Temple Glenn.” Find a Grave. Find a Grave, Feb. 21, 2011. Jul. 2, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65951713/alice-muriel-glenn?_gl=1*bhz3dx*_gcl_au*MTYyMjMxMzI2LjE3MTI5NDQzNDQ.*_ga*MTE5MzI4MTUzMy4xNzEyOTQ0MzQ0*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*YzZjZmEwMDgtYmNhMC00YTk0LWE2YmUtODU3ODM0MmRjZjJlLjI0LjEuMTcxOTUyMTYyOC4yOS4wLjA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*YzZjZmEwMDgtYmNhMC00YTk0LWE2YmUtODU3ODM0MmRjZjJlLjIyLjEuMTcxOTUyMTYyOC4wLjAuMA.
“Announce Engagement of Miss Alice Muriel Temple and James Francis Glenn.” The Davenport Democrat and Leader (Davenport, IA), Jun. 8, 1936, page 4.
“Glenn-Temple Wedding Party is Announced.” The Davenport Democrat and Leader (Davenport, IA), Jun. 10, 1936, page 4.
(posted by Kathryn)
