Edith Scott Magna
{{short description|15th President General of the Daughters of the American Revolution}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Edith Scott Magna
| image = EdithScottMagna1920.png
| caption = Edith Scott Magna, from a 1920 publication
| birth_date = November 15, 1885
| birth_place =
| death_date = October 19, 1960 (aged 74)
| death_place = Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S.
| resting_place =
| title = 15th DAR President General, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
| term_start = 1932
| term_end = 1935
| predecessor = Edith Irwin Hobart
| successor = Florence Hague Becker
| parents =
| spouse = Russell William Magna
| children =
| education = Smith College (BA)
| signature =
| alt = A white woman wearing a large brimmed hat
}}
Edith Scott Magna (November 15, 1885 – October 19, 1960) was an American civic leader who served as the 15th president general of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
Early life and education
Magna was born on November 15, 1885. She was the daughter of Colonel Walter Scott, a businessman and philanthropist for whom the Scott Medal was named, and Sarah Dean Campbell.{{cite news |author= |date= October 19, 1960|title= Mrs. Edith Scott Magna|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-evening-sun-obituary-for-edith-scott/76463159/|work= The Evening Sun|location= Baltimore, Maryland|access-date= November 5, 2024}} She graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from Smith College in 1909.{{Cite web |last=Tobey |first=Fannie Smith |date=April 10, 1936 |title=Letter from Fannie Smith Tobey (Mrs. Walter L. Tobey) to Alva Morrison, with information about Edith Scott Magna |url=https://compass.fivecolleges.edu/islandora/object/mtholyoke%3A33819 |website=Five College Compass}}
Music
Magna was a soprano singer who specialized in Scottish songs."Scottish Songs as Rendered by Mrs. Edith Scott Magna, Heard at Two Very Prominent Affairs" The Caledonian 20(April 1920): 38. via Internet Archive She also wrote songs{{Cite news |date=1920-02-17 |title=Clan M'Laren Concert |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/transcript-telegram-clan-mlaren-concert/167660577/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=Transcript-Telegram |pages=9 |via=Newspapers.com}} and poems.{{Cite news |date=1934-12-02 |title=D. A. R. Echoes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-birmingham-news-d-a-r-echoes/167660998/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Birmingham News |pages=25 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=1922-07-13 |title=Famous Spots in the Big Woods of Maine |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent-reporter-famous-spots-in/167662645/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Independent-Reporter |pages=9 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Clubwork
Magna was vice-president general of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in the 1920s,{{Cite news |date=1927-01-31 |title=Bronze Tablet Will Tell of Mrs. Magna's Efforts to Restore Old Tavern |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/transcript-telegram-bronze-tablet-will-t/167661833/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=Transcript-Telegram |pages=3 |via=Newspapers.com}} and served as the DAR's president general from 1932 to 1935. She made it official that presidents general should visit all of the states during their term, and was the first president general to travel by plane to state conferences.{{Cite web |last=VanBuren |first=Denise Doring |date=April 22, 2022 |title=Travels with the President General |url=https://blog.dar.org/travels-president-general |website=Daughters of the American Revolution}} During the Great Depression, before her presidency, she raised funds to furnish the library at Memorial Continental Hall.{{Cite web |last=McNamara |first=Cynthia |date=March 6, 2024 |title=The DAR Library Jubilee |url=https://blog.dar.org/dar-library-jubilee |website=Daughters of the American Revolution}}
In 1927, a bronze plaque was installed to mark Magna's work in preserving Crafts Tavern, the old post tavern in Holyoke, Massachusetts. (The tavern was demolished by 1950, but the plaque was displayed in the school that was built in its place.){{Cite news |date=1998-06-30 |title=Buick: Dealership's days numbered |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-republican-buick-dealerships-days/167663342/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Republican |pages=29 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |last=Strahan |first=Derek |date=2019-02-26 |title=Crafts Tavern, Holyoke, Mass - Lost New England |url=https://lostnewengland.com/2019/02/crafts-tavern-holyoke-mass/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240916031056/https://lostnewengland.com/2019/02/crafts-tavern-holyoke-mass/ |archive-date=2024-09-16 |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=Lost New England |language=en-US}} The Massachusetts chapter of the DAR funded a college scholarship in her name in 1939.{{Cite news |date=1939-11-08 |title=State D.A.R. Will Establish Edith Scott Magna Scholarship |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-republican-state-dar-will-establi/167661665/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=The Republican |pages=8 |via=Newspapers.com}} She commented on the honor in 1940, "Faith in our schools is faith in our youth. They need us in these serious times, even as we need them."{{Cite news |date=1940-10-01 |title=Mrs. Magna Opens D.A.R. State Convention |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/transcript-telegram-mrs-magna-opens-da/167661150/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=Transcript-Telegram |pages=5 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Magna was made a knight of the Legion of Honour. She was a member of the National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century and the Mayflower Society. A building at Clarke School in Northampton was named for her.{{Cite news |date=1973-03-24 |title=Housekeeper is Principal in Russel Magna Will |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/transcript-telegram-housekeeper-is-princ/167662810/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=Transcript-Telegram |pages=8 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Personal life
Scott married Russell William Magna on March 28, 1910.{{Cite web |date=April 17, 1933 |title=Letter to Mrs. Russell William Magna of the DAR |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/letter-mrs-russell-william-magna-the-dar |access-date=November 6, 2024 |website=The American Presidency Project}} After being hospitalized for a month following a hip fracture, she died on October 19, 1960, in Holyoke, Massachusetts.{{Cite news |date=1960-10-19 |title=Magna |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/transcript-telegram-magna/167662378/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=Transcript-Telegram |pages=38 |via=Newspapers.com}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magna, Edith Scott}}
Category:American recipients of the Legion of Honour
Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour
Category:Members of the National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century
Category:People from Holyoke, Massachusetts
Category:Presidents General of the Daughters of the American Revolution