Edith M. Witmer Student Aid Fund

When Edith Witmer came to Goshen College in the fall of 1926 she was not yet 24 years old; but she was well qualified to develop the Department of Home Economics. She had her B.S. in Home Economics from Penn State College, experience as a high school teacher, and a master’s degree from Columbia University in Home Economics Education. At Goshen she planned a four-year curriculum leading to a B.S. in Home Economics. She persuaded the administration to enlarge the facilities by adding new equipment to the foods and clothing laboratories and by securing a larger room for the clothing laboratory on second f of the Science Hall where the department was located.

Her brilliant mind and her expertise in all areas of home economics won the respect of students and attracted them to major in the area. She held high standards for herself and helped students to attain high levels of performance. By the end of her second year, there were enough students in the department to organize a Home Economics Club. Half of the women graduates in 1929 were home economics majors.

In the late summer of 1929 she underwent medical examinations which revealed tubercular infection. She thought she would be able to return to the work she loved  after a year’s rest and treatment. It was a great disappointment to her as well as to the administration and her students when she was unable to return to the college in 1930.

She appreciated very much the opportunity to work with students and faculty in a church—related college. The three years she spent at Goshen were not only intellectually stimulating but spiritually enriching. When she reflected upon her experience she wrote the words to the hymn “Teach Me Thy Truth, O Mighty One,” each verse ending “in service, Lord, for Thee.” She wanted to write a hymn for the college which amplified the motto– “Culture for Service.” When she sent her composition to the president, Sanford C. Yoder, he asked Walter Yoder, the chairman of the Music Department to set it to music. In 1938 he composed “Goshen.”

Edith Witmer’s love for Goshen College and for her profession is manifest in her bequest, establishing a fund to help students who major in home economics.