In 1918 the influenza pandemic ripped through Philadelphia, killing 12,000 people in six weeks, but what happened in the aftermath? Join this online talk by Dr. Bethany Johnson to hear how she mined archival resources, including rarely-used Girard College student records, to explore the challenges facing the stricken families and efforts of institutions and organizations to respond to the epidemic’s scars.

Monday, October 20, 6:30-7:30 PM
Founder’s Hall at Girard College
2101 S. College Ave, Philadelphia PA 19121
Free
Virtual
RSVP info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/up-against-it-post-pandemic-life-and-community-response-1918-1923-tickets-1527844015579?aff=oddtdtcreator
More info: https://www.facebook.com/people/Founders-Hall-Museum/61565449011391/

When thousands of Philadelphian families lost members in the October 1918 influenza wave, Philadelphian organizations, volunteers, college students, and even children pitched in to help survivors recuperate and rebuild their lives. Nevertheless, influenza left medical, economic, and social scars in neighborhoods around the city.

Join Dr. Bethany Johnson to hear about her recent Ph.D. research into the aftermath of the 1918 flu pandemic, research which drew heavily on Girard College student records, as well as those in other local repositories, including the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the College of Physicians, and many others.

In this talk, she will discuss the complex challenges facing the stricken families and the far-reaching efforts of institutions and organizations that changed their programs—and, in some cases, their politics—after seeing the suffering and the resilience of survivors firsthand.