1928 - Ardis North

Ardis North, 1928

… a knee-length mauve silk georgette dress with matching silk slip. The dress is trimmed with bands of self-fabric pleated ruffles at waist, in skirt and along the outside of each sleeve from elbow to wrist. A self-fabric bow on the left shoulder and dropped waist sash are finished with rhinestone and glass jewel ornaments. 1928

  Ardis North wore this dress when she married Howard Lee Hamilton on February 11, 1928 in Columbus, Ohio.

Ardis was born in Nebraska in 1901 to Edgar and Pearl North, the youngest of three. Her father worked a variety of jobs including stock raiser, lumber merchant and town clerk, mostly in Nebraska. In 1920 they lived in Platte, Wyoming, where Ardis began work as a schoolteacher in a small rural schoolhouse. One of her duties was to light the stove each morning to heat the building. She worked to save money to attend Ohio State University, where she met her husband, Howard.

Howard was born in Illinois on May 30, 1903, one of John and Mary Hamilton’s five sons. His father was a successful banker and president of an insurance company. Howard graduated from OSU in 1926 and was extremely active on campus, taking part in Dip Day, (a dip into Mirror Lake celebrating the best of the rising junior class) in 1922, and was a member of Phi Kappa Psi.

Ardis was also active on campus as a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and the Industrial Management Club. She graduated with a degree in Commerce and Journalism in 1926, having had to take a break from her studies part way through her degree in order to return to work and save money for the remainder of her education. Following graduation, Howard worked for OSU as a secretary for the College of Arts and Sciences. They were very proud of their Alma Mater and worked at the university for many years.

Ardis was a very practical person and her descendants believe that when planning her wedding she chose a simple ceremony and possibly wore a nice dress that she already owned. Of particular note, however, is that the couple was married by William Oxley Thompson. Thompson had served as the President of The Ohio State University until 1925 and may have known the couple when they were students. Ardis and Howard were married for 40 years until Howard’s passing.

Donated by bride’s daughter Barbara Mack

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