Alice Putnam Willetts
Alice Putnam Willetts, one of Swarthmore’s esteemed civic town leaders and an exceptional athlete, died peacefully in her home on June 6. She was 94.
Affectionately known as “Putty” by her family and her many friends, she devoted most of her life to “Our Town” — the community of Swarthmore. Throughout her life, the well-being and quality of life of Swarthmore’s residents, both young and old, were always her priority. With endless energy and creativity, she worked all her life to keep Swarthmore a wonderful place for people of all ages.
Putty was born at Taylor Hospital in Ridley to Allen and Gladys Putnam of Swarthmore. Both her maternal and paternal grandparents had settled in Swarthmore by the year 1890. Her parents both attended Swarthmore High School and were very involved in the community. Putty’s mother served as president of the Swarthmore Woman’s Club and was active in the Players Club, while her father belonged to a Swarthmore men’s quartet and sang in the Christmas Nativity Pageant.
Putty’s first home was at 501 Yale Ave., where her maternal grandparents lived. After several years, she moved to 234 Benjamin West Ave. and then to 317 Maple Ave., where she lived until she was 14. She then moved to her paternal grandmother and aunt’s home on Lafayette Avenue. She grew up surrounded by family: “an Italian artist grandfather, a very proper English grandmother, an opera-singing aunt, a handsome young uncle, and a dear great-aunt,” she wrote. “I was very lucky.”
Putty graduated from Swarthmore High School in 1943. While there, she played four years of varsity basketball, varsity lacrosse, and varsity field hockey (serving as captain of the hockey team in her senior year). She also served as her high school class secretary and was a member and secretary of the National Honor Society during both her junior and senior years. She participated in the student council, glee club, chorus, and yearbook, and chaired her senior prom. Awarded a scholarship to Temple University, she graduated magna cum laude in 1947. While at Temple, she continued playing varsity field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse.
Putty earned impressive credentials during her athletic career, which included 10 years as a member of the United States Field Hockey Team, and 12 years as a member of the U.S. Lacrosse Team. She was captain of both teams in 1955. She was also a member of the U.S. Field Hockey Touring Team, which competed in the British Isles. Putty was elected to seven halls of fame: Temple University; Delaware County; Pennsylvania State; Pennsylvania Lacrosse; United States Field Hockey; United States Lacrosse; and Strath Haven as a charter member.
Putty taught at Swarthmore High School from 1947 to1954, then worked for several years at Swarthmore College and at the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr. In 1962, she resumed working at Swarthmore High School, moving to Strath Haven High School after the 1984 merger of the Swarthmore and Nether Providence high schools. She retired from teaching in 1986. Many of those she taught and coached represented three successive generations of Swarthmore children.
For the first part of her teaching career, Putty shared her College Avenue home with fellow teacher and dear friend Caroline Baker. When Caroline passed away, Putty remained close with the Baker family, which considered her a very special family member.
While at Swarthmore High School, Putty launched and ran the Girls’ Athletic Association, which sponsored various mother-daughter and father-daughter events as well as other special morale-oriented projects. She revived the weekly intramural program for girls and the weekly school assembly, started the girls gymnastic program, and made girls tennis and track into varsity programs. She coached three varsity and junior varsity teams each year and sometimes oversaw as many as four additional teams below the JV level, so that all interested athletes could be on a team and compete. She encouraged students to participate both in sports and academics.
Putty created a marriage and family course for the senior girls, inviting community members to come in and speak to them. In her health class, she established a format wherein each senior girl could spend the bulk of the year researching a personally selected topic.
Throughout her coaching career, she emphasized sportsmanship, working together, respect for others, and giving more than 100%. “Intestinal fortitude” and “there is no such word as ‘no’!” are phrases that remain in the minds of all the students she taught and coached.
When Putty retired from teaching and coaching in 1986, she became even more involved in the community of Swarthmore. Her involvements, contributions, and awards include:
The Citizen Award - Daughters of the American Revolution, 2001.
Lions Club - Citizen of the Year award, 2004.
Rotary, District Governor’s Citation - Recognition of Ethics Series, 2005.
Member of Swarthmore Rotary Club from 1995, and Rotary President, 1999-2000.
Organizer of the Community and Rotary Charity Fun Fair Parade, 2003-2007.
Member of the Swarthmore Business Authority.
Swarthmore Centennial Program Speaker and co-editor of the Centennial Yearbook.
Board member and Vice President of the Senior Care Health Cooperative.
Volunteer at the Swarthmore-Rutledge School’s “Welcome Center.”
Editor of Swarthmore High School’s Class of ’43 annual newsletter.
Co-chair of her community’s New Year’s ABC Luminaria Project, 2001-2009.
Active advocate for seniors (living alone and/or hospitalized).
Swarthmore Recreation Association coach.
Founder of the Swarthmore College RotarAct Club.
Member of Swarthmore Borough Council, 1997-2005. (Member of the Public Works Committee and Parks, Public Safety, and Environment Committee; chaired the General Government Committee and the Human Services Committee; served for four years as the council’s vice president).
Organized an independent borough survey for a town revitalization project, 1998.
Originated the “Meet Our Merchants” initiative on the council’s television station.
Secured generous donors for local parks in Swarthmore.
Worked with parents and young people to establish a skateboard park.
Putty also founded two significant organizations in Swarthmore for senior citizens. She was the cofounder in 1984 of the Swarthmore Senior Citizens Association. This organization hosts Wednesday afternoon Gathering Place programs, providing an opportunity for people of all generations to socialize. She also founded the Dew Drop Inn, an intergenerational center for games (including serious bridge), lessons, discussions, and art shows.
On Arbor Day, 2004, a dogwood was planted on the grounds of the Swarthmore-Rutledge School in Putty’s honor.
Describing her relationship with the town of Swarthmore, Putty once said, “I am dedicated to a town... a special town — one that has given so much to me for so many years, and to my family before me for almost a hundred years.” If the town gave a lot to Putty, she devoted herself to giving back to the community. She touched countless lives and will be sorely missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. She was a unique, invaluable, beloved member of “Our Town.”
A Memorial Service will be held — most likely in spring 2021. The date will be announced in advance.
Memorial gifts in Putty’s honor can be sent to the Best Friends Animal Society, 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, Utah, 81741.
Related: Read Swarthmore Town Mothers (and Fathers) from April, 2019 featuring Putty.
