Scales, Percy Simolton
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Scales, Percy Simolton
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After working for the college president, Percy Simolton Scales served as the only female janitor at Davidson College Library while also being an active member of the Mock Hill community during the Jim Crow era.
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After more than 35 years of dedicated service as the only female janitor at the college library, Percy Simolton Scales retired due to a series of illnesses during the 1949-1950 academic year.
Percy was raised near Davidson by her parents, Henry Simolton and Blanche Byers, who both worked at Davidson College. Her father worked at Davidson College during the Reconstruction Era, while her mother worked during both the Jim Crow Era and the Reconstruction Era. Although her exact birth date is unknown, official records indicate that she was born in 1888.
Percy was a notable domestic worker in the family of Henry Louis Smith, the President of Davidson College. She raised his children until he resigned in 1912 to become the President of Washington and Lee University. After spending a year with the Smith family in Lexington, Virginia, Percy returned to Davidson College and began working in the library. She also held a part-time domestic servant position with the Devane family.
While there are no official records of her marriages, she was married twice and lived with her second husband in the Mock Hill neighborhood of Davidson. She passed away on February 15, 1955, at an advanced age, after suffering from complications related to pneumonia.
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1888
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February 15, 1955
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Henry Simolton
Henry Louis Smith, President of Davidson College
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“Faithful Janitress Retires after Many Years of Service”, The Davidsonian, October 27, 1950, 3.
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"Library Janitress, Percy Scales, Dies," The Davidsonian, February 25, 1955, 1.
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"Death Certificate of Percy Simolton Scales," in North Carolina, U.S., Death Certificates 1909-1976 [database on-line], Ancestry.com
Position: 2549 (31 views)
