Dora Adele Shoemaker
Dora Adele Shoemaker (1873–1962) was an American educator, poet, and playwright born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of the founders of the National School of Elocution and Oratory, where she later received multiple degrees and served as principal from 1915 until the late 1930s. In addition to teaching at several institutions, Shoemaker was the author of the poetry collection Out O'Doors and the plays A Patron of Art and A Fighting Chance.
Dora Adele Shoemaker
- Born
- August 13, 1873
- Birthplace
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Died
- March 16, 1962
- Place of death
- Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Education
- * Friends Select School
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- writer · poet · teacher
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Dora Adele Shoemaker (1873–1962) was an American educator, poet, and playwright born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of the founders of the National School of Elocution and Oratory, where she later received multiple degrees and served as principal from 1915 until the late 1930s. In addition to teaching at several institutions, Shoemaker was the author of the poetry collection Out O'Doors and the plays A Patron of Art and A Fighting Chance.
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Dora Adele Shoemaker (1873–1962) was an American poet, teacher and writer. The poet was born in Philadelphia.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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In this article
Biography
Biography
She also lectured widely on literary subjects and elocution.
Key facts
Key facts
• Born — August 13, 1873 • Birthplace — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. • Died — March 16, 1962 • Place of death — Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, U.S. • Education — * Friends Select School • National School of Elocution and Oratory • University of Pennsylvania • Marywood College • Genre — * Poetry • plays • Parents — Rachel H. Shoemaker
Early life and education
Early life and education
Shoemaker was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 13, 1873. Her parents were Rachel H. Shoemaker and Jacob V. Shoemaker, founders of the National School of Elocution and Oratory, Philadelphia. Dora's brother, Frank W. Shoemaker, was the head of the Penn Publishing Company. She was educated at Friends Select School and the National School of Elocution and Oratory (Bachelor of Elocution and Master of Oratory, 1915), with further specialized instruction at the University of Pennsylvania. She received a master's degree at Marywood College (now Marywood University (Scranton, Pennsylvania).
Career
Career
From 1915, Shoemaker served as principal of the National School of Elocution and Oratory. Renamed the Shoemaker School of Speech and Drama, its course offerings included journalism and radio technique. Shoemaker headed the school until the late 1930s. She was also a teacher at Marywood College, St. John's Catholic Junto (Philadelphia), and Neff Dramatic School (Philadelphia). She was the author of Out O'Doors (poetry book), A Patron of Art (play) and A Fighting chance (play). She lectured on literary subjects and elocution.
Death
Death
Dora Adele Shoemaker died at her home in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, March 16, 1962.
Plays
Plays
• A Patron of Art (1901) • A Fighting Chance, Or, For the Blue Or the Gray: A Play in Three Acts (1900) (Text) • The Girls of 1776: A Drama in Three Acts (1905) (Text)
Poetry collections
• Out O'Doors
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Dora Adele Shoemaker. familysearch.org.
- 2.Howes, Durward. American Women. Richard Blank Publishing Company. 503. 1936.
- 3.Educational Bureau Publishing Company. American College and Private School Directory. 215. 1922.
- 4.Happy Birthday to – - Dora Adele Shoemaker. The Philadelphia Inquirer. 8. 13 August 1938.
- 5.The Shoemaker School of Speech and Drama. The Philadelphia Inquirer. 22. 22 September 1938.
- 6.Obituary, Dora Adele Shoemaker. The Philadelphia Inquirer. 24. 19 March 1962.
- 7.Wright, Alfred Augustus. Who's who in the Lyceum. Pearson Bros. 160. 1906.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 27 September 2026.
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