November 23, 2006 Issue                                       

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©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

She is 90, but Chestnut Hill still banks on Corn
by PAULA M. RILEY

At 90 Dorothy Corn is still active in the community as a selfless volunteer. (Photo by Paula M. Riley)

This is the sixth in a new series of articles by Chestnut Hill writer Paula M. Riley. Each week Riley will profile a business, community or educational leader.

“I was one of the only two women vice presidents in Philadelphia banks then.” Grinning proudly, Dorothy Corn recalls her colorful career in banking. When she retired in 1982, she had spent 45 years in the industry. Since then, the 90-year-old Hiller has applied this experience to volunteering in Chestnut Hill, specifically with the Senior Center.

Beginning as a file clerk in 1935 for Germantown Trust, she found herself rapidly moving up the career ladder when she made a switch to Fidelity Bank in 1955. Corn tells stories of her banking career with incredible detail. She laughs as she describes her experience working in the operations department on a committee to choose the type of computer system for the bank. “We introduced the account numbering of customer accounts. Let me tell you, they were not happy about that at all. It’s so funny to think of that now.” When she retired, Corn held the role of vice president of operating systems, overseeing 150 employees on the ninth floor of the Fidelity Bank building at Broad and Walnut.

Corn was not retired long before a neighbor asked her to attend a program at the Chestnut Hill Senior Center. Her reply, “I said no way.” Soon the center was looking for a treasurer, and her neighbor came calling again. Corn’s reply that time, “I don’t think so. I don’t want to join. I have no interest.” Despite Corn’s initial declinations, she soon became involved with the center and has served in various leadership capacities for the last 22 years.

During those two decades, Corn has been on the board, helped coordinate programs and functioned as the center’s treasurer. “A few years back, I finally went off the board as treasurer, but they couldn’t keep the books straight so I started running the books again, even though I was not officially on the board,” she said. Corn was put back on the board as treasurer but finally stepped down last year. She is now considered a board member emeritus. “I thought I was finished and my time was up, but I’m still pretty well involved.”

When she speaks of the center, she is proud of its great programs but is most concerned about its future. Corn knows that the center’s current location in Chestnut Hill Village may not be a long-term solution for their programs. Though they hold a lease until next September, Corn recognizes the many changes the new owners of Chestnut Hill Village have made, including moving the group from the community room at the village to an empty apartment.

“We are scrambling for spaces for our classes; we go wherever we can find spaces, and it changes from week to week.” Corn has been working with other local venues to host these classes as she investigates options to share space with Teenagers, Inc., or work out an arrangement with the Chestnut Hill Community Association.

Space is the greatest challenge for the Senior Center, whose programs include Tai Chi, language classes, art lessons, day trips, speakers, weekly luncheons, aerobics and bridge leagues for the members who come from all over Chestnut Hill and surrounding areas. Despite its tremendous popularity, Corn never plays bridge. “There’s too much criticism between players in bridge; there’s more fighting than there is playing.” Corn prefers taking Tai Chi classes, learning Italian and attending the Antique & Collectibles talks.

The people at the center and the wonderful interaction between them keeps Corn involved. “I enjoy who I meet, and I love to hear people tell their stories.” Creating an opportunity for seniors to come together is something Corn’s mother modeled. The senior Corn was one of the original members of a group of women who met in the Water Tower, chatting and knitting Afghan squares to send to war veterans.

“My mother thought I was too quiet, but she wouldn’t think so now. I am much more vocal now than when I was young.” Corn realizes she is known for voicing her opinions. Her hope is that people view her as someone who tries to be active and help make Chestnut Hill better. “This community was always great. I just want to make it better.”

She should know. Corn spent her entire life living on the same block in Chestnut Hill; she has spent 87 years in her current home. After attending first and second grade at John C. Gilbert Elementary School (“no one remembers there was a school on West Highland Avenue”), she entered third grade the year John S. Jenks Elementary School opened and later graduated from Germantown High. She made lifelong friendships with her fellow students at Jenks, though she has attended most of their funerals. “It starts to get lonely when you are 90; so few of those friends are left.”

Corn fills this void with new friends, some as much as 40 years her junior. “I’m so lucky to live in this neighborhood. I have wonderful friends.” Through her 40 years singing with the Our Mother of Consolation Church Choir, 10 years as a Meals-on-Wheels and Town Watch Volunteer, Corn continuously met new friends.

She has retired from these other volunteer roles, and now the Senior Center is at the core of her social life. She loves working for their annual bazaar — pricing, planning and working on the arrangements and is happy to have led efforts to expand their programs and address the center’s space challenges. Her role as treasurer though, has given her the greatest fulfillment in her retirement years, as she cherished the opportunity to work in finance, her field of expertise. “You can’t spend your whole life doing something and just turn it off. It comes with you everywhere you go.”

Thankfully, Corn is not going anywhere. She plans to continue her work with the center and relish the years she has left in the Chestnut Hill community. In 1980, Corn received the Community Association Benefactor Award. The night of the awards ceremony, she had severe back pain and could not thank the community the way she wanted to. She asked that this article do just that. Sorry, Dorothy, but it is YOU we want to thank!

The Senior Center is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at 7999 Crittenden Street, up the block from Market Square Shopping Center. It can be reached at 215-248-0180.