Norwood Historical Society Continues "Wonderful Women Of Norwood"

NORWOOD, MA - The Norwood Historical Society is continuing its "Wonderful Women of Norwood" series with the March edition profiling Norwood businesswoman Clara Wentworth (Rich) Berwick Walker.

The following piece was written by Norwood Historical Society Board Members Laurie Kearney, Linda Rau, and Karen DeNapoli. It was edited to conform with journalistic style.

The Norwood Historical Society would like to highlight the life of Clara Wentworth (Rich) Berwick Walker, one of Norwood’s Wonderful Women who was responsible to contributing to the growth of our town.

She was a very unusual woman for her day. For approximately thirty years, from 1917 to around 1947, she was the president of Berwick & Smith, the printing department of The Norwood Press. This position was not a traditional role for a woman at that time, and yet, Clara did not hesitate to leave her socialite life behind and do something very unconventional for a woman – to be the president of a large company.

Clara Rich was born April 26,1873 in Cohasset, Massachusetts. She was the firstborn child of Charles H. Rich and Clara Bourne Pratt, and was the sister of Martha (Rich) Fleming, wife of Charles Fleming, President of E. Fleming & Co., part of The Norwood Press.

The Rich family moved to Cottage Street around 1875 and were part of Norwood’s growing middle class. Charles was a foreman mechanic at the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad car shops. Clara was educated in Norwood’s public schools and then attended Boston University’s School of Business Administration.

She was married first to Walter Jones Berwick, October 2, 1895, in Norwood. He was the son of James Berwick, owner of Berwick & Smith. Walter worked for his father as the treasurer of the company.

Early records show the couple lived with her parents on Cottage Street. This couple had been married for over twenty-three years when Walter died. They had no children.

Clara, as the wife of one of Norwood’s important businessmen, did not work outside of the home. She was a housewife. In that role, she would have hosted many gatherings for some of Norwood’s elite residents. Her name appears as a member of several organizations. She was one of the founding members of the Norwood Historical Society and the Norwood Women’s Club.

She also formed an association, the Massachusetts Protective Association for Horses, and served on its board. It actively petitioned the state to make streets safer for horses as newly-tarred roads were slippery, especially in the winter. She even enjoyed golfing with family and friends.

In 1911, Clara and Walter bought a large lot of land behind the Rev. Jabez Chickering house, and it was here where they build their new home. Clara seems to have led the kind of life a well-connected woman of that time would have led—quiet and involved in philanthropic endeavors.

Clara’s husband, Walter Berwick, died unexpectedly in 1917. Her father-in-law had died the year before. So Clara took over the running of Berwick and Smith. It was a position she held for approximately 30 years.

In the 1920 census, she lists her job as a “manager at a printing co,” and in Norwood’s local directories throughout the 1930s and 1940s, as well as inprofessional directories, she is listed as the President of Berwick & Smith.

Clara remarried June 10, 1919 to John Jacob Walker, in Livingston, South Dakota. Walker was 18 years younger then Clara. This couple enjoyed leisure time at their retreat in Orland, Maine. They also enjoyed traveling abroad. Over the years they visited Europe, Asia, China, Japan, Alaska, and Africa. During their travels, Clara began collecting art and antiques, eventually amassing a very impressive collection.

In 1933, she was a charter member of The Early American Glass Club, a branch of a national glass collectors club, in Boston.

In 1945, John Walker left the family home, moving to New York. Soon after he left, he sent a letter to Clara demanding $200,000 to “regain his self-respect.” Eventually some sort of settlement was agreed upon, and a divorce was granted in 1950.

Clara was a collector of fine art. By the 1950s she began donating her collections to museums and universities. In 1952, she exhibited a part of her silk oriental rug collection, which was part of an art collection she gave to Brandeis College in Waltham.

In 1958, she donated her collection of 170 glass items to the Smithsonian. This collection included a rare grouping of early American glass from Stiegel, Amelung, and Sandwich. In 1959, she donated her collection of 100 rare ivory pieces to Trinity College. In the 1960s she donated more art to the Smithsonian including: seven oriental rugs, some robes and ceramic pieces, 74 pieces of rare early American glass, and 22 European and Asian ivories. When her estate was auctioned off in 1965, the auctioneer said he was selling antique, Victorian, and other furniture, as well as china and glass from the Berwick estate.

Clara Wentworth (Rich) Berwick Walker died December 28, 1964 in Norwood, just a few months shy of 92 years old. She led an incredible life, yet when one searches for information on it, very little can be found. She grew up in a middle-class family. She became one of Norwood’s socialites. After her first husband died, she put that traditional life style behind her to run the family business, a large printing company with clients all over the world.

She held this position for approximately 30 years before retiring, but what can be found on her are snippets of her social life and her philanthropic donations. There is nothing on her professional life except for listings in directories. This really speaks to how professional women were viewed at the time - silently.