William Penn Corson, commonly known as W. Penn Corson, was born on February 27, 1873, in Camden, New Jersey. He was the son of Elias Lake Corson, a sea captain who had commanded a vessel during the Civil War. At the time of the 1880 census, the Corson family resided at 442 Hartman Street, later renamed Clinton Street in 1882. Nearby, at 401 Broadway, lived contractor Joseph E. Roberts, who built numerous homes in Camden in the late 1800s. His son, Joseph E. Roberts Jr., went on to have a distinguished medical career in the city. In the late 1880s, the Corsons lived at 610 North 5th Street before moving in 1889 or early 1890 to 525 North 2nd Street.
W. Penn Corson attended Camden’s public schools and began his career in 1898, working for general contractor Frank B. Sweeten. By 1904, Corson had gained sufficient experience to establish his own firm. He specialized in paving streets and constructing sewer systems in Camden and nearby suburban towns, including Westmont and Haddonfield. One of his most significant projects was paving the White Horse Pike from Haddon Heights to Camden, a stretch of four miles.
In 1910, Corson and his family lived at 540 Newton Avenue in Camden’s Ninth Ward. By 1914, they had relocated to 506 Haddon Avenue, and later, Corson moved to 119 White Horse Pike in Haddon Heights.
Corson was also active in Camden’s professional basketball scene. From 1913 to 1925, he co-owned the Camden franchise of the Eastern Basket Ball League with Dr. Charles B. Helm, a veterinarian and former Camden City purchasing agent. The team, coached by William “Billy” Morgenweck, was initially known as the Camden Alphas and won the league championship in the 1914-1915 season.
The Camden team was generally a winner in the league. Besides bringing players to Camden from out of town, Corson and Helm’s team employed and/or developed many fine players from Camden, including Eddie Ferat, Sam Lennox, Roy Steele, Joe Hyde, Neil Deighan, and his brother Rich Deighan.
World War I disrupted the league, leading to its disbandment in 1917. Attempts to reorganize were unsuccessful until the 1919-1920 season when the Camden team, now called the Camden Crusaders, won the league championship with a 30-9 record. The team was later renamed the Camden Skeeters for the 1921-1922 season and remained competitive until the league’s disbandment in 1923. A new Eastern Basketball League formed in 1925, but the Camden team struggled, marking the end of professional basketball in the city for several years.
Corson’s teams attracted both local and out-of-town talent, fostering players such as Eddie Ferat, Sam Lennox, Roy Steele, Joe Hyde, Neil Deighan, and Rich Deighan. Among the notable players was Jack Kelly, an Olympic rowing star and father of Grace Kelly, the future actress and Princess of Monaco.
In addition to his business and sports ventures, Corson served as Camden County Sheriff from 1917 to 1920. He passed away on November 29, 1927, survived by his wife, Katherine, and their three children: W. Wallace Corson, C. Hobart Corson, and E. Mahlon Corson. After his death, Katherine and their sons returned to the Haddon Avenue home, where she lived as of 1936. C. Hobart Corson remained there until at least 1947.
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