Henry Tarkoff 

1891 – 1914

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Henry Tarkoff was born on August 1, 1891, in Smila, Russia, which is located in modern-day Ukraine. His headstone listed Mosheh Tsvi Tarkhoff as his father. Henry immigrated to the United States on the SS Merion via Liverpool, England in 1909. He arrived in Philadelphia on December 27, 1909. On July 3, 1911, he declared his intent to become a U.S. citizen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In his intent, his address is listed as 405 Moore Street in Philadelphia.

According to his obituary in the Democratic Watchman and the Daily Collegian, Henry was a second-year student at the Pennsylvania State College and a member of the class of 1916. The Democratic Watchman reported, “He was a very poor boy and was working his way through College.” At school, the paper reported Henry lived on as little as a dollar a week and on many occasions would sit and sleep in a chair at night because he did not have a bed.

Henry returned to campus early for the fall semester of 1914 and, according to his obituary in the Centre Reporter, University President Edwin Sparks gave Henry the opportunity to earn his board by working in the foundry because President Sparks was so impressed by Henry’s “earnestness.” After working for a couple weeks, Henry fell down an eight-foot-tall elevator shaft in the foundry department and hit his head on an iron beam and fractured his skull. He was brought to the college infirmary and received medical attention, but he died from his injuries about eight hours later.

Henry’s mother and sister traveled from Philadelphia to attend his funeral at the Rodef Shalom Cemetery in Bellefonte.