RAMble, the University Libraries' blog

WCU Sesquicentennial History Book Launch on March 10 

Author and WCU Associate Professor of American History and Public History, Dr. Anne Krulikowski, will be presenting a historical overview of the university’s history, followed by the book signing at Special Collections (Room 616, 6th floor at FHG Library) on March 10, 2022, at 12:30 PM. She recently published WE SERVE: West Chester University, 1871-2021 Sesquicentennial History. A period for conversation and questions and answers will be held following her presentation. Free books are available to the first 50 people at the event. Books will be available to purchase at the WCU Bookstore on March 10th. A Livestream of the event will be available to view on YouTube. 

Jenna Bossert (Special Collections Technician) recently interviewed Dr. Anne Krulikowski about all things WCU. They discussed Anne’s academic background and interests, learning and teaching at WCU, archival research processes, and more. For her book WE SERVE, Anne spent countless hours over the past few years combing through the archival collections within Special Collections to learn more about the campus community, the school’s curriculum and activities, and its growth and expansion. Provided is a consolidated excerpt of their interview, which will appear in full in an upcoming University Libraries newsletter. 

Q: Can you talk to me about your upcoming publication on the university’s history, We Serve: West Chester University, 1871-2021? Please tell me about this project began and your research process. 

A: I started the project during the fall semester of 2017. Bob Kodosky, the Chair of the History Department, asked Dean Jen Bacon, the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, to start thinking about the university’s upcoming 150th Anniversary that would be celebrated during the 2021-2022 academic year. The project started with the vision of a local historian writing a booklet connecting the university’s history with local history and compiling facts about what we have accomplished over the past 150 years. However, it evolved into me writing a book, hah! It officially will press with Matt Born, the Director of Publications, Printing, and Editorial Services within the University Communications and Marketing department, after the university’s editor and publicist Margo McDonough helped review the text for clarity. 

To start researching, I looked to what was already available on the university’s history, primarily examining Dr. Russell Sturzebecker’s Centennial History of West Chester State College. Sturzebecker took a chronological approach to his book, and he covered university controversies and athletics well, albeit often in a manner of free opinion. There is not much contextualization and analysis provided in his book, so I wanted to dig deeper into the themes that I uncovered while also providing an overview of each school era and administration.

Q: What is the most interesting thing you learned during your research?  

A: While there are several things I have learned along the way, I think the most interesting thing I have encountered is the past students of the West Chester community and their stories. When the school had a smaller student body, the literary societies kept in touch with alumni and used these connections to network and document alumni stories. It was interesting to see where students’ West Chester education took them, whether out on the frontier or out of the country to start schools or into wars as nurses and soldiers. There are so many fascinating personal student stories and their respective trajectories to delve into, especially in the early 1920s through World War II, when America is coming into a more modern age.  

Revolutionary Fashion in the 18th Century (and WCU Special Collections)  

By Allison Magerr 

Special Collections student worker Allison Magerr delves into fashion during the French Revolution, analyzing the evolution of styles and depictions of them in the Costume Plates of our WPA Collection. ~ Jenna Bossert

Title :  Ah ! Quelle antiquité ! ! ! _ Oh ! Quelle folie que la nouveauté..... : [estampe] / Chataignier inv. sc. 

Author :  Chataignier, Alexis (1772-1817). Graveur 

Publisher :  (A Paris) 

Publication date :  1797 

   Throughout much of the 18th century, the essentials of fashion remained the same. Of course, there were changes (a robe volante looks nothing like a robe à la polonaise), but there was a general look I’m sure we’re all familiar with: ¾ sleeves, sacque-backed gowns, lace, and ruffles, etc. Towards the end of the century though, fashion changed dramatically, with the French Revolution (1789-1799) playing a large part in this shift.  

   In the early 1780s, a major revolution in 18th-century fashion came about with Marie-Antoinette's chemise à la reine (contemporarily known as the robe en chemise) (fig. 2) [1]. Most commonly made of lightweight fabrics like muslin or gauze, the dress shocked the public, as it resembled a chemise, an undergarment. The dress is known for being very fluffy, with lots of gathered material and ruffles around the neckline and the hem. [2] Colorful sashes tied around the waist completed the look. [3] The chemise à la reine is a noteworthy dress, not only because of its shocking similarities to undergarments, but also its structure. Before this, most 18th century ensembles were put on in 2 pieces. First, on top of the foundation layers, you would put on the petticoat that is tied around the waist. Then you would put on the jacket, or bodice with an attached overskirt, secured in place with pins, or later, hooks, and eyes. [4] The chemise à la reine, however, was only one piece that you could easily slip on. It did not require bulky panniers (skirt hoops) underneath the skirts and was quite the departure from the highly structured clothing worn previously. [5] Though the gown was initially shocking to some, its relaxed look and lightweight fabric became popular and it remained fashionable for individuals to wear for the better part of a decade. [6] 

   During this period, a more natural body shape came into style; stays (corsets) went from being fully-boned to half-boned [7] and the bust area was given a “pigeon-breasted” look with strategically placed ruffles and/or fichus. [8] This silhouette was popular from the 1780s to the mid-1790s, until another shift began to occur. This change saw the waistline getting higher, until it rested under the bust. Because of this new position of the waist, the traditional, conical shape of stays (fig. 3) from the previous era did not work as well. The earlier style of stays compressed the breasts, but the new fashionable shape had them in a fuller and more natural position. [9] In response to this, a transitional style of stays appeared (figs. 4, 5).  

   This new style of stays features separate cups for the breasts and does not focus on shaping the stomach area, as that would be hidden under skirts. There are many different variations of these transitional stays. Figure 4 retains the tabs of the previous version and laces up the front and back, whereas Figure 5 loses the tabs, has no back lacing and the front fastens with lacing and buckles.  

   This period of fashion is called Directoire. It is named after the French Directory government, which lasted from 1795 to about 1800. [10] This look was completely different from anything else in the 18th century. While my focus here is more specific to France, this style was popular throughout Europe and America, with some regional variations. [11] Directoire clothing was known for being very drapey, with white dresses that had yards of fine fabric gathered up for the skirts. This era was all about rejecting the structured formal clothing and the brightly colored fabrics of the former aristocracy, instead of adopting lightweight, white dresses. [12]  

   This style was very inspired by the idea of what ancient Greek and Roman dress looked like, as can be seen in figure 6. Colorful shawls were a popular accessory [13], as well as reticules (little handbags), which replaced the pockets that had previously been tied around the waist in the previous decades. [14] Since these new skirts were much narrower and more sheer, and the waistline so raised, the old style of pockets simply did not work with the new silhouette.

   One interesting trend during this time period was the emphasis on maternity. Some women started padding their stomach area to give the illusion of pregnancy. [15] In a quote from 1794, a man remarked “When our grandmothers were pregnant they wore jumps [a supportive garment that could be worn in place of stays] to conceal it. Our modern ladies, who are not pregnant, wear pads to carry the semblance of it… Our grandmothers had shame, while their descendants had none.” [16] 

   Obviously, that man did not much care for the new fashions. That was by no means an unpopular opinion, as this new style was unlike anything seen before. The dresses were made of lightweight fabric and clung to women’s bodies and were often quite sheer. Some daring fashionistas in Paris left their shoulders bare, and ditched their petticoats and stays, leaving not much left for the imagination. [17] Though those extreme versions of this fashion were not universal, satirists drew many exaggerated caricatures to mock the new mode. [18] 

   In Special Collections, we have a collection of hand-painted fashion plates (figs. 7, 8), that artists created for the Work Projects Administration (WPA) Pennsylvania Extension. The WPA was created during the Great Depression to create more job opportunities [19]. These fashion plates are not the most historically accurate, especially in their little details, but they are a good illustration of the drastic change of silhouette over the course of around 6 years. (Please note that though the plates label the Directoire Period as 1789-1800, it started in 1795). 

  A 1797 satire by Alexis Chataigier is another great example of the silhouette change during this period. In it, a couple dressed in the Directoire style see a couple dressed in the old aristocratic fashions with panniers and wigs, and laugh at them, saying “Ah! Quelle antiquité!!!” (Ah! What antiquity!!!), while the aristocratic couple exclaimed about the new fashion in horror, “Oh! Quelle folie que la nouveauté…: (Oh! What folly is novelty…) [20]. This is also a good demonstration of the differing opinions on this style. 

   The last decades of the 1700s were quite literally a revolutionary time period. As such, the fashion of this time also followed this revolutionary trend. Starting with the chemise à la reine, and ending with the Directoire style, fashion became something, unlike anything 18th-century people had seen before. Though opinions on it were mixed, it was an important style that ultimately played a part in the evolution of fashion that led to what we wear today. 

Footnotes 

1. 1780-1789, FIT Fashion History Timeline, fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu 

2. Le Costume, vol. 4- Louis XVI- Directoire by Jacques Ruppert, page 29 

3. 1780-1789, FIT Fashion History Timeline, fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu 

4. The Writer’s Guide to Costume: 18th Century Gown Closures, mimicofmodes.com 

5. A Stitch in Time, season 1 episode 6 

6. The Chemise à la Reine, thefashionhistorian.com 

7. 500 Years of Women’s Corsets, Stays, and Bras: A Dress Historian Explains Bustlines and Necklines, by Abby Cox, YouTube 

8. Magasin des Modes Nouvelles Françaises et Anglaises, 11 février 1789 edition, page 58 

9. 500 Years of Women’s Corsets, Stays, and Bras: A Dress Historian Explains Bustlines and Necklines, by Abby Cox on YouTube 

10. Directory, Encyclopedia Britannica  

11. Parisian Milliner’s Advice in 1801 to a Visiting Lady: Regency Fashion, janeaustensworld.com 

12. Directoire Style Fashion of Women 1795-1800, hisour.com  

13. 1790-1799, FIT Fashion History Timeline, fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu 

14. The History of Underclothes, by C. Willett and Phillis Cunnington, page 74 

15. Directoire Style Fashion of Women 1795-1800, hisour.com 

16. The History of Underclothes, by C. Willett and Phillis Cunnington, page 71 

17. Directoire Style Fashion of Women 1795-1800, hisour.com 

18. Parisian Milliner’s Advice in 1801 to a Visiting Lady: Regency Fashion, janeaustensworld.com 

19. Museum Extension Project Costume Plates, 1940-1943, Archives of American Art, aaa.si.edu 

20. 1790-1799, FIT Fashion History Timeline, fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu 

Global Music Residency - gamin (Woodwind Musician) 

Global Music Residency welcomes prominent NYC soloist & former principal player of the National Gugak Orchestra, gamin. 

gamin tours performing traditional Korean music alongside experimenting with cross-disciplinary collaborations, including the Silk Road Ensemble.

gamin plays the 피리 piri (double reed Korean oboe), the 태평소 taepyeonso (double-reed horn), and the 생황 saenghwang (mouth organ). 

Check out her website @ https://www.gaminmusic.com/

Residency Events

Lecture-Recital | M. 2/21 at 8:15pm, Ware |
Learn to Play Korean Traditional Instruments | M. 2/21 - TH. 2/24 at 12-2pm, MWAT Lobby |
Recital in collaboration with WCU Faculty and Students | TH. 2/24 at  8:15pm, Ware |
Contemplative Music of Korea, WCU Center for Contemplative Studies | W. 2/23 at 4:30-5:45pm |

Presser Music Library - Top Left Image: Emma Rolecki, Caleb Sharp, and Malaika Paralkar. The books on display were curated by one of our Presser Library student interns, Hannah Shields (not pictured).

Presser Music Library Highlights

Stop down to Presser Music Library to view a student-curated book display on Lunar New Year in Asia!

You can also join in making your own paper lantern! We have set up a craft table for your making of a New Year’s Paper Lantern. We encourage you to make these paper lanterns and place them along the window sill. We also have some coloring pages (Lunar New Year-themed) that you can color and hang anywhere in Presser.

For more resources, on our webpage (https://library.wcupa.edu/music) we’ve created a list of some book and score resources, under the tab “Celebrate Lunar New Year” on the left.

FHG Highlights

Enjoy these selected books exploring other dimensions of Korean culture.

Undiscovered Art from the Korean War | The Record of the Black Dragon Year | Libraries in Korea | The Columbia Anthology of Modern Korean Poetry | Traditional Performing Arts of Korea | Korean Mask Dance | KOREA Art and Archaeology | SILLA Korea’s Golden Kingdom

A new exhibit traces the development of the dress code, and focuses on a flash point in the late 1960s when a student was threatened with suspension for having hair that was slightly too long according to the dress code of the time. 

At most colleges and universities these days, it would come as a surprise to have a dress code at all. Being able to dress however they want is something most college students take for granted these days, except when playing for a sports team or if they attend a military or very conservative institution. 

But in 1967 at West Chester State College, a student named John Whiting was threatened with suspension for the length of his hair. As you can see in the photo of Whiting to the right, taken during a protest, his appearance seems formal to us now, his hairstyle not worth noting. It's a measure of how much things can change, and how rapidly, that Whiting's appearance was seen as anything but conventional, even conservative, at the time. 

Whiting’s experience reflected a larger struggle between mainstream culture and countercultural youth movements in the 1960s, with physical appearance often signaling political leanings and cultural values. The length of men’s hair was one common point of contention. At West Chester, the student response to Whiting’s treatment led to extensive discussion and important changes on campus. 

The exhibit contains images and documents from Special Collections. These include items from the newly processed Earl F. Sykes Collection, which contains a wealth of information about West Chester during the 1960s, when Sykes was president of the college. 

Take a trip up to the sixth floor of the FHG Library and enjoy a fascinating glimpse into West Chest University’s history!

100 years ago as of this past April 6, the United States entered World War I, and in commemoration, library staff have created a new exhibit located on the second floor of FHG Library. The First World War reshaped the map of Europe, and the balance of power throughout the world, as well as producing destruction of human life on a scale never seen before. It may be impossible to fully take in and comprehend the horror and tragedy of World War I, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t commemorate it and learn from it.  

There are numerous angles from which to approach such a huge topic. Part of the exhibit focuses on local aspects, such as the Red Cross volunteer work done by women students at West Chester State Normal School, and fundraising by students in support of various causes. There is a section about people connected to the West Chester community who served in the military during the war, such as: Charles Criswell, class of 1913, Ira Lady, a professor of mathematics, and Michael Sestrick, grandfather of music librarian Tim Sestrick.

There are also some topical focuses, including the roles of women during the war, as nurses, workers, and in the military; the development of technology; and creation of the first government propaganda machine in the United States. There are library resources on display in almost all of the exhibit cases, many of which can be checked out. For books inside a locked display case, feel free to ask for assistance at the Library Help desk.

The creators of the exhibit are Tara Wink, Jesse Brody, Ainsley Hume, and Regina Braidotti. For questions about the exhibit please email libspeccol@wcupa.edu. 

Banned Books Week

September 24-30 is set aside to celebrate Banned Books Week, an annual event which advocates for the freedom to read. The F.H.G. Library exhibit this year features African American writers whose works are listed on the banned books list. Some such authors include Maya Angelou, Coe Booth, Alice Childress, Nikki Grimes, Carolivia Heron, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Mildred Taylor, and Alice Walker, most of whom are showcased in the exhibit on the 2^nd floor. These books can be taken from the exhibit case and checked out.

It is important to recognize that even now, books are still being challenged by library users. The ALA defines the difference between “challenged” and “banned” on their website at www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks: “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials”. What many people fail to realize is that challenging a book can mean subsequent removal of the item which then restricts the access of information to others. Banned Book Week thus draws our attention to these books that, either in the past or currently, are being challenged in this way.

We, the staff and faculty at F.H.G. Library, encourage you to explore some of these featured authors, as well as check out other challenged and banned books this week! 

The latest library exhibit highlights The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, which the Frederick Douglass Institute (FDI) of West Chester University has chosen as the focus of the One Book program at WCU for 2017-2018. 

The book is an extensively researched, reflective first-person work in which Skloot traces the fate of a sample of cancer cells taken in the 1950s from Henrietta Lacks, an impoverished African-American woman, without her consent. The cell line grown from this sample, known as HeLa, became the basis for a huge amount of scientific research as well as a source of profit, while even Lacks’ name was unknown within the scientific community. Intertwined is the history of the Lacks family, before and after her death, and their experiences of poverty, racism, illness, imprisonment, and abuse. This gripping book connects the United State’s history of racism with bioethics, medical ethics, and scientific research.

In Spring 2017, the book was adopted by several courses in the English Department, and engagements across campus and in the broader community are planned for the coming months.

A visit with two members of the Lacks family, Shirley Lacks and Veronica Robinson, will take place on Wednesday, September 27, at 7 pm in the Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets must be reserved at the box office on the ground floor of Sykes Student Union or online at wcupatix.com. 

More information about upcoming events is available on the FDI webpage. 

Join the University Libraries and the Poetry Center as we celebrate 100 years of Gwendolyn Brooks poetry and life.  A new exhibit on the 2^nd floor of Francis Harvey Green Library features works by Brooks with books available for checkout. The exhibit coincides with a celebration on September 25, 2017 of Gwendolyn Brooks legacy.

Born in 1917 in Kansas, Gwendolyn Brooks moved to Chicago, Illinois at a young age.  Chicago became a rich influence in Brooks' life and poetry; in fact, her book of poetry, Annie Allen, about growing up in Chicago won her the Pulitzer Prize in 1950.  She was the first African American to win this award.  It was one of many honors received during Brooks' illustrious career, which also included serving as Poet Laureate for Illinois.  She taught at several prestigious Colleges and Universities.  Gwendolyn Brooks was also a wife to Henry Blakely III and mother to two children, Henry and Nora.  She passed away in 2000 due to complications with Cancer.

Francis Harvey Green Library is proud to announce a new Library exhibit: Women in Sports at WCU and Beyond.  The exhibit is located on the second floor of FHG Library across from the elevators.  Inspired by this weeks #womeninbaseballweek created by the Internation Women's Baseball Center (IWBC) it celebrates women in Baseball at West Chester University and beyond as well as women athletes generally. 

The exhibit highlights the life and career of Gertrude "Gertie" Dunn, West Chester Class of 1960 and player in the All-American Girls Baseball League (AAGBL); as well as the history of the AAGBL, a league created during World War II to keep baseball alive while men were fighting the war; Ella Ehinger, wife of Clyde E. Ehinger, and an influential professor in the Physical Education department.  The exhibit also highlights early sports at West Chester and the issues surrounding women athletes today. 

The exhibit is open during normal library hours through the remainder of the summer.  Stop by to learn more about women in sports and America's favorite past time!

Gertrude Alice Dunn, known as Gertie, was born in September 30, 1933 in Sharon Hill, PA to Victor and Gertude Dunn. After high school, she was a shortstop for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1951 to 1954, and played for the Battle Creek Belles and the South Bend Blue Sox. She was Rookie of the Year in 1952 and was fourteenth among players in the league in career batting average at .261.

After the League folded in 1954, Dunn attended West Chester University, which did not have a women’s intercollegiate baseball or softball team. Instead, she excelled at lacrosse and field hockey. She majored in Health and Physical Education, and graduated in 1960.

After graduation, Dunn played on the US national teams for both lacrosse and field hockey. She also served as an umpire for 20 years in the Philadelphia Women’s Lacrosse Association, and worked as a physical education teacher for many years.

She was inducted into the U.S. Field Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988 and the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2007, and in 2012 she was the first lacrosse player inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.

She passed away at the age of 71 on September 29, 2004, when the single-engine aircraft she was piloting crashed shortly after take-off.

Ten West Chester co-eds named to All-College Hockey Team. First Row: Gertrude Dunn,
second team; Janet Bickel, second team; Margaret Walter, second team. Second Row:
Nancy Hubbard, forth team; Elizabeth Wolle, second team; Barbara Clyde, second team;
Patricia Melrath, third team. Not Pictured: Joan Waterfield, second team; Marguerite
Crowley, fourth team; Shiela McHugh, forth team.

Updated 8/11/2021 by Christian Sammartino & Jenna Bossert, for accuracy and clarification.

Since the invention of the book, there has always been a fascination to challenge its two-dimensional properties and find ways to re-create the traditional book format. The concept of pop-up books, therefore, have existed for over 700 years as people have experimented with different ways to create that third dimension and makes books come alive in a whole new way. Though it’s not known who invented the first instance of a pop-up book or when, one of the earliest known attempts was made by a 13^th-century mystic Ramon Llull of Majorca. Majorca illustrated his philosophical theories through the use of a “volvelle”, which was a revolving disc commonly used during this time for things like astronomical predictions.   

Until the 18^th century, the use of movable parts and pop-up books were almost primarily for mature and scholarly use, and were not considered for the purpose of entertaining younger audiences, such as children. The late 1700s saw the beginning of “metamorphoses” books, which were designed for children and consisted of sheets folded with flaps that revealed hidden pictures underneath. This style of lift-the-flap books then gave rise to other forms of movable illustration books, most notably peep-show books and the unique inventions of Lothar Meggendorfer’s lever-and-spring-operated pop-up illustrations popular during the 19^th century.

The first pop-up books made in America were created by the McLoughlin Brothers in the 1880s. These books included large, colorfully illustrated plates that folded out to become elaborate three-dimensional scenes that seemed to pop with life. From there the market for American pop-up books grew over the decades into Blue Ribbon Publishing’s Disney and fairytale pop-up books in the 1930s, to the Bennett Cerf’s Pop-Up Riddles series in 1964, to the modern technological pop-up books we know today that include things like sound and lights. Pop-up books have now become extremely popular, and over 200 new books are produced every year in the English language alone. {Mickey Mouse Camelot picture}

One of the many collections maintained in Special Collections is the Uel Combs collection. Uel Combs, who was an English professor at West Chester University, had spent many years collecting pop-up books, and his collection now resides in the Special Collections of the library. It includes a very diverse selection of pop-up books for children and adults alike, spanning a wide range of topics both fiction and nonfiction. There are pop-up books of fairytales and illustrated poems coupled with books detailing the elaborate interiors of castles and the history of Ancient Rome.

 A large majority of the collection consists of children’s pop-up books, though many of them are quite unique. Some of the more remarkable pieces include an antique copy of Mickey Mouse in King Arthur’s Camelot, a book on William Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre with a detailed pop-up replica of the original Globe Theatre, and a book of pop-up Norman Rockwell illustrations. It may seem strange today to consider pop-up books being made for adults, but the Combs collection possesses a decent selection. Among them is a pop-up Kama Sutra book, two parody sex books of life in both the 1890s and the Roaring 20s, and The Pop-Up Wine Book, 

which gives the reader an extensive education on the history, science, and even the process of making wine and includes pop-ups diagrams of vineyard chateaus and a spinning wheels that allows you to match up the type of wine with the right meal to eat with it..

Each of the books in the Uel Combs collection are unique, and help demonstrate how diverse the world of pop-up books can be and the many different functions they serve. Whether the goal is to entertain, inform, or simply for artistic expression, this collection shows us that pop-up books are not just for mindless children’s amusement; they come in many forms, can be quite sophisticated, and can be enjoyed by all ages. 

Blog post written by: Melissa Mulreany, Class of 2017, Special Collections Spring 2017 Intern and English Major.    

The Overlease Collection consists of the papers of William Roy Overlease (1925-2007), who was a professor at West Chester from 1963 to 1986. It contains a considerable amount of information on the history and development of the Darlington Herbarium, a gift to West Chester from the Chester County Cabinet of Natural Science in the 1870s. To the left you can see the Cabinet's catalog of their plant specimens, dated 1834. There are also documents Overlease created to help navigate the Herbarium. There is biographical information about William Darlington (1782-1863), prominent botanist, founding member of the Cabinet, and author of Flora Cestrica, a listing of plants found in Chester County – originally published in 1837 and updated in 1853. Below, you can see both editions. 

Overlease and his wife Edith pursued many research projects together, both in the West Chester area and elsewhere, and the collection contains raw data and drafts for scholarly publications from these projects. There is correspondence and other material relating to the fight for the Gordon Natural Area, and materials relating to courses that Overlease taught at West Chester. Additionally, it contains biographical information about Overlease.

William Roy Overlease was a botanist, ornithologist, ecologist, historian, and teacher who was committed to science education throughout his career. Among many other accomplishments, he was in large part responsible for the establishment of the Robert B. Gordon Natural Area for Environmental Studies on West Chester’s South Campus, and he was Curator of the Darlington Herbarium and the College Science Museum.

Overlease was born and grew up in Elkhart, Indiana. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Forestry, a five year professional degree, in 1950, and an MS in Conservation in 1952. These were early days for academic programs in this field, and Overlease was required to get special permission from the graduate council of the university in order to pursue his MS. He also earned a Secondary Education Teaching Certificate in 1950, demonstrating his dedication to science education from the start of his career.

From 1952 to 1957, Overlease worked for the Interpretative Program of the Indiana Department of Conservation, Division of State Parks, as the only full-time state park naturalist in the Midwest (the rest were hired seasonally or on a part-time basis on weekends). As such, he had broad responsibilities for developing educational programming for state parks throughout Indiana.

During this time, he met Edith Dymond at Turkey Run State Park, Indiana and they married there in 1955. They were a devoted couple and collaborated on all of William’s field work and publications.

Overlease returned to Michigan State University, to pursue a PhD in Botany and Plant Pathology, which he completed in 1964.

In 1963, he began working at West Chester, becoming a full professor in 1967. Some of the courses he taught were Ecology, Plant Taxonomy, Field Botany, Human Ecology, World Ecosystems, and undergraduate and graduate seminars, as well as summer mini-courses. To the right, you can see a note which Bonnie Lauer, a former student, sent to Overlease years after she graduated, expressing her gratitude. 

One of his greatest accomplishments was to establish the Gordon Natural Area at the South Campus as a permanent natural laboratory to study plants and animals. The struggle began the year after he began working at West Chester, when he found out that the Physical Education Department wanted to develop 45 acres of forest on the South Campus: “Beginning in 1964, I began to request and negotiate with the Physical Education Department to preserve some of the forest and wild land owned by the college on South Campus for ecological studies. After several years of effort, a hearing was obtained with the board of trustees but the project was turned down. With the change in national attitude toward ecology in the early 1970s a new effort was made.” The second time the proposal went before the board of trustees, it was approved and on November 10, 1973, the Robert B. Gordon Natural Area for Environmental Studies was dedicated.

Overlease’s curation of the Darlington Herbarium was another important contribution to West Chester. The Herbarium originally belonged to the Chester County Cabinet of Natural Science, but when its membership dwindled in the later nineteenth century, the Cabinet donated all of its 17,000 plant specimens to West Chester. The specimens were mostly collected between 1828 and 1850, from all over the world: throughout North America, Siberia, South Africa, Australia, Jamaica, the British Isles, the European Continent, and Egypt are all represented.

Over the years, various faculty members and students from the Science Department had ensured the preservation and organization of the specimens. In 1965, Overlease overhauled the cataloging system, rearranging the collection alphabetically by family and alphabetically be genus within each family. A card catalog reflecting this new organization system was created over five years. Overlease also replaced the wooden cabinets the specimens had been stored in for decades with metal cabinets that offered the specimens much more protection. 

References

Holt, Jack. 2011. “William R. Overlease (1925-2007).” Bartonia 65: 115-116.

http://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/gna_sp_series/10/ Accessed May 24, 2017.

Gordon, Robert B. “The William Darlington Herbarium of the West Chester State College.” [circa 1950s].

Overlease Collection, Box 1, Folder 2.

Overlease, William R. “A Short History of the William Darlington Herbarium.” 1989. Folder 1, Box 1,

Overlease. Special Collections, West Chester University Libraries.

Overlease, William R. [Curriculum Vitae]. [Circa 1983]. “Personal Data” folder, Overleaseb Collection.

Special Collections, West Chester University Libraries. 

The first commencement ceremony at West Chester State Normal School took place on June 25, 1874, in Old Main Auditorium.  According to The Centennial History of West Chester State College by Russell L. Sturzebecker, the 1874 program listed ten students as graduates:  one man and nine women.

The oldest commencement program housed in West Chester University Library’s Special Collections is from 1875.  

Special Collections has a number of interesting photographs from commencements of years past.  The photograph to the right is of the commencement activities from the summer of 1944.  The photo appears to have been taken from one of the upper floors of Philips Memorial Building.  Note the Quad area, including Old Main Hall, and the Old Gymnasium.  Also note:  most, if not all the graduates in their caps and gowns are female due to World War II.

Over the years, Commencement Speakers have included locally, regionally, and nationally recognized educational leaders.  They have also included government leaders including four governors of Pennsylvania (last one being William Scranton in 1965), and one future president (Gerald Ford in 1971).   

Medical expert and television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz  was the Keynote Speaker in 2011.

Distinguished alumni have also been commencement speakers.  Michael Brune, Class of 1993, Executive Director of The Sierra Club, was the Keynote Speaker in 2012.

On May 13^th – May 14^th 2017, over 2,500 students -  including undergraduate and graduate students - are expected to graduate from West Chester University.  Will you be one of them?   

Blog post written by Neal Kenney, Library Assistant for Interlibrary Loan and Special Collections.

“The Art of War: The Rhetoric of Propaganda Posters during World War II” is the title of a new exhibit now on display at F.H.G. Library. Located on the 6^th floor by Special Collections, the exhibit examines the presence and purpose of rhetorical features in World War II propaganda posters.

Created after the declaration of war on the Empire of Japan, the Office of War Information was established by the US government with the purpose of regulating the content and imagery of war messages directed to pub

lic, particularly the production of war propaganda posters. These posters dealt with a variety of themes such as the need to work, the nature of the enemy, and the need to sacrifice. Rhetorically manipulating the viewer through an plea to a distinctly American appeal to pathos and emphasizing the personal agency of a single individual within a worldwide conflict. These posters proved valuable in cultivating patriotic moral. 

On display are a variety of posters reflecting the various themes and rhetorical approaches used to advertise war bonds to the public and promote a work ethic beneficial to the war effort. Visit the exhibit to learn exactly how art was weaponized and used to fight on the Home Front during the Second World War.

The exhibit is open during normal library hours.

The exhibit was created and the blog post was written by Chadd Heller, English Major and Class of 2017.

Early in West Chester's history, writing poetry was regularly featured in the yearbook, which often included silly verses such as this one from the first yearbook, the 1910 Pathfinder on page 175, attributed to K.S.:

             The Mascots of '10

There were once some rodents pedantic, 
Who rendered the students quite frantic, 
When they came to the classes, 
The terrified lasses
Were sure that each mouse was gigantic. 

Cried the teacher in accents distracted, 
"Pray cease your gyrations protracted, 
Keep your eyes fixed on me, 
And then you won't see
The pranks by these torments enacted."

"They are seeking the crumbs of true learning, 
That you are continually spurning. 
If you'd work as do these, 
You be just 'the cheese'
And ever keep wisdom's lamp burning." 

The literary publications tended to cover more serious topics. The Moore Literary Society was organized shortly after the Normal School opened in 1871, and its rival the Aryan Society began in 1879. Virtually every student at West Chester was a member of one or the other literary societies. The Moore Literary Society published the Moore Literary Gazette, in which the following poem appears in volume sixteen, issue one, published on February 4, 1888 on page 1. It includes fairly typical themes: nature, death, and religion. 

              The Day Has Fled

Into the West fades the golden sun, 
   Tinting the clouds with a softer red. 
Moonlight,--
                    Starlight,--
                                      Quiet and sleep,--
   Night has come, and day has fled. 

Passing from earth like the golden sun, 
   Treading the path that angels tread, 
Kisses,--
                  Sighs,--
                                    Flowers and tears,--
Death has come and life has fled. 

Into a land where the sun ne'er sets, 
   Entered alone through the gates of the dead. 
Joy,--
                Peace,--
                                   Eternal rest,--
   Life has come, and Death has fled. 

In 1996, nutrition major Rodolfo “Rudy” Tellez spent the day handing out 3,000 bananas on West Chester University’s campus for a school project. Unknowingly, he was starting what is now one of the most beloved WCU traditions. Since then, West Chester University has been hosting “Banana Day” annually. Students gather for free bananas, banana trivia, scavenger hunts, games, and much more. Every year, 1,000 t-shirts are printed with a Banana Day design unique to that year. Students participate in activities not only to have fun, but to score one of these shirts.

April 19^th, is WCU's 21^st annual Banana Day. Don't be surprised to find yourself greeted by someone in a gorilla costume eating a banana!  Banana Day is meant to bring WCU’s community together for a day of fun-filled banana-related activities, so don’t be afraid to participate and enjoy it! 

Blog post written by Katherine Mash, Class of 2019, she is a student worker in FHG’s Special Collections Department and a Communications Major. 

Francis Harvey Green was born May 19, 1861 to Sharpless and Mary Booth Green in Booth’s Corner, a small town in Bethel Township, Delaware County, PA. In 1911, he married Gertrude Heritage, a graduate of Bryn Mawr College. He attended West Chester Normal School, earning his BA in 1882. After spending time at Amherst College and Harvard University, he earned an MA from Dickinson College in 1893. He began his career in Juniata College’s English Department, and was head of the department from 1884 to 1888.

In 1888, Green joined the English Department at West Chester Normal School, and became head of the department in 1890, a position he held for the next thirty-three years. 

Green edited several books of quotations, and also wrote poetry himself; he once submitted an annual report of the Historical Society in verse. He wrote school songs for West Chester, one of which can be seen to the left. He was a popular lecturer on literature, with engagements all along the Eastern seaboard and in the Midwest, and continued to give lectures up to his death.

He was a devout Christian, and encouraged West Chester students in their Christianity, serving as president of the YMCA for many years. He was also active in local organizations, particularly the Historical Society of Chester County, of which he was president.

Green left West Chester in 1922 and became headmaster of the Pennington Seminary for Boys in Pennington, New Jersey. He was evidently a popular administrator, since in May 1941 a three-day tribute was held in Green’s honor at the Pennington School. In 1943, he retired from Pennington after 21 years of service there. He still had a reputation at West Chester, and in 1947 a building was dedicated to him: the Francis Harvey Green Library.

At the ground-breaking ceremony for a public school named after him in Bethel Township, Green wielded the shovel himself. He didn’t live to see the dedication of the Francis Harvey Green School, however, as he passed away January 31, 1951. He was interred at Siloam Cemetery, in his hometown Booth’s Corner.
 

References

Scrapbook. Francis Harvey Green Collection, Special Collection and Archives, West Chester University.

Serpentine, 1910. West Chester University.

“West Chester Normal School Hymn.” 1919. Series 2, Subseries 2, Folder 7. Francis Harvey Green Collection, Special Collection and Archives, West Chester University.

Another notable woman to include in West Chester University’s Women’s History Month is Dorothy Ramsey, Assistant Professor of English, West Chester State College, 1928-1961.

Miss Ramsey was born in New York City on December 29, 1896 to her parents, Rebekah Evans Roberts, and noted artist Milne Ramsey.  Miss Ramsey received her Bachelor’s degree (1919), and later her Master’s degree, from the University of Pennsylvania.

She began her teaching career at West Chester State Normal School in 1928 as an English professor.  During her 33-year distinguished career at West Chester, Miss Ramsey was the faculty advisor to the student literary magazine, ”The Purple and Gold.”  Later, she was the faculty advisor to the new student newspaper, the “Quad Angles,” which is now known as “The Quad.”

Dorothy Ramsey was also very active in the college’s dramatic programs.  She wrote, directed, designed, and made costumes for many student shows.  She was also a distinguished author, playwright, and poet.  Several of her works can be found in the stacks of the Francis Harvey Green Library.

A Shakespearean scholar, in 1952, Professor Ramsey became the curator of the college’s recently acquired Shakespeare Folios.  She wrote a very informative guide for the college’s Shakespeare Folios that is still used today.

1961, Miss Ramsey retired from the college.  She was one of the most respected and popular faculty members among colleagues and students alike.  In honor of her outstanding work and devotion to West Chester State College, Miss Ramsey was awarded the title Professor Emeritus in 1966.

 In 1967, a new dormitory on campus was named in her honor.  Ramsey Hall stood on the grounds where the Student Recreation Center now stands.

Dorothy Ramsey died at her home in West Chester on April 30, 1974.  Her home was just one block from the dormitory named in her honor.

Her survivors included her adopted daughter, Mary Dietrich.

Blog post written by Neal Kenney, Interlibrary Loan and Special Collections Library Assistant.

On January 6, 1941, an aging Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed four fundamental freedoms during his State of the Union address: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. By articulating national ideals, Roosevelt hoped to generate support for the allied war effort in Europe. The speech described the president’s idealistic sentiments for the country and thus became known as Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms Speech,” as a result of the iconic nature of these freedoms. The lofty idealism espoused by Roosevelt in his speech would later be mirrored in several paintings done by Norman Rockwell, which attempted to depict each of these four freedoms. Inspired by the patriotic imperative triggered by the involvement of the United States in World War II, Rockwell’s paintings reflect a need to unite in preparation for the upcoming times of strife and struggle. Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear were first published in The Saturday Evening Post on February 20, February 27, March 6, and March 13, 1943 respectively, along with commissioned essays from various American writers and historians. The paintings were also distributed to the American public through posters as part of the War Bond Drive, further fueling the proliferation of patriotic sentiments. By giving citizens the opportunity to support the war effort through bonds, the country saw an increase in patriotism and acted as an effective marketing device in summoning support. In addition to this, the paintings were reproduced as postage stamps in 1941, in 1943, in 1946, and in 1994, further exemplifying their ubiquity among the public. West Chester University’s Special Collections owns a poster copy of both Freedom of Speech and Freedom from Fear.

Freedom of Speech was the first painting in the series The Four Freedoms. Rockwell’s paintings, known for their proclivity to idealize American culture and reflect life as Rockwell envisioned it, spoke with a gentle pathos to the American public. Depicted in Freedom of Speech is a local town meeting in which a lone dissenter can be seen speaking up in opposition to the crowd, thereby exhibiting his freedom of speech. The painting is notable for the dramatic angle presented, highlighting the central figure and distinguishing him from the other members of the town. His attire evinces the idyllic reassurance of blue-collar, middle-class sentiments, as opposed to the older and more formally dressed present at the meeting. One could imagine the central figure as inviting the viewer into the scene, as if they are present at the town meeting. The striking quality of the painting emerges from this use of perspective, as Rockwell had just begun using photography in combination with live models and his own idealistic vision. This painting was accompanied with an essay by Booth Tarkington in The Saturday Evening Post.

Freedom from Fear depicts an American family tucking their children into bed as the carnage of the Blitz rages on in Europe. The sentimental values of family and unity can be seen in full rhetorical effect, as it depicts a scenario evoking paternal notions. The care and concern seen in the parents can furthermore be projected onto the United States as a whole. Often described as overly intimate, Rockwell himself expressed a disappointment with this painting, preferring Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Worship as the pinnacle of this series. Freedom from Fear was the only one in the series to be created prior to the commissioning of the series. The painting was published in The Saturday Evening Post with an essay by Stephen Vincent Benét.

Ultimately, Rockwell’s paintings represented the need for tolerance, courtesy, kindness, and political freedoms expressed in Roosevelt’s titular speech. Rockwell’s Four Freedoms paintings appealed to a large audience and were rhetorically successful through his detailed narrative approach. The wholesome and idealized sentiments in these paintings sought to comfort and console a nation during a time of immense strife. A distinctly positive set of paintings, Rockwell was criticized for his elision of misery, such as poverty and other forms of social unrest. Through the influence of these paintings the notions contained in these four freedoms was incorporated into the Atlantic charter, and the charter of the United Nations.

Blog post written by Chadd Heller, Class of 2017.  Chadd is an Intern in Special Collections and an English Major and German Minor.

Grace Dietrich McCarthy was a member of WCU’s English Department for thirty-four years from 1910 to 1944, served as the Chairman of the English Department, and was the first Dean of Women.

Born in Calvert, Texas, in 1879, she grew up in New York City and Carthage, Missouri with two sisters. After studying at the University of Missouri, where she was elected to the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, she began her teaching career in the Carthage public schools. She traveled around the US and Europe, at some point studying at the University of Geneva.

It was through her travels that she serendipitously wound up at the West Chester State Normal School, as WCU was called then. During a return trip from Europe, she decided not to head back to Missouri but to give the East a try. She disembarked at Philadelphia, and soon was hired to teach English at West Chester.

In the 1915-1916 school year, she took a leave to acquire her B.A. at the University of Michigan. By attending summer school, she earned an M.A. from the University of Chicago in 1921. She also trained at the Columbia University’s Teachers’ College and did special work at the University of Pennsylvania.

Her dedication to her own education and to her work at West Chester led to her being appointed the first Dean of Women in 1919. She was apparently popular with the students – the class of 1923 dedicated their yearbook to her. Cora E. Everett, a member of that class, wrote a laudatory biographical article about McCarthy in the 1923 Serpentine, praising her “firm, sensible, appreciative guidance” of the women students of West Chester (pg. 9). Everett characterizes McCarthy as a person who gets things done, crediting her for obtaining for the students a “much prized lobby [and a] long-hoped-for students’ laundry” as well as enabling “the actual accomplishment of the earnestly desired student government experiment” (pg. 10).

As Dean of Women, McCarthy was also responsible for developing and upholding rules of conduct for the students, and so had a disciplinarian side as well. Everett hints at this when she describes how “a pang may pierce a guilty heart on receiving the official slip signed G.D. McC.” (pg. 10). Similarly, the Daily Local News described her as a “firm disciplinarian.”

Still, McCarthy’s dominant trait as Dean of Women seems to have been supportive and encouraging of individual students and of student organizations. In addition to being instrumental in developing the Women’s Student Government Organization, she spent several years as the faculty editor of the student publication Amulet and was the faculty advisor to the Book Club.

In 1927, she traded her position as Dean of Women for the Chairmanship of the English Department, and continued to provide leadership in that capacity until her retirement in 1944. Although she moved to Oklahoma after her retirement to be closer to her family, she remained connected to West Chester, regularly returning for Alumni Day. In 1960, a new women’s dormitory, McCarthy Hall, located on Sharples Street between High Street and Church Street, was dedicated to her. A portrait of her hung in the Hall. She passed away in 1967 at the age of 88.

References

Daily Local News. “Former Dean of Women at College Dies.” Tuesday July 11 1967

Everett, Cora C. “Grace Dietrich McCarthy, A.M.” Serpentine, 1923. Pg. 8-10.

Untitled. Serpentine, 1914. Pg. 43

Marion Farnham was born in Boston, Massachusetts on October 27, 1887 to Charles and Maria Farnham. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Puerto Rico while teaching art classes there. Later she earned a Master of Arts degree from Boston University. She also studied at the Art Student League in New York City, Columbia University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Farnham started teaching art at West Chester University in 1923, and by 1932 she had become Head of the Art Department, a position she held until her retirement. During her years teaching, Farnham was also the art advisor for the school’s yearbook, The Serpentine; her ethereal map of West Chester State Normal School’s campus appeared on the endpaper of the 1930 Serpentine.  She also worked with the school’s theatre department to create the scenery and costumes for many of their plays. She chaperoned many of the school’s dances and events, and even led an art school field trip to notable artist Christian Brinton’s house to study Russian art styles. In addition to her work as a teacher, Farnham was a member of the Eastern Arts Association, the Pennsylvania Educational Association, and the American Federation of Art. She retired in 1952, but was named an Emeriti Professor.

Farnham’s apparent love of travel, along with her passion for studying art, led her to travel all over the world. She visited many art galleries across Europe, including the Mediterranean islands and Greece to focus on Ancient Greek architecture. She also travelled to the Virgin Islands, Canada, Central America, Mexico, Asia, and Northern Africa to study the cultural art there.

After her retirement, Farnham remained in West Chester until her death in March 1983, at the age of 95.

Blog post written by Melissa Mulreany, Class of 2017.  Melissa is an Intern in Special Collections and English Major.

A woman as influential as Madeline Wing Adler is a perfect candidate to recognize during Women’s History Month. Adler has numerous accomplishments under her belt, beginning with her academic career. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Northwestern University where she was the only female in most of her classes. She moved on to earn both her master’s and doctorate degrees in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Madeleine Wing Adler has always been a wholehearted feminist. She was a founding member of the Chester County Fund for Women and Girls Board of Directors and a member of the Forum of Executive Women in Philadelphia. Additionally, she was named a Woman of Distinction by the Philadelphia Business Journal, “Citizen of the Year” by the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry in 1998 along with the county’s March of Dimes’ Woman of Achievement, and Philadelphia’s Business Journal named her a “Woman of Distinction” in 2002.

In August of 1992, Dr. Adler was named the 13^th president of West Chester University, making her the first and only female president in WCU’s history. During her time serving as president, Dr. Adler’s distributive style leadership left quite an impact. The annual number of applications to West Chester University doubled, enrollment increased by 12 percent, and by attracting students of many different backgrounds, WCU became the most diverse school in the PASSHE system.

Over the years, Dr. Adler’s achievements received well-deserved attention as she was offered many different positions at various schools across the country. Fortunately, Dr. Adler always remained loyal to WCU. “I knew this was the best place for me—and it has been” (Pirro mainlinetoday.com).

On June 30^th of 2008, Madeleine Wing Adler retired with an emeritus status. In honor of Dr. Adler’s influence on West Chester University, Swope Music Building opened the Madeleine Adler Theatre arts venue in 2008. Dr. Adler is now on the Emeriti Board of the Chester County Community Foundation working as a community volunteer.

Blog post written by Katherine Mash, Class of 2019, she is a student worker in FHG’s Special Collections Department and a Communications Major. 

Bibliography:

AASCU-Penson Center for Professional Development - Our Consultants. (n.d.). Retrieved March 08, 2017, from http://www.aascupenson.org/adler_bio.html

Marshall, K. (n.d.). Press Releases - Dr. Madeleine Wing Adler named President... Retrieved March 08, 2017, from http://www.passhe.edu/inside/ne/press/Lists/Press%20Releases/pressup.aspx?ID=37&ContentTypeId=0x01006B3D98C5084ABB47927D422E92C00C3300058DFAF00E84824A8F87467AD4FF8E26

Pirro, J. F. (n.d.). The Adler Advantage. Retrieved March 08, 2017, from http://www.mainlinetoday.com/core/pagetools.php?pageid=6576&url=%2FMain-Line-Today%2FJune-2008%2FFRONTLINE-Profile-2%2F&mode=print

Ruby Johnson Jones (1912-1976)

Assistant Professor of Education (1961-1973), she was the first African American Professor in West Chester’s history.

Ruby Johnson Jones was born in Evergreen, Alabama in 1912 to Elizabeth and Rufus Johnson.  She graduated from Langley High School in Pittsburgh in 1928.  She earned her bachelor’s degree from West Chester University in 1940 and a master’s of education degree from Temple University.  She joined the West Chester State College faculty in 1961 as a teacher in the campus’ Demonstration School, an elementary school for local West Chester students on the college’s campus.  Jones became an Assistant Professor of Education and supervisor of Student Teachers in 1968.  She retired in 1973.

Ruby Jones passed away in the summer of 1976.  After her passing, the former Demonstration School Building was formally dedicated Ruby Jones Hall in the fall of 1977.

Walter H. “Smitty” Smith

The first confirmed African American Student to graduate from West Chester State Normal School (W.C.S.N.S) was Walter H. Smith in 1910.  He, like most of his classmates, studied to be a teacher.  He was a member of the Moore Literary Society, one of two literary societies on campus serving as the social and scholarly outlet for students.

Walter Hibberd Smith was born April 15, 1892 in Malvern, PA.  He served in both World Wars after graduating from W.C.S.N.S.  He married Louisa C. Smith and had two children, Charles and Eleanor.  He taught in Wilmington, Delaware and Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he worked his way up to Principal.  He died in 1956.

To learn more about W.C.U graduates check out our digital Yearbooks and use the Ancestry Database.