Skip to Main Content

PIPRR

Campus Speakers

Frederick Douglass

Douglass delivered his last public address to the student body of West Chester State Normal School in 1895. He was just one of many nationally-known and progressive figures invited to campus to speak by Principal George Morris Philips.

 

Overview

Thousands of speakers have addressed students on campus since the State Normal School first opened in 1871. Their invitations and the subjects of their talks reveal much about the social and political climate on campus at the time.

Guiding Questions
  • Why were particular speakers invited to address the student body?
  • Are there discernible patterns of gender, race, political party, subject matter, or other categories?
  • What kind of reception did particular speakers receive?
  • In what ways did the sourcing/invitation/payment/promotion of speakers change over the years?
  • How does the choice of speakers reflect changes in student needs or interests over time?
West Chester University   ---    WCU Libraries  25 West Rosedale Avenue, West Chester, PA 19383  610-430-4400