History Commons^™

Gettysburg College Life In Fall 1963, Mary Huegel

CAFE Symposium 2023

The 1960s were a tumultuous decade full of social change and political conflict. This project explores Gettysburg College life in the fall semester of 1963 from a variety of scopes.

Gettysburg College Journal Of The Civil War Era 2023

The Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era

No abstract provided.

Ms-286: Elizabeth And Elmer Mckee, Class Of 1944, Jessica A. Cromer

All Finding Aids

This collection contains over 500 letters, 17 V-Mail, and 25 additional items, including Elmer’s college transcript, military documents, and personal narrative. The bulk of the letters are written by Elmer (Chuck) to Elizabeth (Diz), but there are over 100 letters written by Elizabeth in the closing years of this collection (1945-46). These letters provide insight into the Gettysburg College experience during the early 1940’s and the daily life of men stationed in Europe during World War II. Many of the letters depict Elmer and Elizabeth navigating their personal relationship, whilst simultaneously navigating the complex time period in which they lived. …

Redefining Gender Roles In Higher Education: Women At Gettysburg College During World War Ii, Addison E. Lomax

Student Publications

Throughout the early 20th century, the role of American women began to change. The U.S. entrance into World War II and resulting draft provided women at institutions of higher education the opportunity to develop their place on college campuses. Through analyzing yearbooks, student publications, and personal testimonies, the case of Gettysburg College provides a lens to better understand the changing dynamics on college campuses during the war years. Although men remained on the campus of Gettysburg College during the war years, the changing dynamics of the College, both academically and socially, allowed women the opportunity to increase not only their …

Martin Puryear: 40 Years Since Sentinel, Merlyn I. Maldonado Lopez, Shannon Egan

Schmucker Art Catalogs

Artist Martin Puryear’s commitment to seeing objects as connected to history and culture resonates with a moment when Gettysburg College reflected on the significance of its own historical place and time. As the College approached the sesquicentennial anniversary of its founding, it decided to mark the occasion not with a ball or parade, but with “an intelligent artifact,” a permanent marker that both recognizes its maker and offers its own history. In 1980, Associate Dean of the College Robert Nordvall suggested to President Charles Glassick that they ought to commission a monumental sculpture on campus. Glassick then created the Ad …

Gettysburg College Journal Of The Civil War Era 2021

The Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era

No abstract provided.

Gettysburg Historical Journal 2008

The Gettysburg Historical Journal

Complete issue of The Gettysburg Historical Journal 2008.

Gettysburg College Journal Of The Civil War Era 2020

The Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era

No abstract provided.

Gettysburg College Journal Of The Civil War Era 2019

The Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era

No abstract provided.

Ms-233: Papers Of Theta Chi, Lindsay R. Richwine

All Finding Aids

The material in this collection documents the foundation of the Star and Crescent Club, its assimilation into a national fraternity, and the financial and social ventures of the fraternity through the early 1990s. Illustrated in papers, blueprints, photo albums, and clothing, this collection is interesting not only for Theta Chi brothers curious about the history of their organization at Gettysburg, but for anyone wishing to follow the development of fraternity culture at Gettysburg since the middle of the 20th century. In addition to the materials housed in Special Collections, donor Jeff Glisson also intends to send related materials to Theta …

Ms-239: The Ken Bruno Collection Of Louis A. Parsons, Karen Dupell Drickamer

All Finding Aids

The bulk of this collection contains family correspondence as well as financial and legal correspondence, and documents. Parsons handled estate matters for family in Iowa and California. These materials supplement the previous acquisition of Parsons material in MS-203 Louis A. Parsons Papers and fill in a few gaps. There is one folder of miscellaneous writings of Parsons’, mostly fragments.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections …

The Camel Corps Experiment, Abigail K. Major

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

“Did you know there was a push to create a Camel Corps right before the beginning of the American Civil War?” This certainly seems like an interesting piece of trivia to share around the dinner table, but what was the Camel Corps and what insights can it provide on U.S. military thinking in the mid-19th century? I believe that the Camel Corps Experiment, regardless of whether it was deemed an utter failure or not, demonstrated progressive military thought and the desire of its advocates to explore advancements in both mobility and technology for military practices. [excerpt]

Your Commencement Weekend Guide To Visiting Gettysburg, Abigail K. Major

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Commencement weekend is nearing, which has inspired us to compile a list of Civil War activities and programs you can take part in during your visit. The following events and activities are suitable whether you are a Civil War buff, general history enthusiast, or are just curious about learning more about the Civil War. [excerpt]

Senior Reflection: Our Time As Fellows, Anika N. Jensen

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

As Jeff, Jen, and I move ever closer to commencement, we want to take a moment to reflect on our time as Civil War Institute fellows. We have been part of this fellows program for three years and spent countless hours researching topics we are passionate about, engaging with the Civil War community, and creating an active academic atmosphere for our fellow budding historians. Our time at Gettysburg may be coming to an end, but the experiences we have had here will continue to shape our futures. Here is what the CWI fellowship means to us. [excerpt]

Adams County History 2018

Adams County History

No abstract provided.

Common Cause: An Oral History Of The World War Ii Home Front, Devin Mckinney, Michael J. Birkner

Gettysburg College Faculty Books

In excerpts drawn from Musselman Library's Oral History Archive, the World War II years are recalled by dozens of the men and women—adults, teenagers, children—who endured them on the home front. The home front experience was by turns exhilarating, fearsome, depressing, and banal. Some civilians had it relatively easy, while others had it hard. Righteous confidence was offset by looming uncertainty, patriotism was often buttressed by bigotry, and the joys of victory and reunion were shadowed by irreplaceable losses. In this volume, the speech of ordinary citizens in extraordinary times is augmented by abundant illustration, much of it in …

Ms – 217: The Lois Davis Hely Papers, Class Of 1972, Devin Mckinney

All Finding Aids

This collection contains materials from Lois Davis Hely’s life during and after Gettysburg College, representing her athletic, academic, and political activities. Materials are grouped by type into seven series: I. Correspondence; II. Publications; III. Images; IV. Ephemera; V. Documents; VI. Artifacts; and VII. Oversize Items. Each series is divided by subseries into “Gettysburg-era” and “post-Gettysburg” items.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found …

Ms-203: Louis A. Parsons Papers (1895-1957), Karen Dupell Drickamer

All Finding Aids

As the collection was created from five different accessions and four donors, over a period of four years and each accession was totally random and jumbled, the processor chose chronological order except when a complete subject file was identified. Parsons made carbon copies of most of his correspondence and wrote often to family, friends, and colleagues about both his personal and his professional life. His letters are filled with personal information, descriptions of life at the College and in the Community, as well as his issues with the administration, making it difficult to separate personal and professional correspondence. Anyone researching …

A Bid For Brotherhood: The Civil War And The Emergence Of The Lexington Triad, Jonathan G. Danchik

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

There is little controversy in claiming that the Civil War casts a long shadow. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a reenactor, or even someone who doesn’t study history, it’s hard to completely get away from it. Shifts in political discourse and race relations are the most commonly discussed results of the conflict, but the war also brought about a considerable change in dominant moral philosophies that led to the establishment of several organizations, which continue to enjoy prominence to this day at different institutions of higher learning across the United States.

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Cannons And Columns: The Phoenix Iron Company And The Civil War, Laurel J. Wilson

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Anyone who has visited a Civil War battlefield is familiar with the sight of artillery pieces dotting the landscape, marking the places where artillery units were positioned on the field. Gettysburg National Military Park has one of the largest and most diverse collections of these now silent sentinels, ranging from bronze Napoleons to breech-loading Whitworth rifled guns. One of the most common types of cannon found at Gettysburg is the 3-inch Ordnance rifle. The Ordnance rifle is interesting for a number of reasons, not least of which are its connections to Phoenix Iron Company of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

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For Duty, Honor, And Family: Color Bearers In The Civil War, Savannah A. Labbe

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

In doing research for a previous post, I learned about the stand of the Sixteenth Maine at the Battle of Gettysburg. What struck me most about their sacrifice was the fact that before they were captured they made sure to tear up their colors and distribute the pieces among the men. They did this in order to ensure that the Confederates wouldn’t be able to capture their colors, an act that would have disgraced the Sixteenth Maine and detracted from their valiant sacrifice. In addition, this allowed the men to keep a piece of their flag, to be reminded of …

Finding Meaning In The Flag: Birth Of A Symbol, Olivia J. Ortman

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

he only logical place to start our journey with the Confederate flag is at its birth to examine meanings bestowed upon it by the Confederate soldiers. To do this, we must look at the history of flags within the Confederate nation. Upon its creation in 1861, the Confederate nation immediately set out to design a new flag. Headed by South Carolina’s former state representative, William Porcher Miles, a committee was formed to choose a design that would be original to the Confederacy while remaining reminiscent of the U.S. flag. Although Southerners had split from the Union itself, they were not …

Finding Meaning In The Flag: Contextualizing The Confederate Flag, Olivia J. Ortman

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

When I first learned about the removal of the Confederate flag from South Carolina’s state building in July of 2015, I was angry like many other people. For me, it wasn’t about the actual removal of the flag, but rather the arguments sparked around it. I understood not flying the flag on a state building; as such a building represents state and country, and the Confederate flag symbolizes neither the United States nor South Carolina. However, I didn’t understand the public hatred towards the flag.

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From Farmers To Soldiers: Raising A Civil War Volunteer Regiment, Savannah A. Labbe

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

How did one transform a group of raw recruits, of men who had no military knowledge, into soldiers? It was not an easy task, especially since many of the men had never even touched a weapon, let alone knew how to use one. This task often fell to private citizens, who, out of patriotic sentiment or the prospect of becoming commissioned, persuaded their neighbors to join their regiment. While this method was convenient and inexpensive for the government it often meant that the commissioned officers were inexperienced and underqualified, chosen only for their skills of persuasion. Because of this, transforming …

Star Wars, Syria, And Our Civil War: Bearing Witness To Atrocity And Suffering, Kevin P. Lavery

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Bear with me on this one. The American Civil War will make it into this conversation, but I have a lot of other things to talk about first. And I should also warn: minor spoilers ahead.

I was moved to silence after seeing Rogue One, the first spin-off film of the Star Wars franchise. Even now, tears creep into my eyes as I remember how it shook me. I had heard reviews claiming that it was the first Star Wars movie to put the cost of war at the center of the narrative. I hadn’t expected it to be so …

A Hike Through History: Students Explore The Appalachian Trail, Laurel J. Wilson

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Hiking is a great way to get outside, commune with nature, and connect with the surrounding area. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hiking one of my favorite sections of the Appalachian Trail in a manner that was completely different than I had ever before experienced. Instead of dressing in my usual 21st century hiking attire, I, along with several others, opted to take things back about 154 years and dressed as a Union soldier would have in 1862.

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The Unknown Legacy Of The 13th Amendment, Danielle E. Jones

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

On January 31, 1865, Congress passed the 13th Amendment, declaring slavery illegal in the United States. Or so it seemed. The second line of the Amendment, and the most oft unknown, states that slavery can still be used as a form of punishment for crimes, and this practice became widely used as a part of southern backlash to Reconstruction Era policies. After the end of the Civil War, many southern states struggled with rebuilding their infrastructures and government systems. In order to avoid falling into more debt, many of these states turned towards the convict lease system, which claimed that …

The 2016 Fortenbaugh Lecture: Individual Responses To Lincoln’S Assassination, Hannah M. Christensen

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Every year on November 19th, the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, a distinguished scholar of the Civil War Era is invited to speak as part of the Robert Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture and present an aspect of the Civil War in a format that the general public can understand. This year, the 55th annual Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture was delivered by Dr. Martha Hodes of New York University. Dr. Hodes’ lecture was based on her book Mourning Lincoln and argued, based on personal primary sources from the immediate aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, that Americans’ responses were by no means consistent. Not …

A Soldier And His Many Hats: The Evolution Of American Military Headgear, Jonathan E. Tracey

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Military headgear is a fascinating topic. It exists on a spectrum from the gaudy to the protective, but how did headgear evolve with the military? Interestingly, changes from the decorative to the practical can be examined through this blog’s favorite topic, the 1800s and the American Civil War. By tracing key changes in American military headgear in the 1800s, ideas about the nature of war, as well as how the United States was distancing itself from Europe, become clear.

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The Disquieted Heart And The Lighted Path: Levar Burton’S Dedication Day Speech, Matthew D. Laroche

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

This Saturday past brought with it an electric sort of chill, the kind fueled by a driving breeze that lifts your jacket, steals past your socks and up your legs, worms its way through gaps in scarves and gloves, and leaves you feeling naked and afraid and alive in ways that no one else can see. The kind of wind that whisks away complicity and surety, leaving you with nothing but a burning compulsion to do something that will reignite your humanity, your belief in goodness, your claim to a kind life. For those who attended, the Dedication Day ceremony …