Monday, October 10, 2011

CONTEST UNDERWAY – Become a member of our University Archives Facebook group

Kerry Collins throws a pass vs. Northwestern, fullback Brian Milne blocks his back side 11/19/1994
Penn State’s football team will be playing Northwestern on Saturday, October 22, 2011 in Evanston, Il. In the spirit of friendly competition (we must CRUSH them) the university archives for both schools are having a contest -the archives with the most NEW friends will be declared the winner.

The patrons who join our group will be treated with regular updates concerning exhibits, programs, university history, fun facts/trivia, and more.

The contest runs through 4:00 p.m. EST, Friday, October 21.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/84628139307/

Friday, October 7, 2011

Exhibit looks at campus life during the Civil War


Penn State during the Civil War, 1861-1865," a Penn State University Archives exhibit is on display, now through Jan. 13, 2012, in the Hintz Alumni Center, Robb Hall, on Penn State's University Park campus.

When the Civil War broke out with the bombardment of Fort Sumter April 12, 1861, Penn State had just won a prolonged legislative battle for a $50,000 appropriation to complete the construction of Old Main. The entire operation of the Farmers' High School (as Penn State was then called) was to be housed in this single structure that had been only one third completed when the first students arrived in February 1859. News of Fort Sumter's surrender changed the mood of the 88 students and five professors then on campus from satisfaction over the legislative victory to confused excitement. President Abraham Lincoln's call for volunteers to serve in the Union army and Governor Andrew Curtin's immediate response had the students in a patriotic uproar to enlist, which was aggressively quieted by College President Evan Pugh.

Pugh, a Quaker, assured the boys that they could complete their education and still have ample time to serve their country. Pugh urged them to wait at least until they were over 20 years of age for the sake of their mothers. “At no time in the life of a young man,” wrote John Thompson in recalling Pugh’s speech “is he so dear to his mother, as between the ages of 16 and 20. Then when manhood is almost upon him, the mother pictures for him a splendid career … her boy is growing to be a man very much like other men.”

The exhibit, featuring University Archives collections, focuses on the nature of campus life during the years of the Civil War, 1861-1865, including student life at the Farmers’ High School; circumstances of the campus’ name changed to The Agricultural College of Pennsylvania; the impact of the passage of the Morrill Act of 1862; and roles played by Evan Pugh, James Beaver, William Waring and Frederick Watts in the building of the fledgling college.

Photographs, campus publications, newspaper clippings and personal memorabilia bring the visitor back to the very beginnings of Penn State’s history to experience life on campus as a student, faculty member, college president, and visitor 150 years ago.

Exhibit hours during the semester are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. some Saturdays. Call the Hintz Alumni Center, during business hours to confirm Saturday times. For additional information about the exhibit and Penn State’s early years, contact Jackie Esposito, university archivist, 814-863-3791 or jxe2@psu.edu or Alston Turchetta, archival assistant, 814-865-1793 or ast1@psu.edu

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Penn State Hershey Medical Center stories score big at Emmys with help from the Penn State University Archives!


Three stories focusing on Penn State Hershey's patients, families and history earned Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards during the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) chapter ceremony held at the Lowe's Hotel in Philadelphia on Saturday, Sept. 24.

The television productions, produced by FryFilms, earned the Human Interest News Feature Emmy for "A Mother's Gift." The piece featured the story of Children's Miracle Network miracle child Mitchell Pollack and details the courageous fight of Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital caregivers and Mitchell's family to save his life from kidney failure.

The Emmys also honored the Public/Community Affairs Feature “Conquering Childhood Cancer," a story about the Four Diamonds Fund, the pediatric cancer charity supported by the annual IFC Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) with proceeds benefitting cancer care and support services for pediatric cancer patients as well as pediatric cancer research at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital.

FryFilms partner Todd Fry was awarded the Mid-Atlantic Emmy for Directing for the Penn State Hershey Medical Center historical documentary, "Memories and Milestones." "Memories and Milestones" also was nominated for the documentary Emmy but fell short of the prize.

"All of the children, families and medical professionals trusted us with their stories, and we are honored to work with each and every one of them," said Cara Fry, producer for all three productions.

Penn State University Archivist Jackie Esposito remarked, "Memories and Milestones: A History of the Hershey Medical Center created by Fry Films made extensive use of University Archives photographs and documents as well as similar materials held by the Hershey Medical Library. Without these rich resources, the documentary might not have received the Mid-Atlantic Emmy."

The goals of NATAS are to recognize outstanding achievements in television by conferring annual awards of merit in the Chapter's designated award region. The presentation of these awards is intended to be an incentive for the continued pursuit of excellence for those working in the television industry and to focus public attention on outstanding cultural, educational, technological, entertainment, news and informational achievements in television.

All three videos can be seen on the Medical Center's YouTube channel, http://www.YouTube.com/pennstatehershey.