William W. Scranton (July 19, 1917 – July 28, 2013)

This past Sunday we were notified of the passing of former Pennsylvania Governor William W. Scranton.  Our thoughts and condolences go out to his surviving wife Mary and the Scranton family.
 
Described as a” Kennedy Republican,” Bill Scranton blended fiscal conservatism with a moderate political and social agenda to forge a successful campaign leading to the governorship of Pennsylvania in 1963. But his moderation conflicted with the growing conservatism of the Republican Party as the 1960s wore on. In 1964 Scranton challenged conservative stalwart Senator Barry Goldwater in the Republican presidential primary and lost. Following one term (1963-1967) as governor, Scranton eschewed politics but embraced the role of statesman. In doing so he provided exemplary service to the commonwealth and nation. He served on key governmental commissions (including the President’s Commission on Campus Unrest in the wake of the Kent State campus shootings), was Ambassador to the United Nations (1976), headed a diplomatic mission to the Middle East, and advised several presidents on intelligence matters, strategic arms control and Soviet-American Relations. 

In 1979, Governor Scranton gifted his personal papers to the Pennsylvania State University Libraries. and with his wife established a Libraries endowment fund to support the development of the  Scranton Papers--formally opened in 1993 and housed within the Special Collections' Historical Collection and Labor Archives. Subsequent additions by the Scranton Family over several decades have resulted in building a nationally significant research collection of over 175 linear feet of records, correspondence, and photographs documenting Scranton’s life and public service. In 2004 the critically praised WVIA-PBS film documentary, William Warren Scranton: In a Clear Light, premiered and relied heavily upon the Scranton Papers for primary source material during production.

Over the last decade Governor Scranton was still highly engaged with his archives. He was especially interested in gauging how his papers were being used for research and incorporated in class instruction. Bill Scranton embodied the best virtues of a public servant and statesman and will be sorely missed. His was a life well-lived and his legacy and papers provide valuable lessons for aspiring public servants. 

Jim Quigel

Head of Historical Collections and Labor Archives

Special Collections

Archive Adventures: Sneak Peeks and Hidden Gems

Things are really flying by here at Special Collections, and I'm here to (finally) report for blogger duty! The summer is almost over and here in the archives we are prepping for busy season. As we approach the end of our wildly popular Plant Pathology exhibit and campus plant tours, we're powering up our thinking caps for the new exhibits you won't want to miss: Judy Chicago (spring 2014), PSU history (fall 2013), and PSU sports history (Oct. 13th)...so keep your ears and eyes open, folks. We're rolling out a spectacular program for '13-'14!

One project we've been feverishly working away at is the fall exhibit for Hintz, called "When I was at Penn State..." that focuses on student traditions and common experiences at the Penn State. Snuffling around the archive for our topics gave me the chance to team up with fellow archivist Paul Karwacki in search of the most interesting Lion's Coats we could find. Little did I know that it would provide a bounty of hidden surprises that just kept coming viewing after viewing. We both had a fun time with the photoshoot picking out things we had missed previously, and I decided I wanted to share a sneak peek with all of you of one particular poster for the exhibit.

One example of a lion drawn on many of the jackets.

Lion's Coats were part of a pre-WWII tradition called "Moving Up," when underclassmen would finally reach the rank of senior and celebrate the promotion. Because back in those days...reaching senior-hood was more than just getting good grades and registering. It was a big achievement that came after years of jumping through wacky rules and traditions hoops, celebrated by showing the newbies how they, too, could one day rub the future underclassmen's faces in it and proclaim how awesome it was to finally be the senior ringmaster.

The Lion's Coat facet of this tradition started in 1926 and involved decorating muslin jackets with drawings, school symbols, patches, and autographs in competition for the best decorated. Many times the themes revolved around fraternities, but other times they focused on their majors or the students' social groups.

A chem nerd! Igne natura renovatur integra!

No matter what, though, the result was a piece of unique wearable art. Each coat was personalized to the student who owned it and reflected individual personalities. Some are self-deprecating (such as the one immediately below), others were serious statements of "allegiances," and  many were records of  the who, what, where, when, and how. It was essentially the clothing-equivalent of an autograph book or senior yearbook today! So-- as you can imagine-- they were very dear to the owner's heart and became a mantle of nostalgia carried on after graduation.

One of my personal favorites....

Anybody brave enough to get a tattoo of this charming pin-up girl?

This jacket is in rough shape, but it just means it got a lot of love (apparent in the little lipstick kiss by "Loraine"!) when it was still being worn.

There's so many details and intriguing hints about college life in the early 20th century on these Coats that it's hard to capture everything. Names, dates, inside jokes...social commentary abounds! But I thought you might enjoy a little peek at one of the many traditions we'll be displaying this fall in the exhibit. You'll have to visit in person to see the other wonderful photos we will have of the Lion's Coats, from top to bottom and with even more details!

And if you go see it, I'm sure you'll find yourself saying, "Wow, that's incredible! They did that? When I was at Penn State..."

Til next time, fellow adventurers....Archivist Alex signing out!

Archive Adventures: (Red) White and Blue

I know, I know. You're sitting there saying, "Hey, what happened to the April post, Alex?" Well, folks, things got a little crazy in April so I decided to postpone until May. Sorry! Originally my idea was to follow an "April Showers Bring May Flowers" theme, but while looking for some background on a photo request I found some extraordinary pictures that caught my eye. And just like that, the post idea changed.

Today, I'd like to salute the men and women of the armed services. PSU has a long and distinguished relationship with the military since its inception. As part of the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862, participating universities received federal lands in return for military training sponsored by the institution. One of things that I really enjoyed while researching this was that we have pictures almost all the way back to the beginning as well as great collections from all the armed services. Let's jump into the photos!

This awesome photo has a title on the back of "Uniforms worn by PSC (Penn State College) Cadets in the '70s." I'm gonna take a guess and say we're talking about the 1870s.

Part of the 1894 Annual Review. This photo of the artillery was taken in the Amory building (we still have the windows in storage!). Along the back wall, you can see dumbbells and barbells, which were used to strengthen muscles in preparation for dragging those heavy cannons around the field.

Whatcha thinkin' 'bout? Oh nothing, just drill!

A 1904 shot of the Ambulance Corps.

Drilling with the artillery at an undated Annual Review. Can you imagine the legal nightmare today if we tried something like this?

May Day 1920, and in the background are the grandstands of the New Beaver Field (built in 1909 and located near where the Nittany Parking Deck now stands).

An undated photo of an Annual Review drill out on the lawn. In the background is the original Old Main and the Armory building, which dates this photo somewhere between 1892-1929.

Midshipmen for the Navy ROTC learn the details of radar operation set in simulated anti-submarine warfare in 1955.

Three Navy ROTC students practice maneuvers. From left to right: Mario S. Valentini, Robert E. Solomon, and William E. Thomas. After finishing their degree and ROTC training, they became 2nd lieutenants in the Marine Corps Reserve.

Up until World War I, training comprised mostly of non-credited drill classes and occasional lectures on military tactics. It wasn't until 1916 that an ROTC unit was created on campus and a more thorough military curriculum was established. Of course, during WWII many undergrads left to fight or were drafted, but it was still a very busy time for the university. Classes focusing on defense fields, engineering, and aeronautics were offered to students who were finishing their degrees before shipping out or to civilians. In 1960, the Nittany Lion Battalion moved into the newly built Wagner building, and by 1964 the University Senate decided to nix mandatory military training for the students and make it elective.

No matter what era you're interested in, we've probably got something up your alley. For the Civil War folk, the James A. Beaver papers and a whole bunch of Civil War diaries will keep you coming back for quite some time. We also recommend that you visit the Richards Civil War Era Center, especially their webpage if you can't visit campus in person. It's a great place to meet up with fellow buffs and a lot of material has been digitized thanks to them!

Probably the best researched and documented wars were the two World Wars of the 20th century. How did PSU respond to the wars, considering its main demographic was enlisting and being drafted? What did survivors bring home? There are a lot more questions, and if you're thinking of asking some more...don't hesitate to march in on the double and get some answers from us!

Thank you to all the men and women who serve our country, in uniform and out of uniform. We at Special Collections hope that we can continue to serve you by preserving the history and memories for today's patrons and tomorrow's generations. Happy Memorial Day from all of us in the archives!