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John Bartram Association collection on the Bartram family, 1768-2012 (inclusive)

Extent:
19.0 linear feet
Abstract:
John Bartram (1699-1777), the "Father of American Botany," created a botanic garden in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that is widely considered the first true botanic collection in North America. In 1891 the City of Philadelphia purchased his estate as a historic site, and the John Bartram Association--primarily constituted of his descendants--was established in 1893 to help with the administration and interpretation of the property. The John Bartram Association collection on the Bartram family, 1768-2012, includes various materials created by or on the subject of John Bartram (1699-1777) and his descendants. It includes some original and many copies of Bartram family documents, photographs, book research, genealogical research, and plant information.

Held at: John Bowman Bartram Special Collections Library [Contact Us]

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Seal family papers, 1752-1943 (inclusive)

Extent:
3.0 linear feet
Abstract:
William Heyburn Seal (1822-1910) settled in Birmingham Township (now Chadds Ford), Delaware County, Pennsylvania before 1850. He and his wife Deborah Twaddell, had six children. The Seal family papers, 1752-1943, include ledgers, teacher's lists, deeds, school workbooks, marriage certificates, a scrapbook, correspondence, a tax record, and many other materials from the Seal, Twaddell, and related families. Mary Emma Seal (1865-1941) and William Heyburn Seal (1822-1910) are especially well documented.

Held at: Chadds Ford Historical Society [Contact Us]

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James J. Reis Deed Collection, 1717-1881 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.25 linear feet
Abstract:
James J. Reis, a commercial real estate broker in Ambler, Pennsylvania, began collecting old deeds around 1987. The James J. Reis Deed Collection, 1717-1881, consists of 125 deeds for properties in the Philadelphia neighborhoods of Roxborough, Germantown, Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy, as well as Whitemarsh and Springfield townships in Montgomery County.

Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Chestnut Hill Historical Society local history collection, 1900-2011 (bulk) 1755-2011 (inclusive)

Extent:
18.8 linear feet
Abstract:
Chestnut Hill, in northwest Philadelphia, was a village of farmers and millers during the Colonial period. After the railroad reached the area in 1854, Chestnut Hill became a popular spot for Philadelphia's wealthy and it soon boasted magnificent estates designed by Frank Furness, T.P. Chandler, and Horace Trumbauer. The Chestnut Hill Historical Society local history collection, 1755-2011 (bulk 1900-2011) consists primarily of newspaper clippings and other printed materials, such as pamphlets, publications, and ephemera, relating to the Chestnut Hill neighborhood. There are some original records of local organizations, such as minute books and ledgers, as well as some family papers.

Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Craven Hall Historical Society local history collection, 1774-1973 (inclusive)

Extent:
3.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Warminster Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania was established 1711. It was home to religious leader William Tennent, steamboat inventor John Fitch, and the world's largest human centrifuge. The Craven Hall Historical Society local history collection, 1774-1973, contains ciphering books, account books, photographs, tax ledgers, deeds, scrapbooks, and other documents from local people, families, and organizations.

Held at: Craven Hall Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Howell family papers, 1830-1880 (bulk) 1798-1929 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.5 linear feet
Abstract:
The Howell family were members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) who resided in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The Howell family papers, 1798-1929 (bulk 1830-1880), consist substantially of routine personal correspondence between several generations of the Howell family, particularly Sally R. Howell, Israel Howell, Mary Mott Howell, Joshua R. Howell, and Elizabeth Howell. The collection also includes a sizeable amount of school records, about 17 manuscript volumes from the early to mid-1800s, and drafts of poems and other writings.

Held at: Delaware County Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Delaware County Institute of Science manuscript collection, 1686-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
20.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Delaware County was the first section of Pennsylvania to be settled by Europeans, specifically Swedes in 1643. The Borough of Media, located about 12 miles outside of Philadelphia, has been the county seat of Delaware County since 1850. A largely rural area prior to that point, the town grew rapidly in the second half of the 19th century and throughout the 20th century. The Delaware County Institute of Science manuscript collection, 1686-2014, consists of a variety of local history materials including organizational records, business records, personal papers, photographs, scrapbooks, blueprints, subject files, maps and atlases, and other materials. Most of the materials relate to Delaware County (Pennsylvania), but some items pertain to other locations in Pennsylvania and other states. Although the 19th century is the best represented among the materials, there is a significant amount of materials from the 18th century and a few items from the 17th century.

Held at: Delaware County Institute of Science [Contact Us]

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Darby Library Company records, 1743-2012 (inclusive)

Extent:
11.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The Darby Free Library is one of the oldest public libraries in the United States, and the first cultural institution in Darby, now part of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1743 as a subscription library, it became free to the public in 1898 and part of the Delaware County Library System in 1981. The Darby Free Library is still operational as of 2014. The Darby Library Company records, 1743-2012, include Board of Directors and stockholders' minute books, book acquisition and circulation records, financial records, other administrative papers, and various other materials from the Darby Free Library and the Darby Library Company, as well as other organizations that merged with the Darby Library Company, including the Delaware County Society for the Detection of Horse Thieves and the Recovery of Stolen Horses, and the Darby Home Protection Society.

Held at: Darby Free Library [Contact Us]

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First Baptist Church of Philadelphia records, 1690-1906, 1690-1906 (inclusive)

Extent:
8 boxes
Abstract:
Notable for its early leadership in Baptist organization and evangelism, the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia was prominent both in its region and city and in the transatlantic community of Baptists. Records include annual reports, membership records, bulletins, scrapbooks, and biographies as well as records specific to the Board of Deacons, Board of Trustees, Treasurer, Pew Committee, Bible School, Board of Christian Education, and various women's and missionary groups.

Held at: American Baptist Historical Society [Contact Us]

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The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute Frankliniana collection, 1718-2006 (inclusive)

Extent:
4.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1824, in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most important science institutes in the nation. Its mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute Frankliniana collection, 1718-2006, consists of prints, drawings, photographs, and a variety of ephemera and secondary-source materials relating to Benjamin Franklin and his activities. There is a small amount of 18th century materials signed or printed by Franklin.

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]

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The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute collection of oversized papers, 1790-1984 (inclusive)

Extent:
6.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1824, in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most important science institutes in the nation. Its mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute collection of oversized papers, 1790-1984, consists of oversized materials such as technical drawings of machinery (some used for patents), posters, illustrations, prints, drawings, engravings, maps, photographs, certificates, blueprints, and newspaper pages.

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]

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Fairmount Park Maps, Plans and Drawings collection, 1684-2010

Extent:
98.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Items in this collection relate to East and West Fairmount Park, the original components of what has become the vast Fairmount Park system. Unique in its composition, these areas not only contain naturalist landscapes, but they are also home to a truly diverse set of historic and functional structures. In addition to a vast trail system and traditional recreational facilities (such as swimming pools and baseball diamonds), these parks are also home to an array of 18th and 19th century historic houses, the nation's first zoo, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the imposing Fairmount Water Works, and Philadelphia's iconic Boathouse Row.

Held at: Fairmount Park Historic Resource Archives [Contact Us]

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Goschenhoppen Historians deeds collection, 1720-1923 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.5 linear feet
Abstract:
Goschenhoppen, one of the oldest continuously existing Pennsylvania German communities in America, is a geographic region in Montgomery County. The Goschenhoppen Historians deeds collection, 1720-1923, is primarily comprised of deeds, although there are also a few bonds, releases, wills, and other legal documents. The geographic region covered includes parts of Montgomery, Berks, and Philadelphia counties.

Held at: Goschenhoppen Historians, Inc. [Contact Us]

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Germantown Historical Society small manuscripts collection, 1701-1987 (inclusive)

Extent:
8.0 linear feet (one filing cabinet ("box 1"), two boxes ("box 2" and "box 3"))
Abstract:
Germantown, a neighborhood in the northwest section of Philadelphia, was the site of several nationally significant events. It was settled in the late 1600s by Mennonite and Quaker German-speaking emigrants and incorporated as a borough in 1689. Germantown is sometimes called the home of the American anti-slavery movement; the first organized protest against slavery in the Americas was begun by four members of the Germantown Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1688. In 1777, the courage displayed by American troops at the Battle of Germantown helped to spur the French to assist the United States in the Revolutionary War. During the yellow fever outbreak of 1793, government officials escaping the epidemic in Philadelphia relocated to Germantown, and it served as the temporary home of George Washington and the First Bank of the United States. Germantown was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia in 1854. The Germantown Historical Society small manuscript...(see more)

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Headley family papers, circa 1788-1981

Extent:
3.5 linear feet
Abstract:
The Headley family was a prominent and socially-active family from Fallsington, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The Headley family papers, circa 1788- 1981, document several generations of the Headley family and related family members, particularly the family of Charles Moon Headley (b. 1865) and Elizabeth Schurz Headley (b. 1871), including their daughters Alice Headley Woodruff (1894-1989) and Eleanor Christina Headley (b. 1897). The collection is largely made up of photographs that document the family and the village of Fallsington, circa 1850-1950, and bound volumes including account books, minute books, and diaries. The collection also contains legal papers, personal papers, correspondence, genealogy research, and papers relating to Historic Fallsington, Inc.

Held at: Historic Fallsington, Inc. [Contact Us]

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Plymouth Meeting Historical Society small collections, 1709-1976 (inclusive)

Extent:
3.5 linear feet
Abstract:
Plymouth Meeting (in Plymouth and Whitemarsh Townships) in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, was settled during the late 17th century by English and Welsh Quaker and German immigrants. In 1686, the discovery of limestone drew more settlers to the area. Several railroad lines were constructed in the area during the 19th century, which encouraged a growth in industry. Plymouth and Whitemarsh grew significantly after World War II, especially during the latter decades of the 20th century after completion of the Blue Route (Interstate 476) with its major interchange in Plymouth Township. Plymouth Meeting Historical Society small collections, 1709-1976, consist of various small collections held by the Plymouth Meeting Historical Society. The collections document local families, including the Lukens, Corson, and Zimmerman and Dager families. There is also documentation of local properties, in the form of deeds and tax assessments.

Held at: Plymouth Meeting Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Quakertown Historical Society collection of ledgers and deeds, 1767-1991 (inclusive)

Extent:
6.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Quakertown, Pennsylvania, incorporated in 1855, is a town located in the northeast portion of Upper Bucks County. The town remained quite small until the mid-nineteenth century, when the construction of the North Pennsylvania Railroad helped turn it into a significant commercial center. The Quakertown Historical Society collection of ledgers and deeds, 1767-1991, consists of various ledgers from different creators, as well as an assemblage of local deeds. It seems likely that the majority of ledgers are Quakertown Borough records, although many are not clearly identified. The collection also includes record books from Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society, Camp #489 (Quakertown, Pa.), Powelton Cut Glass Company, and several unidentified sources.

Held at: Quakertown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Spring-Ford Area Historical Society local history collection, 1880-1960 (bulk) 1789-2000 bulk, 1880-1960 (inclusive)

Extent:
34.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Previously a sparsely-settled farming area, early development in Spring City (Chester County, Pennsylvania) and adjacent Royersford (Montgomery County, Pennsylvania) coincided with the opening of the Schuylkill Navigation Canal in 1824. Industry in the two towns continued to grow during the 19th century, especially with the construction of major rail lines through both. By the early 20th century, Spring City and Royersford were booming industrial towns with extensive stove factories, glass and bottle works, and embroidery, hosiery, and knitting mills, among other businesses. The Spring-Ford Area Historical Society local history collection, 1789-2000 (bulk 1880-1960), consists of photographs, scrapbooks, manuscript volumes, pamphlets and ephemera, deeds, and various other documents relating to local history. Photographs form the largest portion of the collection.

Held at: Spring-Ford Area Historical Society [Contact Us]

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St. Peter's Episcopal Church records, 1832-2014 (bulk) 1761-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
100.0 linear feet
Abstract:
St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was established in 1758 as an off-shoot of nearby Christ Church; it became an independent entity in 1832. St. Peter's church building, which held its first service in 1761 and still hosts St. Peter's services as of 2014, was designed by well-known architects Robert Smith and William Strickland, and sculptor William Rush contributed to its interior. Many prominent Philadelphians have been associated with the church, including artist Charles Willson Peale and United States Vice President George Mifflin Dallas, both of whom are buried in its graveyard. St. Peter's Episcopal Church records, 1761-2013 (bulk 1832-2013), consist of minutes of the vestry, parish registers and records of service, accounting and financial records, deeds, blueprints, photographs, sound recordings and other records of St. Peter's Church. In addition, there are materials from parish organizations and affiliated organizations. The records in the...(see more)

Held at: St. Peter's Episcopal Church [Contact Us]

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Brower family papers, circa 1750-1950s

Extent:
12.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Mennonites Hubert and Anna Brower left Germany and emigrated to Chester County, Pennsylvania in 1726. They settled in Coventry (now, East Coventry Township). Hubert and Anna's son, Henry Brower (1720-1784) purchased land and established a family farm in the Parker Ford area of Coventry. His descendents, many of who were farmers, doctors, and ministers, resided in this area of Chester County for several generations. The Brower family papers, circa 1750-1950s, consist of financial, legal, and property documents; letters; family records and genealogy research; school records and teacher certificates; photographs and scrapbooks; newspaper clippings, printed matter, and ephemera; and other materials. There are small amounts of materials from other families that are connected to the Brower family. Individuals well-represented in the collection include M. Bertha Brower (1900-2000), Dr. William Brower (1842-1919), Abraham Brower, and David Stiteler Taylor (1832-1925) and his second wife,...(see more)

Held at: Tri-County Heritage Society [Contact Us]

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Union Library of Hatboro local history collection, 1799-1999 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.2 linear feet
Abstract:
In 1715, the Crooked Billet Inn was built by John Dawson in what is now known as Hatboro Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was a farming village that boasted one of the first rural libraries in Pennsylvania, the Union Library Company. The Union Library of Hatboro local history collection, 1799-1999, contains primary and secondary materials relating to Hatboro history and events.

Held at: Union Library of Hatboro [Contact Us]

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Union Library of Hatboro records, 1755-2009 (inclusive)

Extent:
19.4 linear feet
Abstract:
In existence since 1755, the Union Library of Hatboro of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania still operates as a lending library under its original charter. The Union Library of Hatboro records, 1755-2009, contain administrative, financial, and event records of the library.

Held at: Union Library of Hatboro [Contact Us]

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Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church manuscripts collection, circa 1770-2000

Extent:
10.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Methodism is a protestant Christian faith based in the teachings of John Wesley (1703-1791), who preached "practical divinity," emphasis on Christian living, and putting faith and love into action. The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1784 in the United States. After a series of divisions and unifications over the centuries, the modern United Methodist Church (U.S.) was formed in 1968. The Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church manuscripts collection, circa 1770-2000, includes papers of various reverends, bishops, and other Methodists, including correspondence, diaries, religious commentary, sermon drafts, pastoral records, autograph books, scrapbooks, marriage certificates, deacons certificates, traveling connections, diplomas, district reports, printed engravings of Methodists (preachers), Methodist historical notes, photographs and photograph albums, and other documents. There is only a small amount of material (less...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church [Contact Us]

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Wallace Township local history collection, 1789-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
30.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Although the first official survey of Wallace Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania took place in 1729, the Township was formally created in 1852 and has had multiple changes to its boundaries since. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, farms, mills, and forges dotted the landscape, but the late 19th century brought the railroad and considerable development of the area. A Pennsylvania Turnpike entrance was created near Wallace in 1950, and during the late 20th century, many residential subdivisions were built in the Township resulting in a substantial population increase. The Wallace Township Historical Commission local history collection, 1789-2014, consists of a mix of primary and secondary-source material relating to the history and residents of Wallace Township. Materials include scrapbooks, maps and blueprints, deeds, financial and administrative records, photographs, audio recordings, ephemera, correspondence, posters, and genealogy and other research materials.

Held at: Wallace Township Archives [Contact Us]

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Westtown School Archives small manuscripts collection, 1769-2008 (inclusive)

Extent:
13.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Westtown School in Chester County, Pennsylvania is the oldest continuously operating coeducational boarding school in the United States. It was founded by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1799 with the goal of educating Quaker children in an environment that fostered moral development consistent with their religious ideals. The Westtown School Archives small manuscripts collection, 1769-2008, consists of correspondence to and from various students, teachers, school officials, and other individuals and families affiliated with Westtown School. There is only one or a few documents associated with most of the individuals. These include mostly handwritten letters with some typescript and email print-outs. Also included are other materials, such as ephemera, account books, addresses and writings, school documents such as student lists and report cards, and receipts and other financial papers.

Held at: Westtown School Archives [Contact Us]

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Smedley Family Papers, 1751-1996 (inclusive) 1821-1950 (bulk)

Extent:
12 linear ft. (23 boxes plus photographs)
Abstract:
The collection contains correspondence, journals and other writings, business and legal papers, and miscellaneous items of the Smedley family, a large and prominent Quaker family of Penncrest Farm, Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The family was related to the Kite and Sharples/Sharpless families of Chester and Delaware Counties. The papers include significant correspondence of the Kite family, especially Thomas Kite (1785-1845) and Mary Kite (1792-1861), both prominent Quaker ministers, and Thomas's daughter, Susanna Kite (1809-1844) who married Aaron Sharpless. Their daughter, Elizabeth S. Sharpless married Edward G. Smedley of Middletown, thus merging the Smedley-Sharples-Kite families. In the 20th century, the property became the home of Edward Smedley's nephew, Walter Smedley (1862-1939), a Philadelphia architect, and his wife, Ida Wilkins Roberts Smedley (1896-1993). She married second C. Canby Balderston. The papers cover a wide range of subjects...(see more)

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

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Ann Jones Papers, 1793-1831 (inclusive)

Extent:
6 folders
Abstract:
This collection contains letters and other manuscripts relating to visits of English Friends to America in the 1820s and the controversies which led to the Hicksite-Orthodox Separation. Also included are letters from Elizabeth Rathbone, Liverpool, England, to "My Beloved Uncle;" Joseph Bringhurst, Philadelphia, to "My Esteemed Friend;" also Abel Thomas to Thomas and Mary Wistar (copy) as well as some miscellaneous Quaker papers.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

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George Wharton Pepper Papers, 1797-1956 (inclusive) 1889-1956 (bulk)

Extent:
39 cubic feet
Abstract:
George Wharton Pepper, an 1862 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, was a distinguished Philadelphia lawyer and U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania. The George Wharton Pepper Papers document his personal and professional life.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: University Archives and Records Center [Contact Us]

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Henry Howard Houston Estate Papers, 1698-1989 (inclusive) 1830-1953 (bulk)

Extent:
26 cubic feet
Abstract:
The Henry Howard Houston Estate Papers document the creation and development of a large real estate investment in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties. The collection also provides extension information on land ownership in this area from the late eighteenth to mid nineteenth century through the original deeds, which form the title papers series of the collection.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: University Archives and Records Center [Contact Us]

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Office of Alumni Records. Compiled Indices of Appointments, Honorary Degrees, Publications, and Military Service, 1749-1965 (inclusive)

Extent:
8 cubic feet
Abstract:
The compiled indices that comprise this collection were created by the Office of the Recorder and the Office of Alumni Records. The collection documents on index cards the service provided by individuals as officers and teachers at the University of Pennsylvania from 1749 to 1942, as military personnel to the United States military during the wars of the first half twentieth century, as contributors to the larger world of learning.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: University Archives and Records Center [Contact Us]

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Curriculum and Lecture Notes Collection, 1759-1976 (inclusive) 1860-1920 (bulk)

Extent:
23 cubic feet
Abstract:
The Curriculum and Lecture Notes Collection was created by the University Archives in the 1950s to assemble individual manuscripts and small groupings of archival material relating to courses taught at the University of Pennsylvania throughout its entire history. This collection documents the teaching methods used in the various schools of the University of Pennsylvania throughout its history.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: University Archives and Records Center [Contact Us]

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