Regiments from Chester County fought bravely in all theaters of World War II, while locals at home took extraordinary measures to support the Allies. West Chester resident G. Raymond Rettew developed a process to mass produce vitally needed penicillin while a peaceful farm transformed into the bustling Valley Forge General Hospital in 1943. Women entered labor positions at companies, including Lukens Steel, to meet production demands. The Coatesville YMCA created and distributed a newsletter to soldiers so the boys on the front had the news from back home. Author Marion Piccolomini celebrates the resilience and perseverance of Chester County residents in the midst of total war.

Contrary to popular belief the Minie ball was not used by either side during America’s Civil War. Instead infantry soldiers fired the Harpers Ferry bullet, a hollow based, cylindro-conical bullet designed by acting master armorer James Henry Burton. His reward was to be driven from his position by partisan politics and into the lap of Great Britain where he helped to establish the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield. Based heavily on Burton’s own papers, this book explains the problems and solutions to the armory production of small arms. A complete inventory of machine tools used to manufacture the Springfield rifled musket is listed in an appendix along with details and diagrams of three patents awarded to Burton.

From William Penn's treaty with the Indians, to the suffering of troops at Valley Forge, the gallantry at Gettysburg, and the early development of the petroleum industry, Pennsylvania has often been at center stage in the evolution of the nation. Yet despite this record, the historical literature on the state is not as well known as that of many other states. This volume will remedy that deficiency by assessing the vast wealth of materials on the political, social, economic, and cultural development of the Keystone State. In a series of historiographical chapters, each devoted to a specific chronological period, the contributors present a thorough and informed analysis of the most important and significant literature, thereby providing a useful companion to printed bibliographies.

"This volume represents a group of Pennsylvania institutions in whose libraries manuscripts are housed. It lists historical societies, public libraries, museums, and academic institutions, but is not intended to cover the vast number of manuscript collections in the archives of families and commercial enterprises, and in the hands of private collectors."--Pref.

This bibliography brings together in one comprehensive volume citations of books, dissertations, theses, and ERIC microfiche relating to the history of specific institutions of higher education worldwide. All types of postsecondary institutions--two years colleges, liberal arts colleges, seminaries, specialized institutions, and universities--are included. Entries include the following elements when available: author/editor, title, place of publication, publisher, publication date, and number of pages. Citations from 85 countries are included. Entries are by country, dependency, and territory. The United States has been further divided by state. Names of institutions are in English. References are in the language in which they were written. The majority of the citations should be available in a library somewhere in the United States. Obscure sources that may be difficult to obtain have been included because they are often the only citation. All editions of a title as well as older works are included because of their potential value to a researcher. The book should be a part of all college, university, and large public library collections. College of Education faculty members specializing in higher or comparative education will find much of value here.