WCU 150: History and Heritage
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2025
Pages: 282
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ses·qui·cen·ten·ni·al/ seskwəsen-tenēəl/(adjective)
relating to the one-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of a significant event.
The 2021-2022 academic year marked West Chester University’s Sesquicentennial Anniversary. As the largest liberal arts university in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sesquicentennial provided the opportunity to pause and reflect on 150 years of excellence in scholarship, community, and academic engagement. Based on the West Chester University Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology’s exhibition, WCU 150: History and Heritage—a centerpiece of the institution’s sesquicentennial celebrations—this volume explores the university’s rich history—from its origins as a public Normal School forming elementary teachers, to a state teacher’s college in the roaring 20s, to what the Philadelphia Inquirer called “arguably the most successful” of Pennsylvania’s state schools. Compelling articles written by faculty, alumni, and student cocurators examine topics such as teaching and learning, student life, the arts, gender and sexuality, sports, military service, diversity and inclusion, and more. As the exhibition was planned, installed and exhibited during the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume also provides insight into how higher education and the culture industry dealt with a global crisis. Illustrated with over a hundred photos of rare artifacts from the exhibition, and containing original research and first-hand accounts of life at WCU, West Chester University’s heritage comes to life in this important volume, providing a compelling case study of the life history and development of a major university.
A 3D virtual experience complements this volume: ***.wcupa.edu/WCU150VirtualExhibition
Michael A. Di Giovine is Professor of Anthropology at West Chester University, Director of its Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology, and Director of its Museum Studies Program. An Honorary Fellow in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he is also the Director of the West Chester University Ethnographic Field School on Sustainable Food and Cultural Heritage in Perugia, Italy. The President of the American Anthropological Association’s Council on Heritage and the Anthropology of Tourism (CHAT) and the editor of Lexington Books’ Anthropology of Tourism: Heritage, Mobility and Society series, his publications include The Heritage-scape: UNESCO, World Heritage and Tourism and Study Abroad and the Quest for an Anti-Tourism Experience. ***.michaeldigiovine.com
Aaron Stoyack is a Park Ranger at Pamplin Historical Park and author of more than a dozen articles for scholarly, professional, and popular audiences. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from WCU in 2022 with a BA in History. Aaron has served on the Executive Board for local historical societies and presented at conferences on campus and at the national level. He also designs and delivers both ticketed and private custom tours of Civil War battlefields and other sites.
"Boasting artifacts from around the world that date back to 1871, the exhibition tells the story of the extraordinary people and significant events that have shaped the University into what it is today, the largest university within Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education."
Daily Local News
"A special exhibit that brings together valuable artifacts from around the world in 1871, putting West Chester into greater perspective. The exhibition does not shy away from addressing historical struggles with race, gender, sexuality, equity and inclusion, and presents the people and events that have shaped the university into what it is today."
Chadds Ford Neighbors
"West Chester University’s rich 150-year legacy is highlighted in a unique museum exhibit… The exhibit speaks to understanding the past and making the future better."
ABC News
ses·qui·cen·ten·ni·al/ seskwəsen-tenēəl/(adjective)
relating to the one-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of a significant event.
The 2021-2022 academic year marked West Chester University’s Sesquicentennial Anniversary. As the largest liberal arts university in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sesquicentennial provided the opportunity to pause and reflect on 150 years of excellence in scholarship, community, and academic engagement. Based on the West Chester University Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology’s exhibition, WCU 150: History and Heritage—a centerpiece of the institution’s sesquicentennial celebrations—this volume explores the university’s rich history—from its origins as a public Normal School forming elementary teachers, to a state teacher’s college in the roaring 20s, to what the Philadelphia Inquirer called “arguably the most successful” of Pennsylvania’s state schools. Compelling articles written by faculty, alumni, and student cocurators examine topics such as teaching and learning, student life, the arts, gender and sexuality, sports, military service, diversity and inclusion, and more. As the exhibition was planned, installed and exhibited during the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume also provides insight into how higher education and the culture industry dealt with a global crisis. Illustrated with over a hundred photos of rare artifacts from the exhibition, and containing original research and first-hand accounts of life at WCU, West Chester University’s heritage comes to life in this important volume, providing a compelling case study of the life history and development of a major university.
A 3D virtual experience complements this volume: ***.wcupa.edu/WCU150VirtualExhibition
Michael A. Di Giovine is Professor of Anthropology at West Chester University, Director of its Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology, and Director of its Museum Studies Program. An Honorary Fellow in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he is also the Director of the West Chester University Ethnographic Field School on Sustainable Food and Cultural Heritage in Perugia, Italy. The President of the American Anthropological Association’s Council on Heritage and the Anthropology of Tourism (CHAT) and the editor of Lexington Books’ Anthropology of Tourism: Heritage, Mobility and Society series, his publications include The Heritage-scape: UNESCO, World Heritage and Tourism and Study Abroad and the Quest for an Anti-Tourism Experience. ***.michaeldigiovine.com
Aaron Stoyack is a Park Ranger at Pamplin Historical Park and author of more than a dozen articles for scholarly, professional, and popular audiences. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from WCU in 2022 with a BA in History. Aaron has served on the Executive Board for local historical societies and presented at conferences on campus and at the national level. He also designs and delivers both ticketed and private custom tours of Civil War battlefields and other sites.
"Boasting artifacts from around the world that date back to 1871, the exhibition tells the story of the extraordinary people and significant events that have shaped the University into what it is today, the largest university within Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education."
Daily Local News
"A special exhibit that brings together valuable artifacts from around the world in 1871, putting West Chester into greater perspective. The exhibition does not shy away from addressing historical struggles with race, gender, sexuality, equity and inclusion, and presents the people and events that have shaped the university into what it is today."
Chadds Ford Neighbors
"West Chester University’s rich 150-year legacy is highlighted in a unique museum exhibit… The exhibit speaks to understanding the past and making the future better."
ABC News