Pennsylvania Photos and Documents

Lycoming College and its predecessor Dickinson Seminary have served the central region of Pennsylvania since 1812. The school carries a historic connection to the Methodist Church and was associated with Dickinson College in the early years. The alumni magazine under various titles began in 1913 and includes information on the campus, student activities, alumni activities and accomplishments, and academic programs.

Our Historical Documents Collection features a monograph of the college's history from its beginnings to 1955 and manuscripts of importance to the colleges almost two-hundred year history.

The Lycoming College Collection begins after the accreditation of the Williamsport Dickinson Seminary and Junior College as a four year college. It is a growing collection that chronicles the evolution of this small liberal arts institution, and will include photographs, annuals, catalogs, event programs, alumni newsletters, and promotional material. Student life is represented in publication and information concerning organizations and activities. Continuing in the tradition of the forerunners of the college, a rich musical, theatrical, and artistic environment is documented. Athletics also figure prominently in this collection. An expanding collection of faculty and presidential papers have been contributed, along with records from the libraries, Archival items include assorted artifacts, numerous photographs, and a collection of scrapbooks spanning forty-five years.

The Lycoming College Campus - Past and Present collection is an exhibit of photographs depicting the buildings and grounds of the campus from its earliest days as the Williamsport Academy to the present Lycoming College campus. An effort has been made to show the transformation of the campus through the years, respecting the legacies of the past and acknowledging the changes that the future requires. This collection also honors the individuals from whom several of the buildings were named, by displaying their photographs, if possible, and short summaries of their significance in the lives of their families, their communities, and the college.

This collection contains material originating from and telling about Williamsport Dickinson Seminary Junior College and Preparatory School. Although spanning almost two decades, from 1928 through 1947, the collection is modest in size. The publications, annuals, catalogs, alumni newsletters and promotional material, are well represented and provide a wealth of information about the school, the faculty and the students. Evident from the collection is a rich musical and social atmosphere. Athletics and official events are also well documented. Reflecting world history, two significant events in the life of the Junior College occur as a result of World War II. Almost one- third of the collection centers around the school's involvement with the war effort. The institution of two different military training programs are chronicled here. Records of accreditation from a junior college to a four year institute are included, which was also influenced by World War II and the resulting return of military personnel desiring to pursue opportunities for higher education. A small part of the collection consists of items not specifically produced by the college but most likely accumulated by staff or faculty, enhances the portrayal of the time period,

The Williamsport Dickinson Seminary Collection traces the first eighty years of the school's extensive history. Documented here is the early struggle of the founding of the school, with more prosperous years ensuing as attendance increased and the facilities expanded. The significance of the Methodist Church in the establishment and the continual funding of the school is evidenced. Records exist from six of the eight presidents that helped mold the young school. Events, both social and official, are well represented. Music played a very important role, as is apparent from the many recital playbills in the collection. Also very significant in the life of the students were the many societies and organizations, especially three of the more prominent organizations, the Belles Lettres Union Society, the Gamma Epsilon Society and the Triparite Union Society. Catalogs listing both students and faculty provide further glimpses of life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Items not specifically related to Williamsport Dickinson Seminary, such as a newspaper announcing President Lincoln's assassination and magazines covering the coronation of King George V, were most likely collected by faculty or staff, and are included to enhance the portrayal of the time period.

The collection includes digitized volumes of student annuals, The Dart (1923-1948) and The Arrow (1949- ), published by the students of Lycoming College and its predecessors, Williamsport Dickinson Seminary and Williamsport Dickinson Seminary and Junior College.

These are a collection of Hi-Lite newspapers published from the Manheim Township High School dating back to the 1930s.