About This Collection
Images of field notes and pre-final and final typed drafts of biographical entries for a projected but never published biographical encyclopedia of Pennsylvania. Information given is job number, surname of author, date of draft, surname of typist, number of words, initials of proofreader, source from which information was extracted, name of subject, and text of the biographical entry. Though this project was never completed, in recent years a number of independently published works have been printed covering some of this territory. This includes the first two volumes of "Lawmaking and Legislators in Pennsylvania, A Biographical Dictionary," 1682-1756, edited by Craig W. Horle, et. al. (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1991, 1997) that focus exclusively on Pennsylvania legislators. The "Pennsylvania Biographical Dictionary" issued by Somerset Publishers, Inc. (St. Clair Shores, MI: 1999) is the most recent effort to create a popularly styled general biographical dictionary for Pennsylvania. "The Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania," edited by Hiram Shenk and Esther Shenk (Harrisburg: National Historical Association, Inc., 1932) was the standard work at the time this Works Progress Administration project was begun. This collection is part of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission which was created in 1945. This collection is part of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission which was created in 1945. Disclaimer: The Pennsylvania State Archives provides digital access to a wide variety of historical documents, some of which may be considered offensive by current standards. The Archives does not endorse views expressed in these historical collections, but presents these collections to aid in scholarly research.
