NEWSLETTER OF THE PENNSYLVANIA
ANTHRACITE HERITAGE MUSEUM AND IRON FURNACES ASSOCIATES
Vol. 29 No. 2
Phone (570) 963-4804 April - June, 2012
A New Exhibit Opens in May at the Pennsylvania
Anthracite Heritage Museum:
Penn Foster Alma Mater to Millions
From Coal Mining to International Correspondence Schools to the Penn Foster Company
1891 – 2012
This is an image of the current Penn Foster building at 925 Oak Street, Scranton, Pennsylvania.
After the Civil War, the anthracite industry was shaken by a
series of mining disasters. As a result, in 1885, the Pennsylvania
legislature passed laws to improve mine safety. One law required
that all mine inspectors, foremen, and superintendents pass
competency examinations.
Thomas J. Foster, a proponent of the mine safety program,
was editor of the Shenandoah Mining Herald. Foster began
to print sample problems and copies of previous competency
exams in the pages of the Herald to help men prepare for the
competency exams. He encouraged readers to send their answers
to the Herald for correction and comment. These questions and
responses began to dominate the columns of the newspaper.
The International Correspondence Schools (ICS) growth is a
story of response to an apparent need—to help men needing
assistance in basic subjects and specialized information on mining
problems. Foster contracted with practicing engineers to write
easily understood articles or pamphlets. They developed the ICS
format: a text, practice problems which encouraged students
to apply theory to practical applications, and a final exam. The
Herald hired a staff of instructors and graders to evaluate student
responses. Seeking a more centrally located headquarters, Foster
moved to Scranton.
In 1888 Foster changed the name of his publication and
publishing company to the Colliery Engineer. Encouraged by
the success of the newspaper column and the sale of the small
booklets, Foster offered the first complete correspondence course
on coal mining in 1891.
Thomas Coates of Peckville, PA was the first student to
enroll. His three year program cost $25 and included arithmetic,
mine ventilation, geology of coal, methods of mining, mining
legislation, mine surveying and mapping. Coates successfully
completed his course of study and eventually became a mine
superintendent for the Hudson Coal Company.
The popular acceptance of the coal mining course encouraged
the Colliery Engineer Company to offer additional courses. Steam
engineering, electricity, architecture, plumbing, civil engineering
and heating were soon added to the curriculum. From an
enrollment of 114 in 1891, over 250,000 students participated
by 1900. Ten years later ICS had enrolled almost one million
students.
Foster began a building program to house the staff required
to serve his expanding student body. He first erected an
administration building, presently called the Finch Building,
which was too small for the staff when finished.
In 1906, a new structure, the Haddon Craftsmen Printery,
was completed. The building, which filled an entire block,
was designed to house both the Education Department and a
printery. The first floor housed composing rooms, pressrooms,
and the bindery which turned out 250 textbooks for more than
100 different ICS courses. The upper stories provided space for
the instructional staff.
The 1920’s represented a period of reorganization for ICS.
Although there was rapid expansion of the curriculum, new courses
did not always pay. The war in Europe in the second decade of the
20th century and the loss of overseas students hurt the Company.
Community leaders and employees worked together to prevent
the financial failure of ICS and the loss of 2,000 jobs. Renewed
financing, including over $50,000 pledged by the employees,
enabled the Company to withstand the economic pressure. One
condition of this assistance was the resignation of Thomas Foster
as President of ICS. He was succeeded by Ralph E. Weeks, a
Continued on page 4
2
President’s Message
Dear Friends,
Now that Spring has arrived we expect to get busier with tours
and have also been working hard to plan some exciting events
to take place in the next few months. Check the calendar on the
back page to find out more.
I am grateful to those of you who were able to join us for our annual Knox Mine
Disaster program and hope that you found it was educational. I am pleased that the
museum continues to mark these significant events in our anthracite history. Charter
Day took place on March 11 with Karol Weaver’s presentation, Neighborhood Women:
Medical Caregivers in the Anthracite Region. We had an outstanding attendance for
this special program to also commemorate Women’s History Month.
As president of the museum, one of my major concerns has been to increase
promotion and awareness of the Scranton Iron Furnaces. In the last two years we have
made great strides in accomplishing this and have developed the very well-received Arts
on Fire Festival which will return in June as well as last Fall’s Samhain and bonfire event.
In addition a special committee has been meeting to discuss ideas of how the furnaces
can be further interpreted and promoted. I was very pleased to travel with members of
this group to meet with representatives from Arts Quest in Bethlehem to learn about
their restoration and revitalization of the Bethlehem Steel Works site. The trip was very
enlightening and I am looking forward to continuing work with our local partners to
bring the furnaces into the forefront of the city’s tourism and cultural resources. Stay
tuned for more information as planning moves forward.
So please mark your calendar for June 1st which will officially kick off this year’s Arts
on Fire Festival with a Friday evening reception and nighttime iron pour at the furnaces.
And don’t forget to pick up the latest copy of Go Lackawanna to read the Anthracite
Museum’s Mining History columns.
Robert M. Savakinus, President
Anthracite Heritage Museum & Iron Furnaces Associates
Evening Fundraiser Event and
Iron Pour at the Scranton Iron
Furnaces on June 1
On Friday, June 1, 2012, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., the Anthracite Heritage
Museum and Iron Furnaces Associates and partners will host an event at the
historic Scranton Iron Furnaces entitled: Fire at the Furnace. This community
event will include a professional performance iron pour, live bluegrass music by the
Lost Ramblers, a selection of hors d’oeuvres, beverages and more! The donation
for this event is $15 in advance by calling the Anthracite Heritage Museum at
(570) 963.4804, or $20 at the door. Proceeds benefit the historic Scranton Iron
Furnaces—the birthplace of America’s industrial revolution in anthracite coal and
iron. Convenient parking is available within walking distance of the site.
The Scranton Iron Furnaces, 159 Cedar Avenue, Scranton, are administered by
the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Individuals with disabilities
who need special assistance or accommodations to participate in this program or
visit should call the Anthracite Heritage Museum at 570-963-4804, in advance,
to discuss their needs. Pennsylvania TDD relay service is available at (800) 6545984. The Scranton Iron Furnaces site is on the Pennsylvania Trail of History®,
administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. For more
information, or to request a free, 24-page visitor’s guide, visit www.phmc.state.
pa.us, or phone toll free 1-866-PATRAIL.
The site is operated in partnership with the Anthracite Heritage Museum and
Iron Furnaces Associates. For more information about the Scranton Iron Furnaces
visit www.anthracitemuseum.org or www.artsonfirefestival.com.
Associates
Board of Directors
Mr. Anthony C. Bernardi, Jr., P.E.
Ms. Chris Carroll
Ms. Kate Gibbons
Ms. Virginia Goodrich
Mr. James Justin
Mr. Jeffrey Kiefer
Atty. John Krisa
Mrs. Mary Theresa Montoro
Dr. Kathleen Munley
Ms. Sarah Piccini
Atty. William J. Rinaldi
Mr. Robert Savakinus
Mrs. Linda L. Schuller
Mrs. Allison Uhrin
STAFF
Margaret Reese Barbara Powell Jean Arcarese Chester J. Kulesa Richard Stanislaus John Fielding
Kevin Borove Maureen Litvin Edward D’Amico
Associates Business
& Museum Store
Manager
Museum Store Assistant
Museum Store Clerk
Site Administrator
Curator
Curator
Maintenance Repairman
Clerk Typist
Custodial Guide
The Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage
Museum is administered by the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
Commission: Tom Corbett, Governor;
Andrew E. Masich, Chairman; and James M.
Vaughan, Executive Director; in partnership
with the Anthracite Heritage Museum and
Iron Furnaces Associates.
The Anthracite Heritage Museum
and Scranton Iron Furnaces are part of
the Anthracite Museum Complex and are
administered by the Pennsylvania Historical
and Museum Commission. THE MINER’S
LAMP is prepared by the staff of the Anthracite
Heritage Museum and Iron Furnaces Associates.
All contents copyrighted.
If you wish to submit announcements
or articles to THE MINER’S LAMP, please
send a copy to the Museum, attention: Editor,
MINER’S LAMP.
3
Vivian Cleveland
Volunteer
of the Year
Vivian Cleveland joined the volunteer team at the Anthracite
Heritage Museum and Scranton Iron Furnaces in 2009. Excelling
at customer service, Vivian has welcomed many visitors to the
museum, sold admission tickets, and assisted with museum store
sales. Her attention to detail and helpful work ethic caught the
attention of the Anthracite Heritage Museum and Iron Furnaces
Associates Membership Committee. Former Board President
and Volunteer Membership Secretary, Dorothy Thomas, trained
Vivian in processing new and renewing memberships. In early
2011 Vivian assumed the position of Volunteer Membership
Secretary. Currently, she works with Membership Chair and
Board Member Virginia Goodrich on membership goals and
objectives.
Vivian was instrumental in processing the 2011 Annual Appeal,
and was recently appointed to the Associates Board Nominating
Committee. She assists with the many programs held throughout
the year, and is most helpful with our annual children’s camp. She
has also provided support with inventory computer input for the
museum store.
Mrs. Cleveland is a native of Duryea, and now calls Scranton her
home. She has worked at the Luzerne County Historical Society
Pictured at the Volunteer of the Year awards ceremony at the State
Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg on Saturday, April 21st,
are, from left to right: Andrew E. Masich, Chairman, Pennsylvania
Historical and Museum Commission; Vivian Cleveland and James
M. Vaughan, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Historical and
Museum Commission.
and as a tour guide at the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming,
Luzerne County. Working as a training supervisor for Coty
USLCC gave her the opportunity of traveling and encountering
the people and cultures in the United States and Canada.
We are privileged to have Vivian as a volunteer at the
Anthracite Heritage Museum and Scranton Iron Furnaces of the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Thank you,
Vivian Cleveland, for your contributions, support and friendship!
Your efforts are greatly appreciated!
Arts on Fire: Industrial Arts Festival at the
Scranton Iron Furnaces On June 2nd and 3rd
On Saturday, June 2, 2012, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on
Sunday, June 3, 2012, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Scranton’s third
annual “Arts on Fire Festival” will be held at the Iron Furnaces
historic site. The industrial arts festival will include an iron
pour on Saturday and glassblowing on Sunday. Both days will
include art and food vendors, live music, and demonstrations.
The Arts on Fire Industrial Arts Festival is free and open
to the public on both Saturday and Sunday. The event is
sponsored by a 2012 Lackawanna County Arts and Culture
Department Grant; Arts ENGAGE!--Keystone Iron
Works Grant, Keystone College, Lackawanna County, the
Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority in partnership with
the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources and the National Park Service and the Pennsylvania
Historical and Museum Commission. It organized by
partners including: Alliance Landfill; the Anthracite Heritage
Museum & Iron Furnaces Associates; the AFA Gallery;
ArtWorks Gallery & Studio; Electric City Trolley Museum;
Elm Street Revitalization Project; First Friday Scranton;
Keystone College; Keystone Iron Works; Lackawanna
County Arts and Culture Department; Lackawanna
Heritage Valley; Lackawanna Historical Society, Maid-Rite;
Northeast Educational Intermediate Unit # 19; Old Forge
Miners Association; Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
Commission; Rocky Glen & Pippin Pictures; Steamtown
National Historic Site; United Neighborhood Centers of
NEPA; University of Scranton, and WNEP-TV.
4
Penn Foster continued from page 1
successful Scranton merchant and bank director, who served as
President from 1916 until his death in October, 1949.
The decade of the 1920’s was exhilarating for ICS – the return
of WWI veterans and the expansion of the national economy
provided a basis for growth. An industrial training department
helped American industry upgrade employee skills. The School
of Railroads provided fully equipped cars for on-site instruction.
In Scranton, ICS set up a resident school with complete air
brake equipment, to which railroad companies could send their
employees for supplemental instruction.
The Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences was
founded by ICS during the early 1920’s. The program, suggested
by Mary Brooks Pickens, included a series of courses such as
dressmaking, cookery and millinery. Within five years of its
inauguration, the Woman’s Institute had organized a staff of over
900 employees. In 1921 they moved into their own building
designed by William Lowndes, head of the ICS School of
Architecture. The five-story gothic structure was located across
from the Printing/Educational Center.
The Institute not only provided instruction, but also acted as
an agent for its students by purchasing and shipping fabrics and
other items to those who could not reach major shopping areas.
The Woman’s Institute was in service for 25 years and eased the
technical transition to new products such as tissue dress patterns,
electric stoves and modern appliances. A special feature of the
dressmaking course was an adjustable form which allowed the
individual student to sew materials for her specific requirements.
In the 1940s, ICS met the challenge of WWII by developing
training and education programs for each of the armed services.
ICS supplied the US Armed Forces Institute with more than
15,000,000 texts. Educational programs were designed not
only to improve military skills but also to provide training for
civilians.
Returning servicemen used the G.I. Bill to enroll in
correspondence courses and ICS reached new levels of activity.
This growth forced ICS to move once again. In 1958 ICS
completed its present home (now the Penn Foster Company)
designed to meet the requirements of a non-traditional educational
institution.
As the G.I. student population began to dwindle, industrial
programs assumed greater importance. ICS continued to set up
cooperative training programs with major industrial and union
clients designed to complement the company’s own employee
development program.
In the 1970’s ICS continued to innovate by offering its
students a collegiate education by correspondence. The Center
for Degree Studies offerings included Associate Degrees in
specialized business and technical areas with accreditation by the
Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Middle States
Association of Colleges and Schools.
In 2003 the institution began its transition from a
correspondence school to a modern online distance learning
provider; and in 2005 announced its new name: Penn Foster.
In March of 2007 the Wicks Group, a New York-based private
equity firm, acquired Penn Foster, Inc. The Wicks Group manages
private equity funds that invest in education, publishing, medical
information services, newspapers, and radio broadcasting, among
others. In December 2009 The Princeton Review (Nasdaq:
REVU) acquired Penn Foster, Inc. The Princeton Review has
been a pioneer and leader in helping students achieve their
higher education goals for more than 25 years through college
and graduate school test preparation and private tutoring. With
more than 165 print and digital publications and a free website,
www.PrincetonReview.com, the Company provides students and
their parents with the resources to research, apply to, prepare for,
and learn how to pay for higher education. The Princeton Review
also partners with schools and guidance counselors throughout
the U.S. to assist in college readiness, test preparation and career
planning services, helping more students pursue postsecondary
education.
Today, the institution has over 200,000 active students in its
vocational, associate degree, and high school programs in the
U.S., Canada, and 200 countries around the world. In fact, one
out of every 1,410 Americans is an active Penn Foster student as is
one out of every 2,033 Canadians. Since the inception of the ICS
in 1891 to the present day Penn Foster, over 13,000,000 students
have enrolled worldwide!
Penn Foster continues to fill the same needs which Shenandoah’s
Thomas Foster saw in the nineteenth century, the need for
education and training of America’s working population. While
Penn Foster now teaches more about computers than about coal
mining, its motto: “Learn more, do more, be more,” reflects the
value of education that traces its cultural roots the anthracite
region of northeastern Pennsylvania.
❖❖❖
The 2012 Anthracite Heritage Camp
will be a Celebration of Pennsylvania!
Summer camp reservations are being accepted for boys and girls, ages 7 -12 years, at the Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage
Museum for Tuesday, July 17 through Friday, July 20, 2012, 9AM to 12:30PM, rain or shine. The title of this year’s
Anthracite Heritage Camp is Exploring Pennsylvania: The Keystone State.
Youngsters will learn about the heritage and history of the State of Pennsylvania through stories, crafts, food, music and
hands-on activities, as well as make many new friends. The camp will be conducted by professional staff and volunteers. The
cost is $50 per child and includes all snacks and supplies. Reduced rates are available for museum members and multiple
enrollments. Enrollment is limited. For further information and a reservation form, phone (570) 963-4804.
5
History of Dunmore Told Through Photographs
Local author pens new book on this Lackawanna County borough
The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America
series is Dunmore from local author Stephanie Longo. The book boasts
more than 200 vintage images and memories of days gone by.
From its days as a small village named Bucktown to its 150th anniversary
in 2012, the borough of Dunmore is more than just a suburb of Scranton.
Boasting an ethnically diverse population and several of the best schools
in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Dunmore has come a long way
since changing its name from Bucktown in the hope of receiving financial
assistance that never came.
Using vintage photographs, Dunmore aims to celebrate not just the
town’s history but also its people. The photographs depict lives of
earlier generations who share one thing in common with their modern
counterparts: their pride in their hometown. The author hopes that the
book will “bring back fond memories for the residents of Dunmore, and
is honored that it is being published in conjunction with the town’s 150th
anniversary.”
Highlights of Dunmore:
• Proceeds from the books sold at Dunmore’s 150th anniversary
events will go toward purchasing a Pennsylvania Historical &
Museum Commission Marker for Carol Ann Drazba.
• Several of the images in the book were donated by local
residents and businesses.
Join the Author for a Book Signing!
When:
rd
Sunday, June 3 , from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where:
Arts on Fire Festival
Scranton Iron Furnaces,
159 Cedar Avenue, Scranton, PA 18505
Available at the Anthracite Heritage Museum Store now.
Call (570) 963.4804 for more information
or to order by credit card.
Stephanie Longo, a native of
Northeastern Pennsylvania, is
a 1999 graduate of Dunmore’s
Bishop O’Hara High School
and holds a bachelor’s degree in
Italian and French, as well as a
master’s degree in history from
the University of Scranton and
a master’s degree in journalism
from Regent University in Virginia
Beach. Longo is the author of
Images of America: Italians
of Northeastern Pennsylvania,
and her work has also appeared
in Pennsylvania Magazine and
Celebrate Life Magazine. She is
an award-winning correspondent
with Go Lackawanna, a weekly
newspaper covering Scranton,
Dunmore, and all of Lackawanna
County.
Dunmore
by Stephanie Longo
Images of America Series
Price: $21.99
128 pages/ softcover
Available in the Anthracite
Heritage Museum Store now!
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In Memoriam
We were all saddened by the loss of Joan Judge on Sunday,
January 1, 2012. Joan began as a volunteer at the Pennsylvania
Anthracite Heritage Museum and Scranton Iron Furnaces in
1986. When the museum formed a volunteer library staff in
March of 1987, Joan and her dear friend, Gwendoline Percival,
eagerly joined. At first both typed library catalog cards and later
created interesting library exhibits that commemorated topical
subjects or special events.
As the character of the library duties developed, Joan
assumed responsibility for the periodical collection, consisting
of over fifty separate titles and over 1,000 individual issues. The
museum’s periodicals include historical society publications,
Joan Judge (left) pictured with her dear friends and museum
journals, magazines, and newspapers, all neatly organized on
volunteers, from left to right: Kathlyn Matthews, Jane Shulenberger
compact shelving. This would not have been possible without
and Helen Weinschenk at a holiday party.
Joan’s hard work and dedication.
She was a loyal and enthusiastic volunteer. The staff and other volunteers looked forward to seeing her each week.
Joan was extremely proud of her loving family and her anthracite heritage. Here at the Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage
Museum and Scranton Iron Furnaces, we all honor her memory as part of our museum family. We greatly valued her friendship
and support.
Two New Interns At The Museum
My name is Michael Shimko and I am a senior at the University of Scranton. I will be
graduating in May with a major in History and a minor in Finance. I am 23 years old and
a life-long resident of Taylor, PA. Since January of this year, I have been working with site
administrator Chester Kulesa on the Arts on Fire Festival, which will be held on June 1st, June
2nd and 3rd. Besides being a committee member, I also serve on the Marketing and Finance
sub-committees. The Arts on Fire Festival is an industrial arts festival being held at the historic
Scranton Iron Furnaces. While the festival will be a showcase for many talented, contemporary
artists, the event is not without historical interest. As a local resident and history student, I’ve
enjoyed working on a project that draws attention to a significant historical location like the
Scranton Iron Furnaces, while also celebrating northeastern Pennsylvania’s industrial heritage.
Following graduation, I am considering attending law school.
My name is Frank J Ohotnicky and I am in my final
year of undergraduate studies at Marywood University.
I am completing a program in Arts Administration and
a second program in Fine Art Photography. I am 22
Michael Shimko
years old and have lived in Scranton, PA my whole life.
I previously interned at New Visions Gallery and Studio in Scranton where I assisted the
curator in planning and executing monthly contemporary art exhibits and acted as the event
photographer. I also worked with the curator of the Maslow Collection housed at Marywood
University, where I worked extensively with their contemporary photography collection doing
research. I had experience working with fine art collections, but I wanted to work with historic
documents and artifacts. As a descendant of an anthracite coal miner I thought the Anthracite
Heritage Museum would be a perfect fit for me to gain more experience in that field.
I begin my internship by cleaning and documenting blueprints and engineering diagrams
from the Sauquoit Silk Company, it was such an interesting project being the first one in
many years to roll out and view these things. I found a drawing from 1890 of the exterior of
one of their first manufacturing plants done by an architecture firm in Philadelphia which
was one of my oldest and exciting finds. I was shown how to clean the artifacts on display and
even got to assist in the planning of a temporary exhibit on the International Correspondence
Frank J Ohotnicky
Service (ICS). I have been able to combine my passion for art with my interest in history and
learn more about both through this internship. I look forward to working more with the museum’s collection and Curator John
Fielding.
7
Welcome New Members!
Mark & Helen Noon
Conyngham, PA
Thank You for Joining the Friends of the Museum!
Friend Fun Facts
The Friends span 14 states from Pennsylvania to Washington:
88% in Pennsylvania,
4% in New Jersey,
2% in New York & California,
1 1/2% in Maryland and
1% and under in the following localesVirginia, Connecticut, Michigan, Delaware, North Carolina,
Massachusetts, Illinois, Texas and Washington.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic to have representation from all the states,
maybe a foreign country or two, too?
Vivian Cleveland, Volunteer Membership Secretary
Need membership information?
Want to purchase a gift membership for someone?
Forgot to renew your membership?
Just complete the coupon below and return it to the
Anthracite Heritage Museum Associates
22 Bald Mountain Road, Scranton, PA 18504.
We will be happy to send the information to you!
Information requested:
[ ] New Member;
[ ] Member;
[ ] Gift Membership
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Thank you for your support!