The Nation’s Storyteller
Chris Belland W’70 tells the nation’s story at Historic Tours of America.
Semiquincentennial Sampler
To mark the impending 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence: a package of articles looking back to the Revolutionary War era on campus, examining the printing of the Declaration and highlighting Bicentennial dissent, and profiling the alumnus planning Philadelphia’s celebrations this year.
Player Piano
“My grandfather was a piano maker.”
New Museum at Pennsylvania Hospital
Pennsylvania Hospital opens museum to mark 275th anniversary.
What Lies Beneath
Adam Levine C’80 uncovers Lost Creeks of Philadelphia.
History in Motion
Justin Marozzi G’95 is a writer who believes in “getting out and about.”
Paper Record
Tracing the history of American English, one slip at a time. An excerpt from Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary by Stefan Fatsis C’85. Plus: A Q&A with the author.
Vaulting a Bank’s Past
Rachel Moskowitz C’06 is the keeper of JPMorgan’s corporate history.
Historian of the “Taken-for-Granted”
Whether probing the concept of common sense, mulling the role of expertise in a democracy, or examining how choice intersects with freedom, Sophia Rosenfeld is carving out new realms of cultural and intellectual history.
The Scopes Trial at 100
How the Scopes “Monkey Trial” still resonates after 100 years.
Penn’s Benjamin Nathans Wins Pulitzer
History professor Ben Nathans awarded Pulitzer in General Nonfiction.
Survival Story
At Penn Hillel, a Holocaust survivor shares his story.
Revolution at Penn?
Present at the Revolution.
And Yet, They Persisted
Ben Nathans on the “many lives” of the Soviet dissident movement.
Boulevard of Steel
Time traveling with David Alff Gr’12 along The Northeast Corridor.
Poisoned Gifts
Fayette Avery McKenzie GrEd1908’s “poisoned” presidency.
American Science’s Promoter-in-Chief
The great-grandson of a famous founder (of the nation and this University) and “boyhood’s friend” of the president of the Confederacy, educational reformer and onetime Penn professor Alexander Dallas Bache made his own reputation by championing the professionalization of American science in the mid-1800s.
Ice Man
Jonathan Rees C’88 knows all about Americans and ice.
The Olden Bough
Humans have revered ancient trees for about as long as we’ve chopped down forests. What does that fraught relationship reveal about our past? And can it illuminate a path toward a more hopeful future?
Sir Henry Thornton, On and Off the Rails
Knighted by Britain for his work as the Allies’ “railroad czar” in World War I, the Penn alumnus and Pennsylvania Railroad veteran went on to remake the Canadian National Railways before the Great Depression, poor health, and scandal brought him low.
Franklin’s World
Zeke Emanuel finds more to say on Benjamin Franklin in online course.
Framing History
A pair of history profs teams up with Getty Images to create a public-facing, photography-oriented window into Black history.
It’s Complicated
Ken Burns reflects on the filmic portrayal of historical heroes.
Marble Dignity, Hollow Soul
Allen Guelzo’s biography of Robert E. Lee depicts the Confederate general as a “complicated rather than complex person.”