Summary
Abstract
This collection serves to preserve and make accessible the industrial and educational history of Wyomissing Industries and its partnership in the development of the Penn State Berks Campus. Content in this collection includes various documents, audio files, photographs and artifacts; along with alumni donations of student textbooks, notebooks and original machine designs and blueprints.
Dates
- Creation: 1927 - 1958
Extent
34 Linear Feet (The collection is housed in 3 cabinet drawers, 4 cabinet enclosed shelves, 2 boxes, and for oversized items, a tabletop and floor area in the archives room. Some items are also currently on view in display cases.)
Background
Scope and Contents
The collection encompasses over 34 linear feet of institutional records and objects, plus faculty and student materials created during and after their time at Penn State Berks' precursor institution the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. W.P.I. operated from 1927-1958, although its state charter was granted in 1933.
Related materials may be viewed in the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute display cases and history gallery housed in the Thun Library, and the display case at the Engineering Lab in the Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building at Penn State Berks.
Physical Location
Thun Library, Penn State Berks
Custodial History
Although the initial Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute records were obtained in 1969, Dr. Perkins, Penn State Berks, C.E.O. Emeritus (1959-1984) reached out to former W.P.I. faculty, staff and students to contribute to the archival collection. He was assisted with this endeavor by Barbara Rodrock his administrative assistant who originally maintained many of the records. Louise Gottschall, the secretary of WPI, 1938 - 1958, and administrative assistant for the Wyomissing Center 1958 - 1968 and bookstore manager for the Wyomissing Center and Berks Campus 1968 - 1985, maintained records, as well.
Dr. Perkins' efforts were also enhanced by Kimberly Murphy, Director of Development and Meggan Hannigan-Kerber, named Assistant Director, Alumni Relations in 2000 who worked extensively with the W.P.I alumni to solicit donations of materials and under the leadership of Frederick Gaige, C.E.O. (1984-2001).
Some of the materials are displayed in the Thun Library's four display cases in the history gallery. The gallery and display cases were created and opened in 2000 when the building underwent renovations to become the Boscov-Lakin Information Commons at the Thun Library.
The Berks Campus collection includes a file,"(BC) Archives" that documents the creation of the archives, and the Harold W. Perkins collection also contains a file "History and Original Papers" that records the hiring of Kathryn Joffred to organize the archives in 1989 and 1990 when Deena Morganti was Head Librarian of the Thun Library.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute records were donated by R.J.Ryan, TWM Division, August 4, 1969. Subsequent donations followed with many solicited before and during the renovation of the Thun Library and construction of the history gallery, and W.P.I. named brick walkways at both entrances to the Boscov-Lakin Information Commons at the Thun Libray.
Processing Information
Although they have been rehoused several times, the original Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute records were maintained in their original order and are housed in hanging folders and in binders in a file drawer with the exception of oversized plans and blueprints that are in a shelved 36"x24"x3" archival box. Materials added later to the collection are organized by donor/creator. The donated papers and some graphic materials are now in archival folders. Textbooks that were not cataloged and placed in Special Collections at Berks are housed either in enclosed shelves in the Archives Room or on display in the history gallery in the Thun Library. Many artifacts are also located in the display case in the history gallery, while others remain boxed and stored with the W.P.I. files and textbooks, or boxed and shelved in the Archives Room with respect to space constraints.
Three exceptions are from the Kermit J. Hill materials; his tool chest and two volumes regarding machine tool operation. They are now on display at the Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building under the curation of Roy Thompson, Supervisor, Mechanical Engineering Lab.
Note: The majority of the photos from the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute were scanned and then sent to University Libraries Archives for cold storage.
Subjects
- Audio cassette Subject Source: PBCore
- Certificates Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Engineering Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Textile industry Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- stereographs Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- technical drawings Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
Using These Materials
Repository Details
Part of the Berks Thun Library, Penn State Berks Repository
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for access.
Conditions Governing Use
We encourage researchers to contact the library to make an appointment to review materials as the Special Collections Room also serves as a classroom and meeting space with exclusive access to 109A, the Archives Room: UL-BERKS@lists.psu.edu, 610-396-6339. Photocopies of original materials may be made available for research purposes at the discretion of the Thun Library, Penn State Berks. Photocopies or reproductions of original materials may be subject to fees as outlined by the Pennsylvania State University Libraries reproduction policies. Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. Patrons seeking advice on the availability of unpublished materials for publication should consult relevant copyright law and laws of libel.
Preferred Citation
Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute Collection, pstb_wpi_001, Thun Library. Pennsylvania State University Libraries, Penn State Berks
- Title
- Guide to the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute Collection
- Status
- Minimal Record
- Author
- Barbara Lessig
- Date
- 2023 March 7
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin