FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                            Contact: Marisa Bilicic

September 19, 2003                                                            814-676-6591 Ext. 1215

New Center for the Study of the Oil Heritage Region Established at

Clarion University–Venango Campus

OIL CITY, PA – A new center dedicated to the study of the oil heritage region will be housed at Clarion University–Venango Campus, following Thursday night’s approval by the Clarion University of Pennsylvania Council of Trustees.

The Barbara Morgan Harvey Center for the Study of Oil Heritage will feature the late Barbara Harvey’s sizable collection of books and papers that were generously donated to the university by her children: Joseph S. Harvey, Jr., Thomas M. Harvey, David G. Harvey, and Judy A. Harvey. The collection contains more than 300 titles and includes books that document the history of the region, newspaper clippings from the early 1900s, minutes from the meetings of early oil companies from the late 1800s, maps and photographs. In addition to the collection, Joseph S. Harvey, the late Mrs. Harvey’s husband, created an endowment to support ongoing educational activities at the Center.

            “We are immensely grateful for the generous gifts provided by Mrs. Harvey’s children and husband which have huge historical and educational significance,” said Dr. Christopher M. Reber, executive dean of Clarion University–Venango Campus. “The collection will serve as the nucleus for a variety of ongoing research and cultural activities that celebrate our region’s history.” Center activities supported by the endowment will include Community History Days, which Clarion University–Venango Campus will host twice a year, and a distinguished lecture series.

Community History Days will feature folk music, barbeques, and, above all, storytelling and conversation, and people from the region and beyond will be invited to participate. An important part of the Community History Days will be videotaping residents of the area reminiscing and telling stories about the region. The university also will invite a scholar annually to speak about a topic of major importance to the region’s oil heritage. Scholars will explore historical, geological, social, business, and other aspects of the region’s growth and development.

            “Mrs. Harvey devoted a great deal of time and energy to assembling an outstanding collection of works that catalog the region’s history,” said Howard F. McGinn, dean of libraries at Clarion University. “It is exciting to be able to give historians, students, and community members an opportunity to experience the area’s history through this new Center that will be a perpetual tribute to Mrs. Harvey’s efforts.”

            The Barbara Morgan Harvey Center for the Study of Oil Heritage will be housed in a newly renovated section of the Charles L. Suhr Library at Venango Campus. University library staff will add continuously to the collection of books, periodicals, press clippings, videotapes, video and sound compact disks, and manuscripts about the region. To make the region’s history accessible to all, the university also will establish and maintain a Web site for the Center.

The university will take special care to collaborate with other institutions in the area that are dedicated to the preservation and celebration of oil region history. The university is excited about the possibility of collaborating with notable institutions such as the Venango Museum of Art, Science and History, The Venango County Historical Society, the Drake Well Museum and the Colonel, Inc., the Oil City Public Library and others. The university will establish an advisory council to assist it in its collaborative efforts.

“Clarion University is immensely grateful to the Harvey family for this gift and for its long-time support of Clarion University’s mission to provide outstanding educational opportunities,” said Reber. In addition to providing generous past financial support of the university, Joseph S. Harvey, the late Mrs. Harvey’s husband, chaired the University’s Council of Trustees and the Venango Campus Advisory Council and served on the board of the Clarion University Foundation and the steering committee of the Investing in Futures Capital Campaign. He also was one of the community leaders who originally advocated the creation of Venango Campus in 1960 and he served as treasurer of the original, successful campaign to purchase land for the campus and build Richard C. Frame Hall.

Clarion University–Venango Campus provides high-quality educational programs and personalized services to help students succeed. Students can earn an associate degree, a bachelor’s or master’s degree in select areas, obtain a one-year certificate or participate in a variety of professional development and personal enrichment courses. Clarion University–Venango Campus is committed to serving the needs of the community. Special programs offered at the campus include Kids in College, Jump Start and SeniorLink.

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