Penn State Altoona History Department

The story of handwriting in 12 objects A new exhibition traces the remarkable evolution of writing. Cameron Laux picks 12 highlights offering insights into one of humanity’s greatest achievements.

Read more about our summer History courses and all the opportunities therein!

Hands-on History – Research & Teaching The last summer—after high school, before college—carries so much meaning. A student might be working one last job to earn money, or spending the summer at the beach, or even squeezing in those last few hours with a high school sweetheart before parting in August. Some incoming freshmen at Penn ...

Last week our two summer sections of History 21 traveled to the Pennsylvania Military Museum; PA Historical & Museum Commission to receive a behind the scenes tour by director Tyler Gum, '08. The tour included a look inside a Sherman Tank from WWII.

Announcing our "Remembering D-Day" Social Media Campaign, June 4-8, 2018

Congrats to our newest program graduates: Henry Baust, Andrew Schaner, and Gary Brown. Best wishes to the Class of 2018!

Join us tonight at 7:30 as we pay tribute to the legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK Remembrance Day: "Roads to Memphis" Film Showing MLK Remembrance Day: "Roads to Memphis" Film Showing

History isn't a 'useless' major. It teaches critical thinking, something America needs plenty more of Since the beginning of the Great Recession in 2007, the history major has lost significant market share in academia, declining from 2.2% of all undergraduate degrees to 1.7%. Why are college students turning away from studying history as preparation for a future as citizens and workers?

Read about some of the original research our students have been involved in!

Bringing archives into the undergraduate classroom A partnership between Penn State Altoona Library Director Bonnie Imler and history instructor Jared Frederick is giving undergraduate students hands-on experience working with historical archives. …

Tyler Gum, head of the Pennsylvania Military Museum; PA Historical & Museum Commission, graduated from our program in 2008. Congrats, Tyler!

State College, PA - Pennsylvania Military Museum Director's Career Comes Full Circle - When Tyler Gum was a boy growing up in nearby Lewistown, he made many trips to Boalsburg, where he loved to climb on the tanks on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Military Museum and 28th Division Shrine. Little did he imagine that some day he would be the museum director, responsible for overseeing

Take a look at our recent field trip to Gettysburg National Military Park!

History 160 students take on the battlefields of Gettysburg Students in the Battle of Gettysburg in History Memory course took to the battlefields, becoming tour guides for their classmates.

Join the Penn State Altoona community for a premier of A Time to Heal--a WPSU documentary chronicling the role of Pennsylvanians in the Vietnam War era. The screening takes places locally on September 6 at the Devorris Downtown Center in Altoona.

A Time to Heal A cross-platform media and community engagement project exploring how Pennsylvanians experienced the Vietnam War, the opposition to it, and its meaning today. Learn more at wpsu.org/atimetoheal.

Read more about this exciting project that our department coordinated!

Read more about the new Heritage Passport--which you can purchase for only $4 at Baker Mansion: http://bit.ly/2wbRG4V.