After nearly two years of planning, the Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest is open at Villanova University. Lots of work went into this moment, which became official in early February. 

Our deep gratitude to Mr. Albert Lepage for his generosity and commitment to making the Center a reality. Mr. Lepage graduated from Villanova with a degree in history and is the retired co-chairman of Lepage Bakeries. Last year's announcement of the gift detailed Mr. Lepage's career and philanthropy. His vision has made the Center possible.

Special thanks, too, to Dr. Adele Lindenmeyr, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Dr. Marc Gallicchio, Chair of the VU History Department. Without their leadership, we would not be here.

Our opening was written-up in both Philly Voice and the Philadelphia Business Journal.

We also got a nice shout-out from our friends at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities, as well as the American Association for State and Local History and the American Historical Association.

We're excited to work with the incredible institutions in the Philadelphia region and national partners to bring historical scholarship and perspective to the public. Stay tuned for collaborations...

From left to right: Dr. Marc Gallicchio, Chair of the VU History Department; University Provost Dr. Patrick G. Maggitti; Mr. Albert Lepage; Dr. Adele Lindenmeyr, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; Lepage Center director Jason Steinhauer; and Lepage Center faculty director Dr. Paul Steege.

On March 23 we held a small reception for supporters and faculty to celebrate the opening of our doors.
The event was held at Picotte Hall at Dundale, a 19th century estate formerly owned by industrialist Israel Morris II. Morris's father made his fortune as president of the Locust Mountain Coal Company and the Lehigh Valley Railroad. His son, Israel Morris II, was a founder of the Free Library. The family owned a mansion on S. Eighth Street in Philadelphia ( now the Morris House Hotel) and in 1874 purchased farmland outside the city. In 1890, Morris II built the Dundale mansion as a gift to his son Theodore. The Morris Family Papers are in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and here's a photograph of the mansion from the 1890s courtesy the Internet Archive.  

We opened our doors to students, and have spoken with graduates and undergraduates about careers in history and how to bring history to various publics -- either from within a university or in museums, archives, libraries, national parks and more. 

Above, director Jason Steinhauer greets students inside the Lepage Center offices. Starting this fall, one graduate student and one undergraduate student will work with the Lepage Center each semester on programs, projects and communicating history to the public.

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