Letters to the Editor

A Doc in the House

Every Pennsylvania resident and visitor is indebted to “Doc” Goddard for his foresight and determination [see “Maurice K. Goddard, The Commonwealth’s Conservation Czar” by Ernest Morrison, Fall 2002]. No matter where you travel in this beautiful state, what you don’t see – polluted streams and rivers, desecrated scenic areas, and ravaged forestlands – is a credit to this visionary individual just as much as the things we do find, such as state parks, dams, and recreational areas. We should all be thankful that Pennsylvania had “a Doc in the house” to make sure our precious natural resources would be safeguarded for generations to come. Thanks for the well-written story on this outstanding man.

J. Bart Kennedy
Philadelphia, Pa.

The Editor regrets to write that Ernest Morrison, of New Cumber­land, a popular and award-wining local historian, composer, and author died Saturday, November 2, 2002. He was the author of J. Horace McFarland: A Thorn for Beauty, the definitive biography of a leading activist in progressive and civic movements in the early twentieth century, published by the PHMC in 1995.

How Appropriate

How appropriate to commemorate the September 11, 1777, Battle of Brandywine [see “British Images of War at Brandy­wine and the Tredyffrin Encampment” by Thomas J. McGuire] as the cover story for the Fall 2002 edition. I enjoyed learning about the pair of recently discovered paintings [by William Augustus West, the Viscount Cantelupe,] in England that depict the maneuvers of the day. The author has certainly done his homework! As a former resident of Pennsylvania, I am proud of the work of the Pennsylva­nia Historical and Museum Commission and the contributions of Pennsylvania Her­itage. Keep it up!

Evelyn M. Jacobi
Fort Myers, Fla.

Missed Something?

I thoroughly enjoyed the entire summer issue of Pennsylvania Heritage. As a retired research scientist, who now edits a small scientific joum.aJ and serves as a natural science docent at the Oakland Museum of California, I especially enjoyed the article on Ralph Archbold [see “In Franklin’s Footsteps: An Interview with Ralph Arch­bold by William C. Kashatus]. It left me with a nice mix of admiration and envy. I hope I can apply a little of Mr. Archbold’ s philosophy as I work at the museum. Strangely, one letter to the editor particularly caught my attention. It is always wonderful to learn that someone has found many examples of artifacts that were believed lost to “modernization,” and so I was pleased to read the letter from Phillip Schaff of Chambersburg. My interest in history covers several areas, and the history of religion has been ongoing. It tells of one of the most continual strings of human life. It has affected gov­ernment and war. My knowledge of that history led me to react when I saw the letter writer’s name. I wonder if the editor missed something equally or possibly more intriguing. The original Phillip Schaff of Franklin County was born in 1819 in Chur, Switzerland, and was educated in Switzerland and Germany. In 1844, he was brought to Mercersburg to be a professor of church history and biblical literature at the German Reformed Seminary. After a few years, Schaff had great influence on Protestant theology, first in Pennsylvania, then in the United States, and ultimately, in the world. Both Phillip Schaffs seem to have had a great interest in history. It would be surprising if the collector of decorated brick-end barns and author of the letter was not a direct descendant of the earlier Phillip Schaff. Maybe there is an interesting story that could be told if you asked the modern Phillip Schaff.

Ralph Kurtzman
Berkeley, Calif.

Errata

The photograph of writer and environmental advocate Edward Abbey (1927-1989) appearing in “Marking Time” in the Fall 2002 edition was taken in 1983 at Indiana Universi­ty of Pennsylvania by James Wakefield. The author regrets the omission of the photographer’s name in the Picture Credits of that edition.