Reflecting on History

As observations were held around the world this month marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, Widener University hosted a daylong symposium on the topic. The “World War I Centennial Symposium” explored the rationale for the Great War, its impact, legacy, and Widener’s connections to the conflict.

The free event included a series of lectures held in Kapelski Learning Center, with presentations by Widener Scholar-in-Residence Sahr Conway-Lanz and Assistant Professor Richard Hopkins, both of the history department, and Molly Bompane of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center. Their talks focused on President Woodrow Wilson’s reasons for getting the United States into the war, along with the French-American alliance, and the U.S. occupation in Germany after the conflict.

The program also included a talk on the poster art of World War I, led by Jim McNally, art curator of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center. More than a dozen posters were on display around the Webb Room in University Center, and McNally had others he held up to discuss at greater length.

“When you look at the posters you have to understand they are trying to inspire a nation to do its duty,” he said.

Wilson had kept the United States out of World War I, until he changed his mind on sending in troops. McNally explained that Wilson’s first battle was for public support, and he created a division of pictorial publicity that placed posters in public spaces like post offices, to boost morale.

“If you don’t have the hearts and minds of your people, you can’t win,” he said.

Symposium attendees also took part in the university’s Veterans Day ceremony, held at University Center, and visited the Pennsylvania Military College Museum in Alumni Auditorium for a reception. The full event was presented by the museum, the history department and the university.

Delaware County resident Kurt Sellers, a member of the Pennsylvania World War I Centennial Committee, attended the symposium with a fellow committee member. He said he had always wondered about PMC after having a PMC alumnus as a professor while he was a cadet at West Point. Sellers was drawn to the symposium for several reasons, and especially for the chance to visit the PMC Museum.

“I found that to be very rewarding today,” he said.

PMC alumnus Thomas Childers ’69 and his wife Suzanne Childers traveled from southern New Jersey to attend some of the day’s events. Wearing his Marine uniform, Thomas Childers explained he served in Cuba, Vietnam and Iraq. His father served in World War II, and his son is a colonel in the U.S. Army. Spending time at Widener, for the Veterans Day ceremony and some of the symposium, just made sense.

"It’s like family,” he said.