Graeff, Arthur Dundore (1899-1969)

Arthur Dundore Graeff was born on September 23, 1899, in Adamstown, Lancaster County, son of Henry F. and Isabella (Dundore) Graeff. He lived with his family in Reading and then North Heidelberg Township onto a farmstead near Charming Forge where eight generations of his forebears had worked the land. It was already then that his senses were alerted to the impress of history on that area and its people. He was influenced by his parents, the dialect and culture of the neighborhood, and others. He attended Womelsdorf High School, then Franklin and Marshall College. He had attained a feel for the Pennsylvania German culture of which he was a product, and had an avid interest in state and local history. While at Franklin and Marshall, he began to combat misrepresentations of Pennsylvania Germans, encouraged by several professors. He graduated from Franklin and Marshall in 1920, and began teaching history at Robesonia High School. From there he taught at Kutztown State Teachers College, then Pittsburgh city school. In 1924 he began a 35 year career as teacher of social studies at Overbrook Senior High School in Philadelphia. On November 20, 1926, he married Marie Knorr, which led to teamwork in pursuing many tasks related to the history and culture of the Pennsylvania Germans. June 16, 1932, he earned a Master of Science degree from Temple University. His thesis work was on "The Relations between the Pennsylvania Germans and the British Authorities, 1750-1776." This led to his receiving the Doctor of Education degree, the first one awarded by Temple University, on June 13, 1935 and also the Phi Delta Kappa medal awarded for the best piece of research that year at the university. He served as the chief consultant of the Federal Writers project (1938-1941); director of the Vocational Educational Defense Program for Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery Counties (1940-1941); head of the social studies department at Overbrook Senior High School (1941-1959); vice president of the Carl Schurz Memorial Foundation (1940-1957); curator of Historical Society of Berks County (June-December 1948); taught as assistant professor of history at Kutztown State Teachers College (1960-1962); taught history at Alvernia College, Millmont (1962-1966) specialized in church history as staff member at Jesuit Novitiate, St. Isaac Jogues, in Wernersville; president of the Pennsylvania German Folklore Society (about 1958-1969); served on Board for Pennsylvania German Society, aided in the merger of this society with the Pennsylvania German Folklore Society; first president of the new Pennsylvania German Society; helped with Hershey Dutch Days and Folk Festival in Kutztown; fellow of Vienna University, where he did graduate work for a time; fellow of Franklin Institute and Oberlaender Trust Foundation; and received many citations and certificates in his lifetime. He was continually doing research in the area of the Pennsylvaia Germans and their background. He researched the life an work of Conrad Weiser, "Conrad Weiser, Pennsylvania Peacemaker" was published in 1945; traced European origins of the Pennsylvania Germans; microfilming original documents relating to early American history in Kaiserslautern, Rotterdam, and London; preparing texts for use in social studies courses throughout the state; "History of Pennsylvania" textbook for 6th and 7th graders in state public schools; contributing author of "Historical Review of Berks County" beginning in 1935; from 1962-1969 he was editor of "Historical Review of Berks County"; and published the "Scholla" column in the Reading "Times" from July 26, 1938-March 28, 1969. His primary purpose of the column was to educate others and to portray accurately and favorably the life and culture of Pennsylvania Germans. He died suddenly, but not unexpectedly while hospitalized, March 28, 1969. NOTE: This information was gathered from "Selections from Arthur D. Graeff's Scholla" in Pennsylvania German Society V. 5, 1971. The preface/biographical information was written by Larry M. Neff (pgs. vii-xii). ERHS F 146 .P232 v.5