Growing Up Silent in the 1950s likely will become the definitive social history of the Silent Generation. Whether you were a part of this generation or have no idea there was such a generation, here you will find the answer to the central question: Who are the Silent Generation and why were they not acknowledged? Those of the Silent Generation have been called deferential, well-mannered, and book smart conformists. They did what they were expected to do, putting responsibilities first, always postponing who they wanted to be. They were reared in a contradictory world, living their youth in the safest time in history, yet always worried about "the bomb." Curwensville Joint High School Class of 1955, already identified by researchers as the year most representative of the Silent Generation, serves as the archetype of what it really was like growing up during the 1950s with comments and recollections from twenty percent of the class members.

Reading letters, particularly love letters, is similar to reading a diary. We are interested and curious, but still hold a certain sense of being intrusive. However, letters are still considered the most personal way to understand the character and personality of an individual and of the zeitgeist in which the letters are written. Placing these particular letters in their historical context of The Roaring Twenties and The Great Depression is particularly poignant in that they are written mainly by those in their early twenties, young people who were on the cusp of the great adventure of life. In this collection most of the letters are written by gentlemen to one particular beauty Jessie Beverly Pifer, dashing, independent, fashionable, and always remembered as the stylish and vibrant Jebbie, Belle of the Class of 1924. The letters, many beautiful in their own right because of the handwriting, provide a first hand account of daily travails lived by the young nearly a century ago, expressing a parallel to modes of communication of then and now, displaying emotions familiar to all generations, and revealing the love and devotion of All the Gentlemen Callers who loved Jessie. We can t help but wonder how emails of today can ever connect the sender and the receiver through the carefully constructed, flowing reflection, and very personal expression found only in love letters written with a fountain pen. The Author, Dr. Judith Thompson Witmer (Director of the Capital Area Institute for Mathematics and Science at Penn State Harrisburg), holds a respect and passion for social history of small towns and the families who live there. The author of nearly a dozen books, ranging from biographies to educational administration and other trade books, her most recent publication (2011) is Jebbie: Vamp to Victim, the true story of Jessie Beverly Pifer, a beautiful young woman with many suitors who became entrapped in a web of deceit. All the Gentlemen Callers is a companion to Jebbie, focusing on the social interaction of young men who came calling on young women, a generation like no other in changing the social times and expectations of becoming adults in a time Studs Terkel called euphoric and F. Scott Fitzgerald termed The Jazz Age.

Jebbie: Vamp to Victim is the biography of Miss Jessie Beverly Pifer, belle of her class, beloved elementary teacher, doyenne of the community, and victim of elder abuse. Everything within the pages of this book is verifiable. Fifteen years in the research and writing, it has been edited from a manuscript nearly twice the current length. The book was written to let the world know by this account that even the most public members of a community can be robbed by unscrupulous persons of their resources, independence, and dignity.

This second edition provides expert guidance based on research and experience for women in and moving into educational administration. Moving Up! ranges in scope from determining whether you are interested in exploring a career in educational administration through all of the decisions administrators face-from where to sit in a meeting, to signing a contract, to dealing with difficult people, to decisions on the home front. It provides facts and choices for the reader, including real-life examples. Although the book addresses women, it is equally helpful to men who want to learn the ropes and know how women think and lead. A major point is that while women's leadership and collaborative styles are most appropriate to today's needs and that women possess the most effective characteristics for developing a cooperative, participatory management style, the best results come from merging the leadership strengths of both men and women. Well-written and readable, this book speaks to the reader in layman's terms while maintaining an academic purpose.