Obituary of Gerald Eggert

Gerald Gordon Eggert was born April 12, 1926 in Berrien County, Michigan, the son of Gordon D. and E. Marguerite (Inman) Eggert. He grew up in neighboring Cass County, earned a B.A. in History at Western Michigan University (1949), and an M.A. (1951) and Ph.D. (1960) in American History at the University of Michigan. Meanwhile, he served in the United States Army Quartermaster Corps, 1946-48, and taught in the secondary public schools of Battle Creek, Michigan, 1949-54. In 1953 he married Jean S. Higgins of Durham, New Hampshire. They had three children. His career as a professor of American History began at the University of Maryland, 1957-60, and Bowling Green State University in Ohio, 1960-65. In 1965 he became a member of the history faculty at the Pennsylvania State University, where he specialized in American Business and Labor History and served as Department Head, 1980-85. He retired in 1991. In 1994 he received the Liberal Arts College Alumni Society Emeritus Distinction Award. He has published five books: Railway Labor Disputes, Richard Olney, Steel Masters and Labor Reform, Harrisburg Industrializes and Making Iron on the Bald Eagle; a booklet, The Iron Industry in Pennsylvania; and numerous articles in scholarly journals and semi-popular magazines. His study "The Black Experience in 19th Century Harrisburg," won the Pennsylvania Historical Association's Philip S. Klein Award for best article published in Pennsylvania History 1991-92. Professor Eggert was a member of the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Board (1983-88); a long-time member of the American Historical Association (serving three years on its Teaching Division Committee); the Organization of American Historians; the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; the Centre County Historical Society; and the Pennsylvania Historical Association, where he was Business Secretary (1985-92) and President (1995-96). For many years he belonged to the American Philatelic Society, chairing its Education Committee 1980-82. From 1986 through 2001 he served on the Board of Directors of the Roland Curtin Foundation, and was its President in 1994-95. Surviving are his widow, Jean, and three children, Michael L. Eggert (and wife Flora) of State College, PA; Susan Williams (and husband Stephen) of Yorktown, VA; and Christine Bonaduce (and husband Stephen) of Hellertown, PA. Also six grandchildren: Matthew, David and Jocelynn Eggert, and Christopher, Patrick and Katharine Bonaduce; a brother, Edward Eggert, of Kelseyville, CA, and a sister, Charlene Sauer, of Schoolcraft, MI. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Penn State University Libraries, 510 Paterno Library, University Park, PA 16802; or Schlow Library, 211 South Allen Street, State College, PA 16801; or a charity of your choice. Visitation will be 10 a.m. until 11 a.m., Monday, December 31, 2012, at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 South Atherton Street, State College. A funeral service will follow at the funeral home with the reverend Thomazine W. Shanahan officiating. Burial will be in Boalsburg Cemetery. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.