This information about the Barbara Morgan Harvey Center for the Study of Oil Heritage was taken from the program for the third annual lecture:
The Barbara Morgan Harvey Center for the Study of Oil Heritage was established with a gift to Clarion University - Venango Campus from her husband, Joseph S. Harvey, and her children, Joseph, thomas, David, and Judith Harvey.
The Barbara Morgan Harvey Collection includes a variety of books that document the history of the region, newspaper clippings from the early 1900s, minutes from meetings of early oil companies from the late 1800s, maps, and photographs. The collection serves as a center and clearinghouse for scholarship and research of the Oil Region's history and heritage.
Community History Days features folk music, barbecues, lectures, demonstrations, storytelling and conversation about the region's rich history and cultural heritage. People from the region and beyond are invited to participate. An important part of the Community History Days is the videotaping of residents of the area reminiscing and telling stories about the region. Community History Days is always held the first weekend in June.
The Barbara Morgan Harvey Annual Lecture explores historical, geological, social, business, and other aspects of the region's growth and development.
The Barbara Morgan Harvey Center for the Study of Oil Heritage is located in the Charles L. Suhr Library at Clarion University-Venango College.
The October 18-19, 2005 dedication activities brochure contains biographical information about Barbara Morgan Harvey as follows:
Barbara Morgan Harvey was proud to tell people that her great-grandfather, Gib Morgan, was a famed storyteller in the early days of oil drilling. Known as "the minstrel of the oil fields," he entertained people with his tall tales while working as a drill and tool dresser in the Appalachian oil fields. In 1949, Barbara married Joseph S. Harvey, a young banker with an oil history of his own. His grandfather, Joseph Seep, was an early oil and banking baron. Together they raised four children - Joseph, Thomas, David, and Judith. It wasn't until the children were grown that Mrs. Harvey had time to pursue her interest in oil history, an interest that was to become a passion. She quickly earned a reputation as a source for Oil Valley information, a tribute that pleased her enormously. Following Mrs. Harvey's death in 2002, her husband and children lovingly began to inventory her extensive collection, which includes nearly 400 books, various historical documents, and a trove of photographs, business ledgers, and other materials that she collected over the years. They were amazed at the breadth of the collection. Joe Harvey, a former Clarion University Trustee and a strong supporter of the Venango Campus since its inception nearly 45 years ago, and his children donated the collection to establish a center to offer scholars, students, and the community a place for discussion, study, and documentation of Pennsylvania's oil region. In addition, the Harvey family created an endowment to support ongoing educational activities at the center to bring that history to life. Clarion University - Venango Campus is honored to celebrate the life and legacy of this very special woman, whose love of oil history will live on in The Barbara Morgan Harvey Center for the Study of Oil Heritage.
