Albany Twp. Historical Society presents ‘Pa Germans and the American Revolution’

Albany Township Historical Society is pleased to announce guest speaker David L. Valuska will present ‘Pennsylvania Germans and the American Revolution’ at their Oct. 22 meeting.

Valuska received his master’s from Louisiana State University and his PhD from Lehigh University. His specialty area was U.S. history with emphasis on the American Civil War. He taught at Kutztown University for more than 30 years, retiring in 2006. During that tenure David became interested in Pennsylvania German studies, and developed the Pennsylvania German Heritage Center. With help from the University he founded and served as the executive director of the Heritage Center for more than 10 years. Valuska continues, to this day, as president of the Advisory Committee for the Heritage Center and is a member of the Berks County Museum Council.

His work in Pennsylvania German Studies was recognized by the Federal Republic of Germany when they awarded him the Verdienstkreuz Erste Klase.

Valuska continues to be quite active in studying the relationships in German and Pennsylvania German cultures, and tracing the regional roots of Pennsylvania Germans. He was one of the charter members, and an initial member of the board, of the Deutsches Pennsilvanische Arbeitskreis. He served on the board of the Pennsylvania German Society for over ten years and was President of that Society for two years.

The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m., free and open to the general public. ATHS is located at 404 Old Philly Pike in Kempton. Directions are available on our website www.albanyths.org.