Arthur Dundore Graeff (September 23, 1899 — March 28, 1969) was an American local historian and author in the

Pennsylvania German The Pennsylvania Dutch (), also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania in the United States, Ontario in Canada, and other regions of both nations. They largely originate from the Palatinate region of Germany ...

language. Born in

Adamstown, Pennsylvania Adamstown (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Adamschteddel'') is a borough that is located in Lancaster County (primarily) and Berks County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 1,938 at the time of the 2020 census. Of this, 1,772 were ...

, he was an alumnus of

Franklin & Marshall College Franklin & Marshall College (F&M) is a private liberal arts college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1787 as Franklin College and later merged with Marshall College in 1853, it is one of the oldest colleges in the United St ...

Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...

. Between 1938 and 1969, Graeff wrote the "Scholla" column three times a week in the ''

Reading Times The ''Reading Eagle'' is the major daily newspaper in Reading, Pennsylvania. A family-owned newspaper until the spring of 2019, its reported circulation is 37,000 (daily) and 50,000 (Sundays). It serves the Reading and Berks County region of P ...

''. Following a long career teaching at Overbrook Senior High School in Philadelphia, he taught at

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (Kutztown University or KU) is a public university in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher ...

Alvernia College Alvernia University is a private Franciscan university in Reading, Pennsylvania. Founded as Alvernia College in 1958 by the Bernardine Sisters of St. Francis, the school gained university status in 2008. History Alvernia University was founde ...

, and in informal Pennsylvania German weekend and night-school classes. Graeff used the dialect pseudonyms ''Der Dichter vun de Dolpehock'' and ''Der Ewich Yeeger''. He was president of the

Pennsylvania German Society The Pennsylvania German Society is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to studying the Pennsylvania German people and their 330-year history in the United States and Canada. The society works to preserve and promote the history, c ...

from 1966 to 1969. Graeff died in

Robesonia, Pennsylvania Robesonia is a borough that is located in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,035 at the time of the 2020 census. The Robesonia area is served by the Conrad Weiser Area School District and Conrad Weiser High School ...

and is buried in Wernersville at St. John's Hains Cemetery.

Works

*''Conrad Weiser, Interpreter'' (1932) *
The Relations between the Pennsylvania Germans and the British Authorities, 1750-1776
' ( Norristown, 1939) *''American History Visualized in Pennsylvania German Almanacs'' (1940) *''Old World Backgrounds of American Life'' (1941) *(with Ralph Charles Wood),
The Pennsylvania Germans
' (

Princeton University Press Princeton University Press is an independent publisher with close connections to Princeton University. Its mission is to disseminate scholarship within academia and society at large. The press was founded by Whitney Darrow, with the financial ...

, 1943) *''Bicentennial of the Union Church of North Heidelberg, 1744-1944'' (1944) *''Conrad Weiser, Pennsylvania Peacemaker'' (1945) *''

Lebanon County Lebanon County ( ; ) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 143,257. Its county seat is the city of Lebanon. It lies 72 miles northwest of Philadelphia, which is the nearest m ...

through the Centuries: An Appreciation'' (1945) *
It Happened in Pennsylvania
' (1947) *''Industrial Berks County 1748-1948: Presented to the People of Reading and Berks County on the Occasion of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the City of Reading'' (1948) *''The Pennsylvania Germans in Ontario, Canada'' (1948) *''Transplants of Pennsylvania Indian Nations in Ontario'' (1948) *''The Constitution of Pennsylvania'' (1949) *''A History of Steel Casting'' (1949) *''50 Years: Womelsdorf Bank and Trust Company'' (1953) *''The Keystone State: Geography, History, Government'' (1953) *''Collection of Original Documents Selected from the

Public Record Office The Public Record Office (abbreviated as PRO, pronounced as three letters and referred to as ''the'' PRO), Chancery Lane in the City of London, was the guardian of the national archives of the United Kingdom from 1838 until 2003, when it was m ...

Relating to the Palatine Immigration: Original Documents Selected for Filming from the Colonial Office and Treasury Papers'' (1954) *''The Rittenhouse Line'' (1956) *''A Visitor's Guide to Berks County'' (1964) *''Selections from Arthur Graeff's "Scholla"'' (1971) *''Echoes of "Scholla" Illustrated: Choice Bits of Berks County History and Lore'' (1976) *''Henry Vanderslice, Wagon-master, 1777-1778'' (no date)

References

*Obituary, ''

Lebanon Daily News ''Lebanon Daily News'' is a local daily newspaper based in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The main office is located on 718 Poplar Street.“Home - Lebanon Daily News,” http://www.ldnews.com/. It publishes as an afternoon paper Monday through Friday and ...

'', March 29, 1969, p. 2. *Obituary, Allentown ''

The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second-longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after '' The Express-Times''. The newspaper is owned by Alden Global Capital ...

'', March 29, 1969, p. 15. *Obituary, Lancaster ''Intelligencer Journal'', March 31, 1969, p. 2. *Obituary, Lancaster ''New Era'', March 31, 1969, p. 16.

External links

Grave
in Wernersville, Berks County {{DEFAULTSORT:Druckenbrod, Richard 1899 births 1969 deaths German-American history Pennsylvania Dutch people People from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Franklin & Marshall College alumni Pennsylvania Dutch culture German language in the United States Journalists from Pennsylvania