Changes at the David Library of the American Revolution

There are some changes going on at one of my favorite places to conduct research: The David Library of the American Revolution. in Washington Crossing, PA.

Patrick Spero, the David Library Historian, is stepping down to accept a teaching position at Williams College. In an e-mail to the friends of the library CEO Meg McSweeney summarized Spero's short tenure at the DLAR:

Dr. Spero was responsible for developing and supervising the Library’s academic programs. During his tenure here, Pat advanced a number of initiatives, including teacher workshops and a systematic acquisitions plan. His tenure with us may have been brief, but it was certainly eventful, both for Pat personally, and for the David Library. While he was a member of our staff, he completed and defended his dissertation, became a father, moved into the only surviving pre-Revolutionary tavern building in Philadelphia, and became the husband of a Ph. D. when his wife Laura completed and defended her dissertation. All the while, he worked tirelessly on the behalf of the David Library, enhancing existing programs, initiating new ones, developing academic policies, fostering partnerships between the Library and affinity institutions, and inspiring his colleagues, both on staff and on the Board, to think strategically in order to insure DLAR’s sustainability into the future. Although we will surely miss Pat’s energetic presence on the Library campus, we will continue to benefit from his many lasting accomplishments.

Spero will be replaced by William P. Tatum III, who will assume the newly renamed position of Sol Feinstone Scholar at the Library. McSweeney writes:

Will... is a Ph. D. candidate at Brown University. A scholar of British and American military history, he is scheduled to defend his dissertation (on the British military justice system 1715-1784) in the fall (his dissertation committee is comprised of Tim Harris, Gordon Wood and Gregory J. R. Urwin). A Phi Beta Kappa graduate from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, Will also studied at Exeter University in England. This year he was a Fellow of both the David Library of the American Revolution and the West Point Summer Seminar in Military History. He is relocating to Pennsylvania from his home in Glendale Springs, NC and will reside on the David Library campus.

If you want to meet Will Tatum, the DLAR is having an open house on Saturday, July 3, from noon to 5pm. They will view the director's cut of the movie musical 1776 and George Boudreau will present a lecture at 3:30 entitled "Auspicious Moments in an Inauspicious Space: Independence Square, America's Birthplace.”

I wish the DLAR all the best as they move through this period of transition.