Jared Frederick is an associate teaching professor of history at Penn State Altoona and host of Past PA. This digital series highlights unknown stories behind key events and people in Pennsylvania history. Episodes feature the near-miss disaster at Three Mile Island, the complicated legacy of Milton Hershey, and key figures in Pennsylvania’s fight for abolition.
Jared has been involved from the start of the series, and we recently spoke with him about his involvement and passion for Pennsylvania history. Here’s our chat:
Can you share with us how you became involved with Past PA and what sparked the creation of the series?
I have been a longtime fan of The Pennsylvania Game, which aired on WPSU from 1986 to 2003. I always wanted to host a rebooted version of the show, but a program like that is very labor intensive. A WPSU producer proposed a happy medium in the form of Past PA, which excels in the short documentary format online or as thought-provoking filler between main programming on the channel.
What was the inspiration for the most recent episodes?
Our most recent episodes, “Colonial Conflict: Pennsylvania & the Road to Revolution” and “French and Indian War: Roots of the American Revolution,” chronicle chapters of Colonial Pennsylvania in the buildup to the American Revolution, the 250th anniversary of which we are currently commemorating. Ideally, we would like to do another four episodes that interpret the history of the Commonwealth throughout that conflict.
What excites you most about the history of the Commonwealth?
The broad range and diversity of the Commonwealth’s history is what intrigues me most. Few states boast the rich array of sagas, spanning from the pre-colonial era to the present, like Pennsylvania does. I’ve also come to truly appreciate Pennsylvania’s geography. I will never run out of things to talk about.
Have you discovered treasures in history that were unknown to you before working on Past PA?
I obtained a detailed education in the basics of nuclear energy, regulation, and mishaps when I wrote and hosted the Past PA episode “Three Mile Island: Near-Miss Nuclear Disaster.” The energy issue is still fraught with debate, and I wanted to present a balanced, scientifically informed episode that could empower viewers with information. To achieve this, I had a nuclear engineer — and fellow YouTuber — review my script. He provided invaluable feedback and strengthened my understanding of the 1979 event.
What has been your favorite episode?
I love all my children equally! But in all seriousness, I am very partial to our episode, “The Johnstown Flood.” Park rangers who work at the national memorial in Western Pennsylvania told me it was the best and most concise summary on the tragedy that they had seen. That was a very rewarding compliment.
What do you hope the audience takes away from episodes of Past PA?
I hope viewers will gain a new appreciation for the history they can find in their own neighborhoods. This history is all around us, and much of it is endangered by urban sprawl, neglect, lack of funding, or political and ideological pressure. Citizens need to embrace and/or comprehend the history that makes their region unique.
As you explore topics for Past PA, what do you hope to examine more closely in future episodes?
Beyond the American Revolution, I am not sure what I will explore next! I welcome readers and viewers to contact me with compelling ideas.
As a professor of history, what is one thing that you think your students may say about you that makes your class stand out?
In the eleven years I have been teaching about the history of Pennsylvania, it is a course that fills up every single semester, without fail. Our Penn State students have a palpable connection to this story, and they genuinely want to learn more about their home state. In this regard, I think the course is one of the most pertinent history courses we offer at the University. As for my own classroom, I try to revive the voices of the past by allowing students to read and understand those firsthand perspectives. Students appreciate this engagement with such players from the past.
I hope as people discover these episodes that the program may serve as a segue to additional homemade documentaries produced by WPSU. I think special shows with regional flavor are particularly appealing to viewers in Central Pennsylvania.
Episodes of WPSU’s Past PA are available on YouTube and on the PBS App.