Carrying Our Legacy Forward: New Website Connects Generations Through PMC History
The broom drill at Homecoming, firing cannons at football games—where did these Widener traditions come from?
Long before it was known as Widener University, the institution was Pennsylvania Military College, or PMC — a storied military college where cadets earned degrees while preparing for military service.
PMC is a big part of the university’s foundation, and though much has changed since those early days, its legacy remains woven into the fabric of campus life through its people, places and traditions. The historic architecture of Old Main preserves the space where cadets once lived and studied, and you can find PMC names on prominent buildings like Wolfgram Memorial Library and Hyatt Hall. Widener’s beloved traditions like the Homecoming broom drill originate from its days as PMC, when cadets practiced military drills with brooms rather than rifles. And, of course, the legacy of PMC flourishes through the generations of alumni who continue to give back and shape the university.
The living history and partnership between PMC and Widener is taking a fresh shape as Widener launches a new website honoring its role in the university’s history, and helping to carry its story forward.
Preserving Our Shared History
PMC alumni, along with University Archives, have long played an active role in preserving and sharing the institution's history. For years, PMC alumni maintained a website dedicated to remembering their fellow cadets.
Ronald Romanowicz ’68 was the story archivist for the original website and devoted considerable effort to aggregating the history and relaying the vibrancy of PMC. Andy Fraser ’67 preserved historic video footage and made it available to the public by developing and moderating the PMC Museum YouTube channel.
Jim Love ’68, who serves on the PMC Alumni Advisory Committee, acted as the primary liaison for PMC throughout the website project. Love advocated for transferring the stories and history preserved on the original site while creating a user-friendly digital experience that can continue to serve future generations.
Digital expectations have shifted for web users, and the new PMC site is a sustainable way for Widener to support and strengthen the PMC legacy while allowing its alumni to benefit from dynamic news, events, and storytelling capabilities.
“To me, it keeps the history alive,” Love said. “Widener stands on the shoulders of PMC. This website, along with the buildings we all lived in, will keep PMC alive.”
Bringing the PMC Story to Life
A cohort of Widener students supported University Relations in migrating content to the new site and reimagining how to tell the PMC story in an authentic, engaging, and accessible way.
For student worker Laura Polaski ’28, a secondary education and English major, the project became an opportunity to connect with a part of Widener's history she hadn't fully known.
“I learned a lot working on this. I've never considered myself a really tech-savvy person, so this felt like something kind of different. Also, it was really fun going through and seeing so many names I recognized from campus buildings, going ‘oh so that's who that is, and that's named after that person and that person.’”
As students explored the archives, they discovered the stories behind familiar landmarks, traditions and names that remain part of everyday campus life. Starting with Theodore Hyatt in 1853, school leadership passed through the Hyatt family for nearly a century. Today, those names continue to appear across campus in places such as Hyatt Hall, MacMorland Commons, and Moll Hall.
The new website helps bring those stories to life through archival photographs, historical records and accounts of notable cadets whose contributions helped shape PMC and Widener.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
While today's students experience college differently than the cadets who came before them, many of the themes that defined PMC—leadership, service, community and personal growth—continue to resonate.
Asa McMillan ’29, a sport and event management major who also worked on the project, reflected on those shared experiences: “Everyone has their own path. It's a little different for them because they were in the military, but we all went through Widener or PMC. Everyone does have a path. College is about finding your own identity.”
Polaski found similar connections while exploring traditions such as burying the books, the Pink Tank prank, and stealing a rival school's bell. She remembered one of the things that drew her to Widener was the community. Students, faculty and staff at the school welcomed her, and she got a taste of Widener’s distinctive traditions that persist because of the friendly and dedicated community that exists to this day.
The website highlights these traditions alongside stories of military service, leadership, and school spirit that span generations. For Polaski, preserving those stories carries personal meaning.
“I've always thought [preserving history and military stories] mattered because of my family connection to it. My dad and a lot of his friends are in the military ... You have people who have fought for you to make your life in this country possible—that's always a really great thing to honor,” she said.
Love hopes visitors will come away with a deeper understanding of PMC's impact and its enduring connection to Widener.
“There hasn't been a conflict from Gettysburg to Afghanistan without a PMC/Widener cadet serving,” he said. “What I took from PMC was the need for discipline, teamwork and leadership. This is what you need whether you're in a military or civilian career, and that's what I hope people will learn. With this new website, Widener is recognizing the importance of its relationship with PMC—of where we've come from and how we got to where we are today.”
The PMC legacy lives on as Widener and PMC forge their next chapter together through this new digital presence, creating opportunities for students, alumni and the thousands of proud family members of PMC cadets to explore the stories, traditions and people who helped shape the university.
The website features:
- Notable cadet profiles
- Memorial class pages with cadet rosters and yearbooks
- Historical photographs and videos
- Stories about the founding and leadership of PMC, campus traditions, PMC during times of war and much more
The new site serves as a bridge between generations—ensuring the PMC story continues to inform, inspire and connect the Widener community for years.
