Did you ever wonder just how Chautauqua Institution started? What brought an assembly of Sunday school teachers together in 1874 for “proper” training? How are those embodied in today’s Chautauqua program? Why did the popular summer retreat spread from an obscure site in Western New York to venues all over the world?
Jon Schmitz is the archivist for Chautauqua Institution. As such, he accumulates a wealth of artifacts and piles of paperwork, meticulously saving each as a resource for those seeking information on the literally hundreds of famous individuals who have graced the grounds over the past 143 years. More than that, Jon assembles all of that history into displays and programs to enhance the Chautauqua Experience for thousands each summer.
Chautauqua What?