History Matters

BY JEANNETTE BURGAN

Penn State Altoona sophomore Jared Frederick is dedicated to enlivening the past and showing people of all ages that history is not only exciting, but vitally important to our future.

Many elementary and high school students would describe history as a monotonous subject. Some might even say it is down-right boring. But Penn State Altoona sophomore Jared Frederick is working hard to change that perception. The very name of his personal business, History Matters, expresses the significance of times gone by.

Frederick is renowned in Altoona and its surrounding areas for his phenomenal work as a writer and illustrator. Although his passion for drawing began when he was a child, the idea to blend his talent with his love of history emerged during a visit to Gettysburg while he was in high school. He saw some children's books about the Civil War, but found them bland and lacking in what he describes as "a fun-factor."

"History needs to be fun and interactive. People learn that way, not when a teacher regurgitates information from a textbook."
—Jared Frederick

He resolved to make something that would captivate a diverse audience, but still be intellectually stimulating.

In 2005, his publishing company, History Matters, was born when Frederick self-published his first two works, Civil War Leaders: Illustrated Biographies and its sequel More Civil War Leaders. The books feature detailed black-and-white illustrations of one noteworthy individual per page. A few short paragraphs describing their contributions during the war serve as captions for each person.

Frederick's books have won him acclaim among Civil War historians such as Pulitzer Prize winner James M. McPherson, who is widely recognized for his book Battle Cry of Freedom. Nearly seventy historical sites from New York to Mississippi have Frederick's works on display in their shops. A percentage of the proceeds from book sales are donated to preserving Civil War battlefields.

Frederick's HISTORY MATTERS logo

Several local school groups have invited Frederick to speak about his work, and he frequently travels to famous Civil War battlefields such as Gettysburg National Military Park for book signings. The books appeal to an equal number of adults and children. They serve as both quick reference guides and as academic coloring pages for his younger fans.

One of his most unique hobbies is volunteering at Harpers Ferry Historical Park where he portrays a newspaper correspondent artist. Correspondent artists were popular before the advent of photography reprinted in newspapers. Illustrators captured images of events, and their drawings would run alongside the articles.

Frederick enjoys these portrayals because they provide a means for him to intertwine art, history, and teaching. In fact, his future goals include going to graduate school so that he can teach history on the collegiate level. His more immediate plans entail completing a book commissioned by the Seventh Pennsylvanian Cavalry Descendents' Association, in which he had an ancestor serve during the Civil War.

This multi-faceted young artist has many more projects under his belt than just his historical depictions. He has designed greeting and business cards for businesses, and he has agreed to complete paintings and illustrations for a new bed and breakfast in Gettysburg.

His work has been seen on the Penn State Altoona campus as well; he created the logos for the 2006 African-American Read-In and African-American Writers of Pennsylvania, in addition to sketching a few humorous cartoons entitled College Life for the student newspaper.

Frederick is proud to be an avid fan of the Penn State Nittany Lions. He has created sports-related artwork for his friends and family, and hopes someday to pen a Penn State football book similar to his illustrated Civil War biographies.

Another memorable slice of his personal life is the short correspondence he had with the late author Kurt Vonnegut. In conjunction with an English class, his professor sent a birthday card, which Frederick designed, to the writer. Shortly thereafter, Vonnegut left the class a phone message, and he emphasized that he had Frederick's artwork proudly displayed on his mantle.

Jared Frederick's devotion to historical preservation is compelling. His audience is not only entertained by his art, they acquire a deeper appreciation for the past; this, in Frederick's opinion, is the most rewarding part of his work.

To learn more about Jard Frederick and History Matters, visit http://www.historymatters.biz