Sami Rapp photo: A variety of papers from Ridge’s time as governor of Pennsylvania are featured among other memorabilia included in the donation to the Hammermill Library at the Mercyhurst main campus, where they are displayed on the fourth level of the library.

Mercyhurst had a visit from famous former Governor Tom Ridge of Erie last Thursday, Oct. 10, to dedicate a public archive of the Ridges’ lives.

The Ridge Collection, located in Hammermill Library consists of a wide variety of material including 1.1 million documents, 3,000 audio-visual items, 10,000 photographs and 1,500 artifacts.

Most of the collection is focused around Ridge’s time as the governor of Pennsylvania and his work on early childhood education, the Growing Greener program and key job-growth initiatives.

They hope to expand the collection into material from his time in Congress and as the first director of the US Department of Homeland Security.

The First Lady’s papers were also included in the collection, providing insight into her numerous public appearances and causes she was associated with, including the PA Partnership for Children and the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition.
Sami Rapp photo
Mercyhurst announced it is trying to raise $1 million for the collection and has raised one quarter of that.