The Carlisle Indian Industrial School and the Craigheads

Event is free, but pre-registration is required.

November 16, 2025, 2 pm, Jim Gerencser and Kate Theimer

 More than a decade of work by the Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center has made new insights possible – both large and small – about the history and effects of the school on indigenous students. This talk will present a brief overview on the school’s history based on the most up-to-date understanding of this extensive documentation. Particular attention will be given to the school’s “outing” system, which involved students living with and working for host families, including the Craighead family. The Carlisle Indian Industrial School was founded in 1879, and closed in 1918.

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Jim Gerencser is the Associate Dean for Archives and Special Collections at Dickinson College in Carlisle. He is also the Director of the Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center.

Kate Theimer is a historian and writer, working as a consultant to the Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center, as well as the author of two books on her research. She is the curator of the 2025 exhibit, “Contrasting Photos: Behind and in Front of the Camera at the Carlisle Indian School” at the Cumberland County Historical Society.