University Park, PA -- On Friday, March 1, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., James P. Quigel Jr., will give a public presentation titled "Millionaires and Outlaws: a Century of Williamsport and Minor League Baseball," in the Foster Auditorium, 101 Pattee Library, followed by a reception and exhibit in the Social Sciences Library, 201 Paterno Library.

Although many people know Williamsport, Pennsylvania, as the "birthplace of Little League Baseball," it is a city with a rich professional baseball tradition. Quigel's presentation will draw on Gateway to the Majors: Williamsport and Minor League Baseball (Penn State Press, 2001), his recent book co-authored with Louis E. Hunsinger Jr., a reporter for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette.

The book provides a comprehensive history of professional minor league baseball in Williamsport from the earliest days up until the present. It weaves a social history and collective biography to capture the essence of the minor league experience in one city and illustrates how the city's relationship with baseball forged a distinct civic identity and national reputation as "Baseball Town, USA."

Quigel, currently head of Penn State University Libraries' Historical Collections and Labor Archives, The Eberly Family Special Collections Library, grew up in the Williamsport area and has been a lifelong fan of Williamsport baseball.

Sponsored by the University Libraries, Quigel's presentation is part of the Social Science Library's First Friday series, intended to bring together researchers and others interested in social sciences research. The lectures are free and open to the public. For more information, about the First Friday series, call 814-865-4861. For more on Gateway to the Majors, visit www.psupress.org.