Everybody knows Bucknell President John Bravman’s house as the elegant brick building on Loomis Street, but many are not aware that the Underground Railroad existed in that very same location decades ago. Cat Jamison ‘24 has worked over the span of 3 years in her time at Bucknell on a documentary to ensure history like this is known, showcasing the central role the people of Lewisburg played in the Civil War and Underground Railroad.

Cat was approached by Associate Professor of English Father Paul Siewers, who was looking to start a project encompassing history and production. Cat, although primarily interested in writing, has worked alongside other Bucknell students (including volleyball teammate Libby Nieporte ‘24) to form the documentary on Lewisburg’s involvement in the Civil War and Underground Railroad. 

When the Civil War started, Bucknell (formerly the University at Lewisburg) shut down so a lot of professors and students were able to fight in the war. People and heroes recognized on informational plaques and other forms around campus are covered in the documentary–like Charles Bells, who fled slavery and worked at the University as one of the first black employees. 

Cat recalls a moment that stands out to her over the course of the documentary-making process: “We would have meetings, do research, and all of a sudden I would notice more things around campus. I didn’t realize how much history–especially on the Civil War–was so present on this campus, and it changed my perspective.” 

Researching, writing scripts, preparing interviews and filming have proved to be no easy task over the years, with Cat noting “there isn’t a lot of specific documentation of everyone that fought” due to their method of directly targeting students of the university. Currently in one of the final phases, editing, the group of students aim to finish by the end of the Spring 2024 semester and broadcast their documentary on the WVJA.