SFU Professor Pens Book about the Johnstown Flood
Loretto, PA (10/18/2021) — A new book by Saint Francis University Communications Professor Dr. Pat Farabaugh, Disastrous Floods and the Demise of Steel in Johnstown is now available. A presentation and book signing event will be held, Monday, October 25th at 7 pm in the JFK Student Center on campus in Loretto, PA.
About the Book
Johnstown is synonymous with floodwaters and steel. When the city was decimated by a flood of biblical proportions in 1889, it was considered one of the worst natural disasters in American history and gained global attention. Sadly, that deluge was only the first of three major floods to claim lives and wreak havoc in the region. The destruction in the wake of the St. Patrick's Day flood in 1936 was the impetus for groundbreaking federal and local flood control measures. Multiple dam failures, including the Laurel Run Dam in July 1977, left a flooded Johnstown with a failing steel industry in ruins.
About the Author
Pat Farabaugh is a professor of communications at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. He has also taught at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Penn State University. He earned his Ph.D. in political and cultural communications from Penn State. His previous books include Carl McIntire's Crusade Against the Fairness Doctrine and An Unbreakable Bond: The Brotherhood of Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman. He is also a contributing author to American Sports: A history of Icons, Ideal, and Ideas. He and his wife, Jenna, live in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
Media Attachments
Saint Francis University
Marie Young (814) 472-3127 myoung@francis.edu, Erin McCloskey (814) 472-3938 emcccloskey@francis.eduShare this Story
Recent News
- Saint Francis University Introduces New $22,000 Scholarship to Support Future Teachers
- Saint Francis University Launches $20,000 Altoona-Johnstown Catholic Leadership Scholarship
- U.S. News and World Report names Saint Francis University #15 Best Value in the Regional Universities
- NASA Awards Nearly $400,000 to Launch Saint Francis University Rural Institute for Space Science and Engineering Collaboration
- Blanket Collection Kicks off September 16
- Saint Francis University to Host Suicide Prevention Walk Sept. 9
- Saint Francis University Sets Fall Admissions Visit Events
- Saint Francis University Unveils Fall 2026 Francis in the Marketplace Workshop Series
- Saint Francis University Expands Academic Portfolio to Meet Evolving Workforce Demands for 2026-2027
- Saint Francis University's Edward Zovinka Named 2026 Fellow of the American Chemical Society