A Talk on the “Pa Soldiers’ Orphan Schools 1864 – 2009”
plus the Mercer Orphan School

By: William Peck Jr, Pa SOS historian

When: Saturday, October 24, 2026 @ 2:00 pm followed by Q & A (doors open at 1:30)

William Peck is a lay historian of the Pa Soldiers' Orphan Schools program and has been associated with Scotland School for Veterans Children his entire life. He will speak on this program which spanned three centuries, 1864 - 2009", with a focus on the Mercer Orphan School 1868 – 1889.

Mr. Peck's legacy to this program extends from his parents who were graduates of Scotland School in 1942 and 1950, along with multiple ancestors who attended both Scotland School and other Orphan schools going back to 1899 (on both sides). He is a 1981 West Point graduate and is currently a data analyst at the US Naval Academy. He is on a quest to preserve the legacy of the Pa Soldiers Orphan Schools Program. He grew up in Chambersburg and currently lives in Bel Air, Maryland.