author
Charles M. Snyder
A Pennsylvania historian and teacher, he brought local and regional history to life through books on politics, frontier conflict, and everyday community stories. His work is especially remembered for turning careful research into vivid, readable history.
1 Audiobook
The Flaw in the Sapphire
by Charles M. Snyder
About the author
Born in Union County, Pennsylvania, in 1909, he studied at Bucknell University, earning a bachelor's degree in 1930 and a master's degree in history in 1935. He later completed a doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy for two years.
He taught history in Pennsylvania schools before joining the faculty at the State University of New York at Oswego, where he spent much of his academic career and eventually became a professor. Alongside his teaching, he wrote books including The Jacksonian Heritage, Red and White on the New York Frontier, and Dr. Mary Walker: The Only Woman Ever to Receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.
His writing often focused on the history of Pennsylvania and New York, blending scholarship with a clear interest in the people behind the events. He also played a leading role in preserving local heritage in Mifflinburg, helping inspire what became the Mifflinburg Buggy Museum. He died in 1996.