Midnight Herring: Rum Running Port Dover to North East
A chance meeting between Dr. David Frew and Joe Semple Sr. at the Port
Dover Harbour Museum eventually led to one of the most popular regional
history books ever written, "Midnight Herring." Almost unbelievable stories
abound: Fast boats, hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits, a clever
two-country delivery business, dodging authorities on both sides of Lake Erie,
gun fights, and the eventual violent encroachment of organized crime. Much
has happened since the original publication. "Sensitive" stories that were
originally withheld have been cleared by families that did not want them to
be told. While the follow-up book is in the works, come listen to Dr. Frew tell
all of the stories.
– David Frew, Ph.D
North East event to be held at Mercyhurst North East Ridge Library
(16 W. Division St., North East, PA 16428)
Historian and author David Frew, Ph.D., is a JES Scholar-in-Residence. An emeritus professor at Gannon University, he held a variety of administrative positions during a 33-year career. He is also emeritus director of the Erie County Historical Society/Hagen History Center, where he had previously served as Executive Director for five years, and is president of his own management consulting business.
After beginning with a five-year career in engineering, Frew took a teaching fellowship at Kent State University, where he earned a doctorate in Organizational Behavior in 1970. His love of Lake Erie brought him back to Erie where he became a faculty member and the founding director of Gannon's MBA Program. His career at Gannon included administrative posts as Director of the Health Services Administration and Public Administration Programs, as well as Dean of the Graduate School. In 1982 and 1983, he took a leave from Gannon to complete a post-doctorate at Kent State University where he completed advanced coursework in psychology and research design. He was also a visiting professor at Mercyhurst University for four years.
Dr. Frew has authored or co-authored 40 books, most recently “Accidental Parade: A 13,000-Year History of Presque Isle,” and more than 100 articles, cases, and papers. His work has appeared in publications ranging from refereed journals such as The Journal of Applied Psychology to popular magazines such as Sail Magazine and Cruising World.
Growing up on Erie's lower west side as a proud "Bay Rat," Frew was known to join neighborhood kids playing and marauding along the west bayfront. He has written for years about his beloved Presque Isle and his adventures on the Great Lakes. In the “On the Waterfront Series” for the JES, the Scholar-in-Residence takes note of life in and around the water.
