A native of Pittsburgh's Shadyside neighborhood, Joseph F. Rishel is a descendant of Pennsylvania Dutch pioneers who came to America in 1738 and settled in western Pennsylvania after the War of 1812. He earned his PhD in history from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Rishel is a professor of history at Duquesne University, where he has taught for twenty-six years. He has written Founding Families of Pittsburgh: The Evolution of a Regional Elite, 1760-1910 and "The Spirit That Gives Life" A History of Duquesne University, 1878-1996 and has edited American Cities and Towns: Historical Perspectives. He now lives in Whitehall Borough in the South Hills of Pittsburgh with his wife, Helen. They are the parents of Jonathan, Emily, Marjorie and Elizabeth Rishel.