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At only 10 years old, Millersville graduate student Eric Schubert discovered what would become his lifelong passion. What started as a simple project—researching his own family tree – quickly grew into a steadfast commitment to genealogy and history. “Something which everyone thought would last a few weeks, turned into a lifelong passion and career,” Schubert says.
By high school, Schubert had ambitiously launched ES Genealogy, a business that helped thousands across the country research their family trees and reconnect with biological relatives. His work earned national recognition, including him being dubbed the “Genealogy Wiz” by CBS News in 2019. His skills eventually extended to solving cold cases, including the oldest unsolved case in Pennsylvania history with the Pennsylvania State Police. This achievement was recognized by “Good Morning America,” People magazine, and governors in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Schubert’s academic journey progressed at Elizabethtown College, where he majored in history and earned a certificate in public heritage studies. He embodied the College’s motto, “Educate for Service” by contributing to public history initiatives in Lancaster County and working in archival research at the College’s Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies.
Choosing Millersville University for graduate school was a natural next step. “Continuing my career as a public historian was the next step after graduating from Elizabethtown, and Millersville was an amazing choice,” Schubert says. The University’s location in Lancaster County provided access to many historic sites and crucial resources while offering research opportunities that also matched his aspirations.
Since beginning his master’s degree in history in 2023, Schubert has continued to thrive. He won the Jack Loose Sons of the American Revolution Research Award for his work on Lancaster County Mennonites in the American Revolution. He is also currently building his thesis, “Barr Spangler 1822-1922 & The Prohibition Party of Pennsylvania,” under the guidance of Dr. Erin Shelor, associate professor of history. The project has already been featured in local media and was accepted for presentation at the 2025 Pennsylvania Historical Association Annual Meeting. Schubert also works as a research assistant for Dr. Tanya Kevorkian, professor of history, on her forthcoming book, “People and the Environment in the Area of Lancaster County, 1300 to 1850.”
Under the mentorship of Public Heritage Studies Director Jean-Paul Benowitz, Schubert returned to Elizabethtown College this fall as a graduate student research and teaching assistant. He teaches a course on genealogy and is co-authoring a forthcoming journal article on Elizabethtown College alumnus and civil rights pioneer W. Miller Barbour.
Schubert views genealogy as more than a field of study – and says it is part of who he is.
“My passion for genealogy, and my belief that everyone should know their family history, is a proud tenet in my life,” he says. From helping individuals find their parents and grandparents to solving historic cold cases, he uses genealogy as a way to bring closure and connection.
Fifteen years after that childhood project, Schubert remains as committed as ever to history, service and scholarship. His work in both Millersville and Elizabethtown continues to shape not only his career but also his sense of purpose and identity. In his words, genealogy has been “a gift to me that I know will simply never stop.”
