World Trade History Is Preserved in Rutgers Archives

A Sought-After World Trade Center Historian

As the nation commemorates the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, Gillespie remains a sought-after expert on the twin towers. After the terrorist attacks, his book, which previously sold 2,000 copies, rose to No. 8 on The New York Times bestseller list in 2001.

Aside from chronicling the trade center's construction, the book also stood out for the interviews Gillespie conducted with the bartenders, shop owners, window washers, Port Authority police officers and others who worked in the buildings in what he viewed as "a city within a city."

Gillespie taught a class on the World Trade Center in the School of Arts and Sciences, appeared in a History Channel documentary for the 20thanniversary of 9/11, and has done numerous other interviews over the years.

In addition to his recent presentation on the history of the towers to Port Authority employees, Gillespie has been invited to speak to other local community groups.

Patel, 26, who invited Gillespie to speak at the Port Authority through ARCH, said they wanted to hear about historian's experience writing the book and visiting the World Trade Center.

"Passing the baton to a younger generation is becoming a never-forget moment,'' Patel said. "Someone like myself never got to experience the original campuses, so somebody like Angus is a great firsthand resource for us.''

Gillespie said over the years he's talked to an increasing number of people who are too young to remember the twin towers or the terrorist attack, which is one of the reasons he keeps speaking about the history of the building and their cultural significance.

"I do it to honor the victims of the attack, the firefighters, police officers, innocent civilians, the nearly 3,000 people who died,'' Gillespie said. "We should honor their memory, and I think that is one of the reasons for the importance of the 25th anniversary.''