On Friday, April 28, the Chester County History Center held a Documentary Premiere and Fundraising Gala recognizing the life and work of G. Raymond Rettew. Rettew was a brilliant chemist who, in his garage lab in West Chester, discovered the method to mass-produce Penicillin during World War II.   

The event premiered the documentary The Mushroom Man Who Changed the World: G. Raymond Rettew.  The film, produced by Deborah Divine and Doug Gahm, highlights Rettew’s life-saving discovery, which led to the first mass production of Penicillin.  The documentary tells the story of a man who took his successful work improving spawn quality and production for the mushroom industry in Chester County and turned it into a ground-breaking discovery.  It shines a light on an amazing story and discovery that had practically been lost to history.  The film also tells the story of Rettew’s devotion to his hometown of West Chester and its people, his family, his dedication to aiding the war efforts, and his great accomplishment — to change the course of medical history. 

Held at the History Center’s auditorium, the evening was attended by an array of distinguished community members including Rettew’s family members with guest of Honor Jeanne Rettew Shirk — daughter of G. Raymond Rettew, elected officials, representatives from the mushroom industry, and representatives of the film industry that included world-famous actor Eugene Levy who narrated the documentary.  

The Chester County History Center took the opportunity to present its first edition of the History Maker Awards. The award seeks to recognize those who’ve had an important, historic contribution to our county and nation. Anchored in the History Center’s mission to ‘Link The Past to the Present to Inspire the Future’, the recognitions exemplified the importance of individuals and events that have transformed our past, are strongly connected to our present, and how both past and present are an inspiration to the future.

The awardees were G. Raymond Rettew, Joseph W. Strode, Dr. Robert Lukens, and Deborah Divine & Doug Gahm. This event is of particular importance to not only the History Center which served as the principal source of information for the making of the documentary but to the medical and scientific community and the city of West Chester.