Haines, Helen E. "What's in a Novel", p. 690. Accessed December 26, 2017. "Philip Van Doren Stern was born in the town of Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, the son of Isadore Ullman and Anne (Van Doren) Stern. He attended grade school and Lincoln High School in Jersey City; was graduated in 1924 from Rutgers with a Litt. B. degree and later awarded an honorary degree (Litt. D., 1940) from the same university for work in Lincolniana and American history."
Heyboer, Kelly. "The surprising Jersey roots of It's a Wonderful Life", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 24, 2017. Accessed December 26, 2017. "Though Capra is believed to have modeled the fictional Bedford Falls in Westchester County in his film after Seneca Falls in upstate New York, Stern said his original story was actually set in New Jersey."
