History of Pennsylvania State University

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The

land grant college.[2]
In the following years, enrollment fell as the school tried to balance purely agricultural studies with a more classic education, falling to 64 undergraduates in 1875, a year after the school's name changed once again to the Pennsylvania State College.

During this period, the college was financed by tuition and the sale of the land scrip which Pennsylvania received from the Federal government under the Morrill Act. The state did not appropriate funds for the maintenance of the college until 1887.[2] However, the Legislature appropriated $50,000 to complete Old Main in 1860.[2] In 1873, Rebecca Hannah Ewing became the college's first woman graduate.[3]

Presidents of Pennsylvania State University

Past Penn State presidents
Name Tenure
Evan Pugh 1859–1864
William Henry Allen
 1864–1866
John Fraser
 1866–1868
Thomas Henry Burrowes 1868–1871
James Calder 1871–1880
Joseph Shortlidge 1880–1881
James Y. McKee † 1881–1882
George W. Atherton 1882–1906
James A. Beaver † 1906–1908
Edwin Erle Sparks 1908–1920
John Martin Thomas 1921–1925
Ralph Dorn Hetzel
 1927–1947
James Milholland † 1947–1950
Milton S. Eisenhower 1950–1956
Eric A. Walker 1956–1970
John W. Oswald 1970–1983
Bryce Jordan 1983–1990
Joab Thomas 1990–1995
Graham Spanier 1995–2011
Rodney Erickson 2011–2014
Eric Barron
 2014–2022
Neeli Bendapudi 2022–present
† denotes acting president

7th President - George W. Atherton

University Park campus's central administration building, and is marked by an engraved marble
block resting in front of his statue.

Early 20th century

In the years that followed, Penn State grew significantly, becoming the state's largest source of baccalaureate degrees and reaching an enrollment of 5,000 in 1936. Around this time, Commonwealth campuses were started by President

Ralph Hetzel to give an alternative to Depression
-era students who were economically unable to leave home to attend college.

Mid-20th century

In 1950 Penn State hired

Dwight Eisenhower delivered the Commencement address in June 1955.[4] In 1955, Penn State dedicated its nuclear reactor, the second in the nation to be operated on a college campus.[5] Under Eisenhower's successor, Dr. Eric A. Walker
, the university developed rapidly. Under his leadership, which lasted from 1956 to 1970, the university added hundreds of acres of surrounding land, and nearly tripled enrollment to 40,000.

In 1963, the

Hershey Medical Center, a college of medicine and hospital in Hershey, Pennsylvania.[6] Penn State's College of Medicine opened its doors to its first class of students in 1967, and Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center accepted the first patients in 1970.[7]

In 1965, Penn State began operating its educational television station, WPSX-TV.[6]

Modern years

In the 1970s, The Pennsylvania State University became a state-related institution, like the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, and Lincoln University. As such, it belongs to the Commonwealth System of Higher Education.

In recent years, Penn State's role as a leader in education in Pennsylvania has become well-defined. In 1989, the

Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle. Following a controversy as to whether the School of Law would relocate to the main campus, the school is co-located in both cities, with teleconferencing facilities allowing both campuses to share classes. In 2000, Penn State's endowment reached $1 billion.[8] Currently, the university is the largest in Pennsylvania, and in 2003, it was credited with having the largest impact on the state economy of any organization, generating over $6 billion for the state on a budget of $2.5 billion. Even so, limited growth in state appropriations to the university has left the college as ranked with the lowest direct state appropriations per student in the Big Ten. The university has turned to philanthropy to replace state funding, with 2003 marking the end of the Grand Destiny campaign – a 7-year effort which raised over $1.3 billion for the University.[8]

In 2004, Penn State started celebrating its 150th anniversary, since 2005 marks the University's

sesquicentennial
.

References

  1. ^ Appletons' annual cyclopaedia and register of important events of the year: 1862. New York: D. Appleton & Company. 1863. p. 6.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Significant Events in the Development of The Pennsylvania State University - 1860s". Penn State University Archives. Archived from the original on January 4, 2008. Retrieved October 3, 2008.
  3. ^ "Significant Events in the Development of The Pennsylvania State University - 1870s". Penn State University Archives. Archived from the original on January 4, 2008. Retrieved October 3, 2008.
  4. ^ "Significant Events in the Development of The Pennsylvania State University - 1950s". Penn State University Archives. Archived from the original on January 4, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2008.
  5. ^ "Milton Stover Eisenhower (1950-1956)". Penn State University Archives. Archived from the original on February 2, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2008.
  6. ^ a b "Significant Events in the Development of The Pennsylvania State University - 1960s". Penn State University Archives. Archived from the original on January 4, 2008. Retrieved October 3, 2008.
  7. ^ "Our Mission". Penn State College of Medicine. 2006. Archived from the original on December 29, 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2006.
  8. ^ a b "Significant Events in the Development of The Pennsylvania State University - 2000s". Penn State University Archives. Archived from the original on January 4, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2008.

External links

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