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Tuesday,
October 27,
2009 - 840 hits
SNAPSHOTS: Celebrating 70 years!
Penn State Altoona celebrated its 70th anniversary Sunday, October 25, 2009. Part of 12th Avenue in downtown Altoona was closed for the four-hour community celebration. Nine student and faculty musical groups performed throughout the day both outside and in the Dining Car of the Aaron Building. The cheerleading squad was on hand to help pump up the crowd and hand out pom poms. There was food, Creamery ice cream, and merchandise for sale. Chancellor Lori J. Bechtel-Wherry and Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Ken Womack were signing copies of their new book, Penn State Altoona, which commemorates the college's history through period photographs. There were children's activities, including pumpkin decorating, balloon animals, tie-dye t-shirts, and a duck pond. “The seventieth anniversary celebration is, in large part, for our community,” says Bechtel-Wherry. “It is the support of our community that makes our achievements possible. The weekend of fun family-oriented events is our way of giving something back to the people who have long stood by us during our journey. We are excited to share such a milestone with our community.” The party wrapped up that evening at the Jaffa Shrine with a live concert by The Doobie Brothers who performed to nearly sold-out crowd.
Penn State Altoona was founded September 13, 1939, when the Altoona Undergraduate Center opened in the former Webster Grade School building in downtown Altoona. Quickly outgrowing this location after World War II, the college’s Advisory Board purchased Ivyside Park in 1947, an abandoned 38-acre amusement park on the outskirts of the city, for a new campus. The Ivyside Park campus opened in 1948 with approximately 600 students and thirty faculty members. Since that time, Penn State Altoona has grown to become a four-year college with more than 4,000 students currently enrolled. The College offers twenty baccalaureate and nine associate degrees, as well as the first two years of more than 180 Penn State majors and NCAA Division III athletics.
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