Timeline - Penn State Altoona

Timeline - Altoona
YearEvent
1928Pennsylvania State College offers classes at the Altoona Evening Class Center.
1933-1939Juniata College holds a Freshman College Center for 6 years. Due to financial constraints and community interest in an expanded program, discontinues their program.
1939A Citizens Committee is established. Led by Ted Holtzinger and Colonel John S. Fair, they request Pennsylvania State College to start an undergraduate center at Altoona. The College agrees to a trial program.
Jul-39The Citizens Committee kicks off an “AUC Fund Drive” to renovate the former Webster elementary school located at Lexington and 10th street.
17 Jul 1939Classes held in YMCA (Lexington Ave and Nine Street) while Webster is renovated.
10 Sep 1939Webster opens 119 students and 9 faculty participate in the beginnings of the Altoona Undergraduate Center.
1940The Citizen Advisory Board is established. Funds are raised to purchase and remodel the Madison school (Sixth Ave and seventh street) for science laboratories.
16 Sep 1940Madison building opens 187 students.
1944-1947During World War II the Citizen’s Advisory Board purchases and operates a woman’s dormitory, Annie C. Wolf, for women from “out-of-town” to take courses.
1944Servicemen’s readjustment act of 1944. Commonly referred to as the “G.I. bill of rights."
1946February, close to 300 students are enrolled.
1946Ivyside Amusement Park is purchased (38 acres).
1947The era of “Bathhouse U.” Buildings are renovated; the two block long bathhouse becomes a classroom building, the shooting gallery becomes the chemistry labs, the refreshment stand becomes the steam plant; and the roller skating rink becomes the student union.
1947Foreign film showings start. ROTC starts.
1948AUC at Ivyside park opens to an enrollment of 700 freshmen and sophomores. Bathhouse U” 1948-1958. The move was also referred to as “Holtzinger’s Folly”.
1949Evening classes are offered as the AUC serves as a focal point for Penn State Extension and continuing education opportunities for Blair, Bedford, Cambria, Huntingdon, Fulton, and Somerset counties.
1949AUC wins Pennsylvania Junior College Basketball Championship.
1950Steven Adler is hired as Registrar.
1953Two year associate degree programs “Each spring members of the faculty and the student body participate in the Combined Arts Festival.”
1953Pennsylvania State College became Pennsylvania State University Conferring of associate degrees at all Penn State locations. [mission change]
1955The position of Dean of Faculty is created.
1957-1958Faculty have increased to 27 full time, 10 part-time. Administrative staff to 3, as well as a nurse and librarian. Other personal include 5 clerical staff and 3 full time custodians. Full time day students total 457.
1959We are Penn State! The Pennsylvania State University creates the System of Commonwealth Campuses is established and Continuing Education is reorganized. Fundraiser for a classroom/ administrative building named the Raymond E. Smith.
1959Gifted students program starts.
1963More buildings. Slep center and two resident halls. new dormitory is contracted, leading to labor dispute, picketing, restraining orders, damage to dorm, Protests on campus and in the community.
1964Altoona celebrates its silver anniversary May 10-16.
1966Enrollment surpasses 2,000.
Holtzinger Science Complex, Eiche Library, and the Adler gymnasium is built.
1967Edith Davis Chapel is built.
1968Robert E. Eiche retires in July, John Leathers succeeds him.
1968The Heald report is released, hearings follow.
1968Steven Alder dies in May.
1973Robert E. Eiche dies on May 2.
1980The Commonwealth Campus system and Continuing Education services are integrated to form the Commonwealth Education System (CES).