Mimi Barash Coppersmith was the founder of Town & Gown magazine, a longtime community leader and volunteer, and the first woman to chair the Penn State Board of Trustees. Her given name was Marian, but she was always known as “Mimi.”
Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village is a historic site near Milesburg that preserves the story of iron making in Centre County. It is owned and operated by the Roland Curtin Foundation which gives tours and host various annual events.
John Martin Thomas was Penn State’s ninth president and served from April 1921 to June 1925. During his term Penn State was thwarted by a frugal state government and animosity from the governor. This negated many of his ambitious plans, although he initiated programs brought to completion by his successor.
Woodward Cave is a public cave in Penns Valley that is also one of the most important sites in Pennsylvania for winter-hibernating bats. The limestone cave was created by Pine Creek, which for centuries flowed through it, creating a series of tunnels and large rooms.
John Wieland Oswald served as Penn State’s thirteenth president from 1970 to 1983. During his tenure he dealt with the university’s financial problems, student protests, and faculty discontent, while his policies stabilized the university fiscally, diversified student enrollment, and expanded the physical plant.
For nearly a century the coal industry was an important element of Centre County’s economy. Bituminous coal from the Mountaintop and Moshannon Valley areas helped to power the nation’s industrial revolution and later fueled electric generating stations.
Tom Thwaites was a professor, outdoor recreationist, and author perhaps best known for founding the Mid State Trail, the longest hiking trail in Pennsylvania. The first segment of the trail to be opened was in Rothrock State Forest on Tussey Mountain near Boalsburg.
Schwab Auditorium is one of Penn State’s oldest and most iconic venues. Opened in 1903, the performance space hosts speakers, concerts, and student performances. It was the school’s first building funded by a private donation and named after the sole benefactors: Charles M. Schwab and his wife, Emma.
The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international organization that promotes abstinence from alcohol and also campaigns for other social causes. The organization was active in Centre County for decades with chapters across the county.
Rhoneymeade is a rural arboretum and sculpture garden at the ancestral home of Leonard Rhone, a founder of the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair. It hosts various events annually, as well as art classes, and is open seasonally from sunrise to sunset.
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