Horace Ashenfelter was a Penn State graduate, Olympic gold medalist, and world record holder in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The Collegeville, Pennsylvania, native was a four-time All-American as a member of the Penn State track team and the two-mile NCAA national champion in 1949. Ashenfelter, then a field agent for the FBI, was the surprise winner […]
Norwood H. “Barney” Ewell thrilled track spectators from State College to London’s Wembley Stadium, where he won three medals at the 1948 Olympics. At Penn State, Ewell’s career inspired action on racial equity, leading students, faculty, and administrators to fight segregation in intercollegiate sports.
Colyer Lake, created in 1966 by damming Sinking Creek, gave Centre County residents more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors on the water and in the woods. The 77-acre impoundment in Potter Township has become a centerpiece for fishing, boating, hiking, and observing wildlife.
Black Moshannon State Park is a 3,394-acre park in Rush Township that conserves a unique natural environment surrounding Black Moshannon Lake. According to tradition, Native Americans called the area Mos’hanna’unk, which means “elk river place.”
Hugh Jesse Arnelle was a two-sport star at Penn State, a distinguished corporate lawyer, and the first Black trustee of the university. He served on the board for 45 years, becoming a trustee emeritus in 2014. Arnelle received Penn State’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016.
Talleyrand Park is a popular community recreation and gathering space alongside Spring Creek in downtown Bellefonte. The park is named for French diplomat Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, who on a visit to Pennsylvania in the 1790s spent a night in Bellefonte.
Spring Creek Canyon is an 1,800-acre recreation area in Benner Township popular for fly-fishing, hiking, bicycling, and hunting. The six miles of trout stream within its boundaries are a destination for fishermen from around the world.
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a government jobs program, conceived during the Great Depression, that put thousands of unemployed men to work primarily in state and national parks and forests, including four sites in Centre County. The CCC was one of the New Deal government programs that President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed soon after taking […]
The Recreation Building, better known as Rec Hall, is a multi-purpose indoor athletic facility that has been the historic home of several Penn State athletic teams. The building, constructed of red brick with limestone trim, was designed by architect Charles Z. Klauder and completed in 1928 at a cost of $527,260. It formally opened in […]
Beaver Stadium, the home of Penn State football, provides a venue for the passionate connection of students, alumni, and fans to the University and the communal experience of a football Saturday. With its 106,572-seat capacity, Beaver Stadium is the second-largest stadium in the United States. Penn State football plays a major role in the economy […]