Penn State University Park, also referred to as University Park, is the main campus of

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

, located in both State College and College Township, both in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. The campus post office was designated "University Park, Pennsylvania" in 1953 by Penn State president Milton Eisenhower after it was upgraded to university status.

History

The school that later became Penn State University was founded as a degree-granting institution on February 22, 1855, by act P.L. 46, No. 50 of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania. Centre County, Pennsylvania, became the home of the new school when James Irvin of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, donated of landthe first of the school would eventually acquire. In 1862, the school's name was changed to the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania, and with the passage of the

Morrill Land-Grant Acts The Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges in U.S. states using the proceeds from sales of federally owned land, often obtained from Native American tribes through treaty, cessi ...

, Pennsylvania selected the school in 1863 to be the state's sole

land-grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

college. The school's name changed to the Pennsylvania State College in 1874; enrollment fell to 64 undergraduates the following year as the school tried to balance purely agricultural studies with a more classic education. In 1953, the university sought a name change for the town called State College to reflect the new status of the school as a university. As the name change referendum failed to pass, the resolution ended with a new postal address to be called "University Park".

Student-run media

Media originating from University Park include ''

Onward State ''Onward State'' is a student-run news website geared toward members of the Penn State community in Pennsylvania. The website provides news, features, and commentary on issues impacting Penn State and State College. ''Onward State'' has publi ...

''; the world's most-read student-run news website, WKPS, a student run radio station, and the '' Daily Collegian'', a student-run newspaper at the university.

Student government

Within the campus, a

student government A students' union or student union, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, organizatio ...

is a set of elected positions by the student body to represent the students with relations with the university. It is divided between undergraduate and graduate students. Special interest groups representing minorities also exist within the campus also have an influence towards university policies that get enacted by the university.

Major buildings

* Beaver Stadium, the second-largest stadium in the

Western hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the 180th meridian.- The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Geopolitically, ...

and the home of

Penn State Nittany Lions football The Penn State Nittany Lions team represents the Pennsylvania State University in college football. Penn State Nittany Lions, The Nittany Lions compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivisi ...

* Bryce Jordan Center, home of the Men's and Women's Penn State basketball and s other indoor sports and entertainment events * Eisenhower Auditorium, home to a variety of academic, business, and entertainment events * HUB–Robeson Center, commonly referred to as "The Hub" * Jeffrey Field, home of the Men's and Women's Penn State soccer and lacrosse teams * McCoy Natatorium, home of the Men's and Women's Penn State varsity swim teams recreation facilities * Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, home of the State College Spikes and Penn State Men's baseball teams * '' Nittany Lion Shrine'', statue of the university’s mascot * Old Main, Penn State's first building of major significance, completed in 1863 * Palmer Museum of Art, visual arts facility and cultural resource for Penn State and local community * Pavilion Theatre , intimate 300-seat flexible arena performance theatre * Pegula Ice Arena, home of the Men's and Women's Penn State varsity hockey teams * Penn State All-Sports Museum, an on-campus museum honoring Penn State Nittany Lion athletes * Penn State Creamery, the world's largest university creamery * Penn State Ice Pavilion, former home of the Men's and Women's Penn State varsity hockey teams * Playhouse Theatre, home of Penn State's University Resident Theatre Company (URTC) * Rec Hall, field house and home to Penn State Men's and Women's gymnastics, volleyball, and wrestling teams * Schwab Auditorium, home to a variety of academic, business, and entertainment events

Athletics

The Penn State Nittany Lions have won 56

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

team national championships, as well as 36 national team titles in current and former NCAA sports that were not bestowed by the NCAA. Not shown in the table above, Penn State women's and coed fencing teams have won 16 national championships, and the men's and women's gymnastics teams have won 15 national titles, including

AIAW The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) was a college athletics organization in the United States, founded in 1971 to govern women's college competitions in the country and to administer national championships (see AIAW Cham ...

, and AAU titles. University teams have also won national titles in men's boxing and cross country and women's bowling, field hockey, lacrosse, rifle, and soccer.

References

{{authority control 1953 establishments in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State University campuses Populated places established in 1953 Unincorporated communities in Centre County, Pennsylvania Unincorporated communities in Pennsylvania