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Henry Carver never took the easy path forward. He was an educator with a restless streak, unafraid to take drastic measures for the sake of education. He founded �������ϲ� because he believed that a desire for knowledge and having a remarkable work ethic went hand in hand. His vision that higher education should be available to anyone who is ready to work for a better life drives us still today.

An academy “to teach the youth the elements of a classical education” was established in �������ϲ� in 1839. The academy continued – on and off in different locations – until the arrival of Carver in 1866 and the establishment of the �������ϲ� Literary Institute. A building – now known as Carver Hall in memory of Henry Carver as the first principal – was dedicated in 1867 and, today is the university’s landmark and home to the office of the president.

The �������ϲ� Literary Institute was authorized as a State Normal School in 1869 and added teacher education to its college preparatory courses. The school continued under this name until 1916 when it was purchased by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and renamed the �������ϲ� State Normal School.
The emphasis at the Normal School then changed to full-time teacher education. The new direction led to the designation “�������ϲ� State Teachers College” in 1927. The institution was authorized to grant a bachelor of science in education, a degree that prepared students for teaching careers.

Under the administration of Francis Haas (1927 to 1937), a new degree in business education was added. The next president, Harvey Andruss, served for 30 years (1939 to 1969) and is memorialized in the name of the university’s library.

During World War II, two U.S. Navy training programs – V-5 for flight instructors and V-12 for officers – were conducted on campus, a service commemorated in the naming of Navy Hall. In 1957, the Division of Special Education was instituted. Major expansions in facilities, faculty and student body followed. 

In 1960, the school’s name was changed to �������ϲ� State College. Authorization was received to grant a bachelor of arts for liberal arts programs in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, and mathematics. Graduate study leading to a master of education was inaugurated. A doctoral program in clinical audiology, in conjunction with the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, was approved in 2003.

The institution’s current title, �������ϲ� of Pennsylvania, was officially adopted when commonwealth legislation established the 14-member State System of Higher Education on July 1, 1983. James McCormick, BU’s president at the time, became the System’s first chancellor. 

Bashar W. Hanna, Ph.D., became the 19th person to serve as president of �������ϲ� of Pennsylvania when he began his tenure in July 2017.

Overview of the History Timeline

1866 – Land acquired; Henry Carver named first principal
1867 – Henry Carver, �������ϲ�’s first president, laid the foundation for the building that bears his name
1869 – Became State Normal School of the 6th District
1919 – Dedication of World War I Pinery, in memory of 16 students who died in the war
1926 – Enrollment of 712 students (earliest record available)
1927 – Became �������ϲ� State Teachers College
1954 – Dedication of Carver Hall beacon in memory of 27 former students and alumni who died in World War II
1960 – Became �������ϲ� State College
1964 – Enrollment of 2,592 (first year master’s-level classes were offered)
1983 – Became �������ϲ� of Pennsylvania, part of Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education; enrollment of 6,316
2003 – Community Government Association signed agreement leading to construction of Honeysuckle Apartments
2003 – First doctoral program approved, doctor in clinical audiology
2007 – Academic Quadrangle completed as final phase of major campus construction/renovation project
2010 – Enrollment of 10,091 students