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Joe and Sue Paterno, shown here at a press conference on
Jan. 16 to announce their gift, have long supported academics in word and
deed. Their latest gift continues their legacy of giving to Penn State.
Photo: Greg Grieco
William Schreyer, who recently gave $30 million to Penn
State, shakes hands with Sue Paterno
after the couple's announcement of their gift to the University. Schreyer
and the Paternos
have said they hope their gifts prompt more individuals to consider giving.
Photo: Greg Grieco
By Annemarie Mountz
and Lisa M. Rosellini
Public Information
While some collegiate coaches stress academic excellence as 
well
as athletic prowess, none seem quite as emphatic as Nittany Lions Head Football
Coach Joe Paterno and his wife, Sue. The couple recently endorsed
their faith in higher education with a $3.5 million gift to the University.
The Paternos have a long history of support for academics at Penn State, and last week they once again showed their deep love for the University and its community with a multi-million dollar gift that will endow faculty positions and scholarships, and support two building projects.
"Penn State has been very good to both Sue and me," said Joe Paterno. "We've met some wonderful people here, we've known many students who have gone on to become outstanding leaders in their professions and in society and all of our children have received a first-class education here. I've never felt better about Penn State and its future potential than I do right now. Sue and I want to do all we can to help the University reach that potential.
"We are able to do this as a family," he added, "because, while we have lived comfortably, our desires have been modest. Over 48 years here our income has increased substantially, but our lifestyle has remained essentially the same. We've talked about this for 20 or 25 years, and have always wanted to do as much for the University as we could. We didn't really need the money. We always felt the best place for it was the University."
Stressing that "money was never important to us," Sue Paterno said, "What is important is the future of the world, especially now that we have three grandchildren."
"My parents are definitely committed and dedicated to the University and educating people," said their oldest daughter, Diana, a 1985 graduate of Penn State with a degree in finance. "They believe in the importance of education in preparing you for life and they have always stressed honesty and integrity and working hard to achieve your goals."
Mary Kay, the second of the five Paterno children -- all of whom graduated from Penn State -- said that while growing up, her parents placed "an enormous emphasis on academics and studying and no television during the week."
"I think they both believe, particularly my dad because of his experiences, that they have been able to get where they are through education. The opportunities that presented themselves, the doors that opened for them, have been because of education. And they do strongly believe that everyone should have that opportunity."
Sue Paterno agreed and said the gift also was a way to honor people who were most influential in their lives -- their parents and a high school Latin teacher.
"Our parents helped shape who we are today and gave us many opportunities for personal growth. They believed in education as the key to our futures, and my mother is pleased others will benefit from this gift just as Joe's parents and my father would have been," she said.
The Paternos directed $2 million of their gift to establish and support the following endowments:
* A professorship in the University Libraries.
* A professorship in the College of the Liberal Arts.
* A graduate fellowship and undergraduate scholarship in the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, named in honor of Sue Paterno's mother, Alma Heinz Pohland, and in memory of her father, August Louis Pohland.
* A graduate fellowship in the College of the Liberal Arts, named in memory of Joe Paterno's parents, Florence and Angelo Paterno.
* A scholarship in the classics in the College of the Liberal Arts, named in honor of the Rev. Thomas Bermingham, S.J., the high school Latin teacher who fostered Joe Paterno's love of the classics.
The Paternos also earmarked $1 million to fund a new interfaith spiritual center and $250,000 to help build the All-Sports Hall of Fame, both on the University Park campus. Coach Paterno said they have yet to decide what the remaining $250,000 will go toward.
"Eisenhower was built when I was a student," Sue Paterno, a 1962 graduate, said. "It has never changed in size and given the size of our student body, the chapel is not adequate to serve our students. Our goal has been to get a larger worship center."
President Graham B. Spanier said the new spiritual center will be an addition to Eisenhower Chapel, which currently is used by about 30 student religious organizations and is the site of more than 3,800 events annually. The chapel also houses the University's Center for Ethics and Religious Studies. The timetable for construction will be established following additional fund raising for the facility, which will be supported solely by private funds as part of the University's capital campaign.
The All-Sports Hall of Fame will provide a common area at University Park campus to showcase the accomplishments of the University's student-athletes. The Paterno gift adds to financial support for the project from many former Penn State student-athletes and other private sources. No public revenues, University funds, tuition money or student activity fees will pay for the construction. The building will be located between Beaver Stadium and The Bryce Jordan Center. No construction date has been set.
The Paterno legacy is clear. Other well-known, successful coaches have had athletic facilities named in their honor. Because of their generous gifts of time, talent and treasure in the name of academic excellence, Penn State last spring chose to honor the Paternos by naming the $27 million Paterno Library for them. In 1992, the Paternos donated $250,000 to help build the new library, which is now under construction as an extension of Pattee Library, and they co-chaired the campaign that raised more than $12 million in private gifts that was combined with state funds for the project.
"We believe this most recent gift from the Paternos is unique in higher education philanthropy, because as far as we've been able to determine, it appears to be the most generous gift ever made by a collegiate coach to a university," Spanier said. "I'm the luckiest University president in the United States."
Marian U. Coppersmith Fredman, former president of Penn State's Board of Trustees, current board member and long-time friend of the Paternos, said the Paterno gift was not a surprise.
"These are the kind of people who are constantly doing things that make people say, 'How do they do it all?' Not just when things are going wonderfully well, but always," Fredman said.
"They have no peers, really. In my opinion, they are it -- in the most humble of ways."
The Paternos philanthropic history is impressive. Other gifts from the Paternos include $120,000 in 1984 to create a library acquisitions fund and $50,000 to endow scholarships for minority students.
In addition, Joe Paterno was vice chairman of the $352 million Campaign for Penn State and a committee member for $20 million effort toward building The Bryce Jordan Center. He currently serves as an honorary chair of Penn State's forthcoming capital campaign, and Sue Paterno serves as honorary chair for the University Libraries segment of that campaign.
"I find it truly remarkable that Joe and Sue would take a substantial portion of their life savings and return it to the University," Spanier said. "They have chosen to support some of our most critical academic needs and visionary initiatives. At the same time, the inspirational value of their gift is incalculable. It will surely motivate others to 'stretch' as Joe and Sue have done in their own support of Penn State."
Coach Paterno said he does hope the $3.5 million gift will prompt others to examine their giving levels and realize they can help make a difference.
Joe Paterno, a Brooklyn native, came to Penn State in 1950 as an assistant coach. He became head coach in 1966 and since that time has compiled a record of 298 wins, 77 losses and three ties, making him the leader in total victories among active NCAA Division I-A coaches. Under his leadership, the Nittany Lions have won two national championships and a Big Ten Conference championship, and have played in 28 bowl games. He is a 1950 graduate of Brown University, with a bachelor's degree in liberal arts. In 1973, Penn State named him an Honorary Alumnus.
Sue Paterno is a native of Latrobe and is a 1962 graduate of Penn State with a bachelor's degree in arts and letters. She has served in a variety of volunteer leadership roles on behalf of the Penn State libraries, including a term as chair of the Libraries Development Advisory Board, as a founding member of the Liberal Arts Alumni Society and as honorary chair of the Penn State Alumni Association's National Service Week. In 1995, she received the Lion's Paw medal, an honor reserved for those who have given the highest level of service to the University.
She was honored as Renaissance Woman of the Year at a 1996 dinner that raised a record $175,000 in donations for Penn State scholarships. Sue Paterno has served as honorary chair of the Centre County United Way. A board member with the Pennsylvania Special Olympics since 1991, she also has co-chaired the opening and closing ceremonies of the Summer Games for several years and chaired the outreach, VIP and fund-raising committees.
Sue Paterno has helped many Penn State students better their lives through education. Not only does she tutor students in English, she also helped establish in 1990 the Summer Institute for Academic Achievement -- a program that offers minorities additional preparation for college-level work and familiarizes them with the University.
Calling Penn State one of the gems of Pennsylvania's network of institutions of higher learning, Gov. Tom Ridge released nearly $3 million in state capital budget funds for projects at two Penn State University campuses on Jan. 19.
Ridge released $1.82 million for renovations to Penn State's Animal Diagnostic Laboratory and Incinerator at the University Park campus. The facility's renovations and construction will include additional laboratory space and improved bio-security features.
Ridge also released $1.14 million to replace the underground heating system at Penn State Harrisburg.
The announcements are part of Gov. Ridge's $200 million capital funding commitment to Penn State over the next five years.
Ridge said the animal lab improvements "will help meet the regional demands for animal diagnostic services. Combined with the recent national accreditation of the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System, the Commonwealth is becoming significantly better suited to help our state's livestock farmers to provide consumers throughout the world with high-quality, safe products."
The Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System is a unique cooperative agreement between Penn State, the University of Pennsylvania and the state Agriculture Department. This system incorporates the professional and scientific expertise of the two universities' departments of veterinary science with the resources of the Agriculture Department's Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services and the Animal Health and Diagnostic Commission.
Ridge said the Harrisburg campus heating system is deteriorated beyond repair and is in a state of imminent failure. The new system is designed to provide service to the existing complex, as well as accommodate future expansion.
Ridge also praised Penn State head football Coach Joe Paterno and his wife, Sue, for committing $3.5 million to Penn State to endow faculty positions and scholarships and to support two building projects.
"The Paternos' pride in Penn State is known throughout the Commonwealth and the United States," Ridge said. "Joe and Sue have demonstrated their support of Penn State over the years, and their remarkable pledge speaks volumes about their commitment to Penn State's mission."
Construction will begin Jan. 26 on a $4.7 million biomedical technology center at Penn State Fayette in Uniontown, a a state Department of General Services project.
The new center will enable the campus to enhance its two-year associate degree program in nursing and its R.N.B.S. "completer" program, through which individuals with R.N. degrees can go on to a bachelor of science degree in nursing. The two-story, 27,400-square-foot center will include laboratories and faculty offices for the biology, chemistry, physics/earth sciences and nursing programs. It will also house a 125-seat general science, computer networked lecture hall, a classroom and a greenhouse.
The architect is Altman & Altman Architects of Uniontown. The general contractor is Spartan Construction. The new building is expected to be completed in time for spring 1999 classes.
Chinese Academy honors
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John D. Connor, professor of pharmacology, has been awarded a Senior Fulbright Fellowship to teach and conduct basic research in the Department of Pharmacology, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Dr. Connor will help upgrade instructional programs for medical and graduate students in cardiovascular and neuropharmacology. He also will contribute to ongoing laboratory research on the potential medicinal properties of botanicals indigenous to East Africa. His previous research has dealt mainly with chemical neurotransmitters in the brain and the impact of drugs on synaptic transmission and behavior.
Dr. Connor is one of 60 Americans selected for grants in Africa during 1997-98. The Fulbright Program is administered by the U.S. Information Agency of the Department of State. It was established by Congress in 1946 to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries."
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Candidates and nominations for the position of campus executive officer (CEO) for the Penn State DuBois campus, one of the 12 campuses in the University's Commonwealth College, are being sought. The CEO is the chief administrative officer of the campus and is responsible for the well-being of the campus, including the administration of its campus-based and outreach program, as well as for maintaining close relationships with its surrounding communities and within the University structure.
The CEO position was left vacant when Joseph Strasser was named head of the Commonwealth College. Claudia Limbert is currently acting CEO.
Situated in north central Pennsylvania just off Interstate 80 in the city of DuBois, Penn State DuBois has an enrollment of 1,075. More than 70 full- and part-time faculty offer courses leading to 11 associate degrees, including fully accredited programs in PTA, OTA, MET and EET, plus two baccalaureate degrees with a third to be introduced in fall 1998. In addition, the first two years of 180 Penn State baccalaureate programs are available. A wide variety of credit, non-credit and management development courses are offered by the continuing education department. Saturday and evening classes also are offered to serve older students.
Candidates should have an earned doctorate. Substantial experience in academic administration or other high-level administration is required. Please submit a letter of application and resume, and names, addresses (including e-mail if possible) and telephone numbers of three references to: Kenneth E. Varcoe, associate dean, Commonwealth College, 111 Old Main, Department CHDS, University Park, Pa. 16802.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Penn State is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Visit the Website at http://www.ds.psu.edu.
Jerry Winn, a Creamery employee, hands out samples of handmade
ice cream during the annual Ice Cream Short Course from Jan. 5-15 at University
Park. The course, believed to be the first continuing education course in
the nation, is known internationally and has been taken by such ice cream
gurus as Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream,
and representatives from Dairy Queen.
Photo: Greg Grieco
Would you like to try problem-based learning, case learning, learning teams or assignments that promote critical reasoning, ethical judgment and problem solving in your courses? Do you want to integrate your research activities with your teaching? The Schreyer Institute for Innovation in Learning will help you develop and apply your ideas as well as evaluate the difference they make in student learning. Proposals for course innovations to run in the fall 1998 semester are due Feb. 15.
In the first three years of its existence, the Schreyer Institute has sponsored more than 100 faculty innovation projects. The institute supports selected proposals with funding for student interns to work with faculty in designing and coordinating new learning experiences and assists with small grants for instructional expenses. In addition, testing and evaluation consultants, and instructional and technological design consultants work one-on-one with faculty. The institute provides training in collaborative learning and team management for your students.
The institute is particularly interested in working with departments and academic units in developing new ideas in general education, interdisciplinary projects and curricular changes.
Please visit the institute's Web site at http://www.inov8.psu.edu, where you can go through the "Proposal Workshop," view a prototype proposal and find out how Schreyer Fellows are innovating their classes. For more information and application forms, call (814) 865-8681, e-mail INOV8@psu.edu or apply directly through the Web.
In a photo caption on page 17 of the Jan. 15 Intercom, "Better Kid Care" was incorrectly described. It is a national satellite training program produced by the College of Agricultural Sciences. The monthly television broadcast is for child care providers in Pennsylvania and across the country.
Sanat Kuman, professor of materials science and engineering, will speak on "Phase Transitions in Thin Polymer Films" at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27 in 140 Fenske Laboratory on the University Park campus. The lecture, which ran on page 4 of the Jan. 15 Intercom, was rescheduled.
Also in the Jan. 15 issue, the date of the Fourth Annual Technical Service Workshop, sponsored by the Commission for Women, was listed incorrectly. The correct date is Thursday, Feb. 26. For more information, contact Linda Spangler at (814) 865-0277.
Technology Award from the Chinese Academy of
Science. The award provides financial support that will allow him to conduct
collaborative research with scientists in the Chinese Academy of Science.
