Roger Williams, former Alumni Association executive director and current president of the Centre County Historical Society, was instrumental in the program during his tenure as executive director and assistant vice president for University Relations [now Strategic Communications] at Penn State. His vision for the markers, he said, was to reinforce the University as a prestigious and creative force, draw attention to how the University has played a role in history, and tell the story of Penn State’s academic prowess.
Since the program’s inception in 1990, 68 markers now stand at the University Park campus, while 18 highlight locations at Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses. The markers on the University Park campus and their locations can be found on the Penn State Map page, under "Points of Pride."
In 2024, the Alumni Association, Strategic Communications and the Centre County Historical Society unveiled a new historical marker at the Centre Furnace Mansion in State College, highlighting the “Birthplace of Penn State.”
The Historic Preservation Awards highlight individuals or groups who have furthered the Historical Society’s efforts to preserve, interpret and promote the richness of Centre County history, and uphold Penn State Professor Emeritus John H. Ziegler’s legacy of conservation.
Ziegler, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 92, enjoyed a 33 year-long career at Penn State as a founding member of the Department of Food Science. He also served on numerous boards, including the Centre County Historical Society, ClearWater Conservancy, the Centre County Chapter of the Alumni Association and more.
About the Penn State Alumni Association
For more than 150 years, the Penn State Alumni Association has provided alumni with a strong and welcoming community representative of the Penn Staters it proudly serves. The association keeps alumni connected to the University and to each other, while upholding Penn State traditions and supporting the University’s mission of teaching, research and service. The association also produces the award-winning Penn Stater magazine and other publications, and offers alumni and friends volunteer opportunities, educational programming and many other services. For more information about the PSAA, visit alumni.psu.edu.