President Atherton
| Past Penn State Presidents | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tenure |
| Evan Pugh | 1859–1864 |
| William Henry Allen | 1864–1866 |
| John Fraser | 1866–1868 |
| Thomas Henry Burrowes | 1868–1871 |
| James Calder | 1871–1880 |
| Joseph Shortlidge | 1880–1881 |
| James Y. McKee † | 1881–1882 |
| George W. Atherton | 1882–1906 |
| James A. Beaver † | 1906–1908 |
| Edwin Erle Sparks | 1908–1920 |
| John Martin Thomas | 1921–1925 |
| Ralph Dorn Hetzel | 1927–1947 |
| James Milholland † | 1947–1950 |
| Milton S. Eisenhower | 1950–1956 |
| Eric A. Walker | 1956–1970 |
| John W. Oswald | 1970–1983 |
| Bryce Jordan | 1983–1990 |
| Joab Thomas | 1990–1995 |
| Graham Spanier | 1995–2011 |
| † denotes acting president | |
George W. Atherton became president of the school in 1882, and began working to broaden the school's curriculum. He commissioned Reber to expand the mechanical arts program, who in 1884 proposed the construction of a building dedicated to the teaching of mechanic arts and filled it with carpentry and metalworking equipment obtained primarily through the donations of local industry. In 1886, the board of trustees approved the creation of a department of mechanical engineering. Shortly after, Penn State became one of the ten largest engineering schools in the nation. Atherton also expanded the liberal arts and agriculture programs, and as a result, was rewarded with regular appropriations from the state beginning in 1887. For this, Atherton is widely credited of saving Penn State from bankruptcy, and is still honored today by the name of a major road in State College and its suburbs, Atherton Street. Contrary to popular belief, Atherton Hall is not named after President Atherton but his wife Frances Atherton. Atherton's grave rests near Old Main, the University Park campus's central administration building, and is marked by an engraved marble block resting in front of his statue.
Read more about this topic: History Of The Pennsylvania State University
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