Penn State Du Bois - History

History

Originally founded as the DuBois Center of the Pennsylvania State College in 1935, the first classes were held in the Hubert Street School by four full-time and one part-time faculty. In 1937, the DuBois School Board and the family of city founder John E. DuBois endowed the Center with a four acre campus including the original DuBois family mansion and stables. Extensive renovations were carried out on the Tudor-style mansion and grounds by the Works Progress Administration, and classes began in "The Mansion" February 1938. In 1942, the curriculum of standard undergraduate courses was expanded to include a summer semester "Accelerated Program" and evening adult classes to train defense specialists for the World War II War Effort.

In 1945, the DuBois Educational Foundation was incorporated to raise funds for campus growth. Following World War II, an influx of GI Bill veterans increased the student body, and throughout the next decades several new buildings were constructed to accommodate the continued growth. In 1959, the Pennsylvania State University formally integrated its "Centers" as "Commonwealth Campuses" and the "DuBois Undergraduate Center" officially became the DuBois Campus. Penn State DuBois serves the higher educational needs of the relatively rural surrounding area, and is an important educational resource for the entire DuBois region, including Clearfield, Jefferson and Elk Counties.