Student life and Penn State's University Park campus have evolved a great deal in the last century, but some traditions and landmarks are easily recognized 100 years later. Click through the photo gallery below for pictures and information on what life was like at Penn State in 1924.
Members of the class of 1924 as freshmen, with a total of 673 students in the class. According to the handwritten caption on the back, students wore black ties and green "dinks" — small beanie hats that freshmen wore to distinguish them from upperclassmen from 1907 through the late 1960s. This picture, taken by the Penn State Photo Shop, is preserved in a scrapbook in the Penn State University Archives. Credit: Penn State University Archives. All Rights Reserved.
December 17, 2024
By Jessica Hallman
For several decades in the early 1900s, Penn State students participated in "class scraps," which were friendly — albeit sometimes intense — interclass competitions. The annual tug-of-war scrap, shown here between freshmen and sophomores in 1924, was one of the milder scraps of the era. Credit: Penn State University Archives, Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
The University Park campus — at the time Penn State's only campus — looked much different in the early 1920s than it does today, as shown in this picture c. 1922. However, it had grown exponentially in the 65 years since The Farmers' High School (Penn State's original name) opened in 1859. As written in the 1921 student handbook, which members of the class of 1924 would have received, “The college has grown at an exceedingly rapid rate, from one small building (in 1859) to 36 (today), from 30 students to three and a half thousand, from one school to five schools and some 33 courses leading to a bachelor degree with additional short courses." Credit: Penn State University Archives, Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
1924 was the last year since Penn State's founding that the upper floors of Old Main, which at the time was the oldest building on campus, were used to house students. This picture from the scrapbook of Warren Benton Kirk, a student in the two-year agricultural program from 1922 to 1924, shows his dormitory room at the time. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, Walter Benton Kirk papers. All Rights Reserved.
The first two units of today's West Halls residence hall complex, shown here soon after their construction in 1924. At right is Varsity Hall, then reserved for athletes; it was later renamed Irvin Hall and opened to non-athletes. In the left and center is Watts Hall. The students pictured are on ground later occupied by the north wing of Sparks Building. Construction of Varsity and Watts Halls was made possible by donations to the Emergency Building Fund Campaign, Penn State's first major private fundraising campaign. Credit: Penn State University Archives. All Rights Reserved.
A view of Varsity Hall (later renamed to today's Irvin Hall), upper center, as it neared completion in 1924 on the University Park campus. The wooden grandstands of New Beaver Field can be seen in the upper right background, above Ihlseng Cottage. Watts Hall is in the upper left, and in the foreground are Carnegie Library and the first wing built for the Liberal Arts Building (today's Sparks Building). The American elm-lined Pattee Mall is in the front. Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. Creative Commons
Allen Street in downtown State College in the early 1920s shows cars from the era. The main entrance to campus via the Allen Street gates can be seen in the background. In 1923, the Board of Trustees voted to prohibit undergraduate students from having cars on campus except under special circumstances. In 1924, that main entrance to campus was permanently closed to vehicle traffic. Credit: Penn State University Archives. All Rights Reserved.
Penn State students in 1924 enjoyed social events at the Armory, a facility built in 1892 to symbolize Penn State’s land-grant act commitment to offer military training and later also served as a dance hall and indoor athletic stadium. Numerous dances were held in the facility in the 1920s, including Junior Proms, Senior Balls and Sophomore Hops. The University demolished the Armory in 1964 to make way for a new wing of Willard Building. Credit: Penn State University Archives. All Rights Reserved.
Classrooms, as well as the clothing of students in them, looked much different in 1924 than they do today. This picture shows engineering students in the mid 1920s. Engineering remained the largest of Penn State’s six undergraduate schools throughout the decade, annually enrolling more than 1,100 students. Credit: Penn State University Archives, Eberly Family Special Collections. All Rights Reserved.
A picture of the original Old Main from the scrapbook of Warren Benton Kirk, a student in Penn State’s two-year agricultural program from 1922 to 1924. The University constructed Old Main as the college's main building in 1859, and it stood as the only building on campus for the next 30 years. In 1929 it was demolished to make room for the Old Main that still stands today. In the early 1920s, students were expected to adhere to strict customs as laid out in the annual student handbook. Some of these customs included freshmen being expected to always wear green caps and plain black ties, to keep their coats completely buttoned in public, and to wear dark-colored socks at all times. Freshman males were also not to “associate with ladies within a three-mile limit of Old Main.” Exceptions to that rule were made during house party periods or when escorting dates to or from authorized dances. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, Warren Benton Kirk papers. All Rights Reserved.
In the early 1920s, Penn State's Nittany Lion mascot more closely resembled an African lion than a mountain lion. It was in the fall of 1921 that for the first time a student, Richard Hoffman of the class of 1923, donned a costume — complete with a mane — and crawled on all fours during a football game. However, Penn State students on campus from 1923 through 1927 would not have seen the Nittany Lion "in person." Following Hoffman's graduation, the mascot went dormant for four years until Leon DeRoy Skinner, who was six feet tall and could fit into the suit, was asked to resurrect it. Credit: Penn State University Archives, Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
The Penn State Blue Band performs at a football game at the University of Pennsylvania in the mid 1920s, as shown in the scrapbook of Charles Harner Hobey Light, a 1926 graduate. Though it first formed in 1899, the group officially adopted the name of "Blue Band” in 1923 after changing its members’ uniform color from khaki to blue, making 1924 the first full year the band was known by its current name. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, Charles Harner Hobey Light papers. All Rights Reserved.
Penn State students in 1924 likely attended pageants, plays, ceremonies, lectures and sermons at the campus' Open Air Theatre, located at the far southeast corner of the Old Main lawn. The site previously housed a limestone quarry from which stones were cut to build the campus' main building, and was later landscaped as a natural "bowl" to be used as an open-air theater. Shown here is a performance in the theater, from the pages of the 1923 issue of La Vie. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, 1923 La Vie / Penn State. Creative Commons
This picture shows a crowd lined up in downtown State College to celebrate the return of a Penn State president to campus, likely John Martin Thomas, who served in the role from 1921 to 1925. This photo, with the handwritten caption of “Prexy Returns,” a common nickname for the University president during the era, is from the scrapbook of Charles Harner Hobey Light, a 1926 graduate. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, Charles Light papers. All Rights Reserved.
Women of the Penn State class of 1924 as freshmen, as pictured in the 1924 issue of La Vie. In the early 1920s, co-eds comprised less than 10% of the school's incoming class. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, 1924 La Vie / Penn State. Creative Commons
Penn State’s varsity football players in 1924, from the scrapbook of Charles Harner Hobey Light, a 1926 graduate. Light, the team's fullback, is pictured here standing second from left. The team, coached by Hugo Bezdek, had a 6-3-1 record in 1924. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, Charles Light papers. All Rights Reserved.
In 1924, Penn State students and fans attended home football games at New Beaver Field, shown here on Alumni Day, Oct. 25, 1924. Penn State lost to Syracuse 10-6, with more than 20,000 fans filling the wooden grandstands. The field, which was located on the site of present-day Kern Building, was used throughout the 1959 season, the year that Beaver Stadium was built on the east side of campus. Also visible in the background of this photo are, from left, the "old" Old Main, the first wing of the Liberal Arts Building (today's Sparks) next to Schwab Auditorium, Carnegie Library, the Armory and West Halls. Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. Creative Commons
This ticket to the Sept. 27, 1924, Penn State football game versus Lebanon Valley, the first game of the 1924 season, was preserved in the scrapbook of 1926 graduate Charles Harner Hobey Light. General admission to games at New Beaver Field was $1 at the time. Penn State won the game, 47-3. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, Charles Light papers. All Rights Reserved.
For several decades in the early 1900s, Penn State students participated in "class scraps," which were friendly — albeit sometimes intense — interclass competitions. The annual tug-of-war scrap, shown here between freshmen and sophomores in 1924, was one of the milder scraps of the era. Credit: Penn State University Archives, Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
The University Park campus — at the time Penn State's only campus — looked much different in the early 1920s than it does today, as shown in this picture c. 1922. However, it had grown exponentially in the 65 years since The Farmers' High School (Penn State's original name) opened in 1859. As written in the 1921 student handbook, which members of the class of 1924 would have received, “The college has grown at an exceedingly rapid rate, from one small building (in 1859) to 36 (today), from 30 students to three and a half thousand, from one school to five schools and some 33 courses leading to a bachelor degree with additional short courses." Credit: Penn State University Archives, Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
1924 was the last year since Penn State's founding that the upper floors of Old Main, which at the time was the oldest building on campus, were used to house students. This picture from the scrapbook of Warren Benton Kirk, a student in the two-year agricultural program from 1922 to 1924, shows his dormitory room at the time. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, Walter Benton Kirk papers. All Rights Reserved.
The first two units of today's West Halls residence hall complex, shown here soon after their construction in 1924. At right is Varsity Hall, then reserved for athletes; it was later renamed Irvin Hall and opened to non-athletes. In the left and center is Watts Hall. The students pictured are on ground later occupied by the north wing of Sparks Building. Construction of Varsity and Watts Halls was made possible by donations to the Emergency Building Fund Campaign, Penn State's first major private fundraising campaign. Credit: Penn State University Archives. All Rights Reserved.
A view of Varsity Hall (later renamed to today's Irvin Hall), upper center, as it neared completion in 1924 on the University Park campus. The wooden grandstands of New Beaver Field can be seen in the upper right background, above Ihlseng Cottage. Watts Hall is in the upper left, and in the foreground are Carnegie Library and the first wing built for the Liberal Arts Building (today's Sparks Building). The American elm-lined Pattee Mall is in the front. Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. Creative Commons
Allen Street in downtown State College in the early 1920s shows cars from the era. The main entrance to campus via the Allen Street gates can be seen in the background. In 1923, the Board of Trustees voted to prohibit undergraduate students from having cars on campus except under special circumstances. In 1924, that main entrance to campus was permanently closed to vehicle traffic. Credit: Penn State University Archives. All Rights Reserved.
Penn State students in 1924 enjoyed social events at the Armory, a facility built in 1892 to symbolize Penn State’s land-grant act commitment to offer military training and later also served as a dance hall and indoor athletic stadium. Numerous dances were held in the facility in the 1920s, including Junior Proms, Senior Balls and Sophomore Hops. The University demolished the Armory in 1964 to make way for a new wing of Willard Building. Credit: Penn State University Archives. All Rights Reserved.
Classrooms, as well as the clothing of students in them, looked much different in 1924 than they do today. This picture shows engineering students in the mid 1920s. Engineering remained the largest of Penn State’s six undergraduate schools throughout the decade, annually enrolling more than 1,100 students. Credit: Penn State University Archives, Eberly Family Special Collections. All Rights Reserved.
A picture of the original Old Main from the scrapbook of Warren Benton Kirk, a student in Penn State’s two-year agricultural program from 1922 to 1924. The University constructed Old Main as the college's main building in 1859, and it stood as the only building on campus for the next 30 years. In 1929 it was demolished to make room for the Old Main that still stands today. In the early 1920s, students were expected to adhere to strict customs as laid out in the annual student handbook. Some of these customs included freshmen being expected to always wear green caps and plain black ties, to keep their coats completely buttoned in public, and to wear dark-colored socks at all times. Freshman males were also not to “associate with ladies within a three-mile limit of Old Main.” Exceptions to that rule were made during house party periods or when escorting dates to or from authorized dances. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, Warren Benton Kirk papers. All Rights Reserved.
In the early 1920s, Penn State's Nittany Lion mascot more closely resembled an African lion than a mountain lion. It was in the fall of 1921 that for the first time a student, Richard Hoffman of the class of 1923, donned a costume — complete with a mane — and crawled on all fours during a football game. However, Penn State students on campus from 1923 through 1927 would not have seen the Nittany Lion "in person." Following Hoffman's graduation, the mascot went dormant for four years until Leon DeRoy Skinner, who was six feet tall and could fit into the suit, was asked to resurrect it. Credit: Penn State University Archives, Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
The Penn State Blue Band performs at a football game at the University of Pennsylvania in the mid 1920s, as shown in the scrapbook of Charles Harner Hobey Light, a 1926 graduate. Though it first formed in 1899, the group officially adopted the name of "Blue Band” in 1923 after changing its members’ uniform color from khaki to blue, making 1924 the first full year the band was known by its current name. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, Charles Harner Hobey Light papers. All Rights Reserved.
Penn State students in 1924 likely attended pageants, plays, ceremonies, lectures and sermons at the campus' Open Air Theatre, located at the far southeast corner of the Old Main lawn. The site previously housed a limestone quarry from which stones were cut to build the campus' main building, and was later landscaped as a natural "bowl" to be used as an open-air theater. Shown here is a performance in the theater, from the pages of the 1923 issue of La Vie. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, 1923 La Vie / Penn State. Creative Commons
This picture shows a crowd lined up in downtown State College to celebrate the return of a Penn State president to campus, likely John Martin Thomas, who served in the role from 1921 to 1925. This photo, with the handwritten caption of “Prexy Returns,” a common nickname for the University president during the era, is from the scrapbook of Charles Harner Hobey Light, a 1926 graduate. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, Charles Light papers. All Rights Reserved.
Women of the Penn State class of 1924 as freshmen, as pictured in the 1924 issue of La Vie. In the early 1920s, co-eds comprised less than 10% of the school's incoming class. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, 1924 La Vie / Penn State. Creative Commons
Penn State’s varsity football players in 1924, from the scrapbook of Charles Harner Hobey Light, a 1926 graduate. Light, the team's fullback, is pictured here standing second from left. The team, coached by Hugo Bezdek, had a 6-3-1 record in 1924. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, Charles Light papers. All Rights Reserved.
In 1924, Penn State students and fans attended home football games at New Beaver Field, shown here on Alumni Day, Oct. 25, 1924. Penn State lost to Syracuse 10-6, with more than 20,000 fans filling the wooden grandstands. The field, which was located on the site of present-day Kern Building, was used throughout the 1959 season, the year that Beaver Stadium was built on the east side of campus. Also visible in the background of this photo are, from left, the "old" Old Main, the first wing of the Liberal Arts Building (today's Sparks) next to Schwab Auditorium, Carnegie Library, the Armory and West Halls. Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. Creative Commons
This ticket to the Sept. 27, 1924, Penn State football game versus Lebanon Valley, the first game of the 1924 season, was preserved in the scrapbook of 1926 graduate Charles Harner Hobey Light. General admission to games at New Beaver Field was $1 at the time. Penn State won the game, 47-3. Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections, Charles Light papers. All Rights Reserved.
Last Updated December 17, 2024
Tags
Get the news by email
Subscribe