University House

The first residence for the president of the Pennsylvania Land Grant College (name changed in 1862 from the original Pennsylvania Agricultural High School) is today surrounded by engineering buildings. The Georgian style house was designed by the first president, Evan Pugh, who had been anxious to have a residence for he and his new wife since arriving in 1859. He even helped dig the hole for the basement foundation. However, he never got to live in the house due to his unexpected death from typhoid fever in 1864. The house was first occupied by the second president, William Allen, and his wife later in 1864.

The following photo shows the house in the 1870 after the eighth president, George Atherton, modified the third floor and roof line, added a porch, and made some other modifications.

Ralph Hetzel, the 12th president, made significant structural improvements in the mid-1920s including the addition of a garage and lily pond, known today as the Duck Pond. The last resident was President Eric Walker. The Walkers resided there for about a decade. However, he and his family moved out of the house in 1970 during his last year as president, after students surrounded the house one evening demanding to talk with him about the major political matter of the day - the Vietnam War. After that the house was repurposed as an alumni center.

In 1997 the building was renamed the Hintz Alumni Center after a significantly remodel and the addition of a wing that quadrupled the size. The ground concurrently were re-landscaped, with the Duck Pond retained.

The gardens of the Hintz Center are a quiet oasis in the southwest corner of the UP campus during the spring, summer and fall. In the spring, we especially enjoy sitting on a bench under a tree near the edge of the Duck Pond or on the small bridge that spans it, watching the ducks and ducklings. A few photos of duck and ducklings on the Duck Pond in a past year can be seen in my 3/30/18 Blog Entry. I hope to make another post entry this coming spring showing the gardens in their splendor and an active Duck Pond.

Note: This post is partially based on information and a photo found at <https://onwardstate.com/2015/10/23/penn-state-history-lessons-the-presidents-house/>