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Penn State Alumni Association News
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09/24/2007—Penn State Fans To Rally the Lions in Champaign, Ill.

08/31/2007—Penn State Fans to "Rally In the Valley" on Sept. 7

07/26/2007—Penn State Alumni Association Affiliates With The Princeton Club

07/13/2007—Alumni Association Updates Board of Trustees On Strategic Initiatives in Support of Alumni, University

06/26/2007—The Penn Stater Magazine to Be Honored as "Best in Nation"; First Public University to Win Coveted Sibley Award Since 1967

04/26/2007—New Vice President Elected Unanimously by Penn State Alumni Association's Governing Board

04/24/2007—Alumni Association to Give $300,000 to Penn State College of Medicine

03/06/2007—Representative Stairs Chosen to Receive "Friend of Penn State" Legislative Award

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Penn State Fans To Rally the Lions in Champaign, Ill.

University Park, Pa. (September 24, 2007)—The Penn State Alumni Association will pump up the Nittany Lion faithful beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday before the game against Illinois.

The Illinois pep rally in Champaign, Ill., will be held under a tent north of Kirby Avenue, near Oak Street, on the north side of Memorial Stadium. The pep rally tent will open at 8 a.m., and the program will begin at 9 a.m. Like all Penn State Alumni Association pep rallies, the Illinois pep rally will feature the Pep Band, the Nittany Lion, cheerleaders, and some rallying words from Penn State President Graham Spanier and Alumni Association Executive Director Roger Williams.

The three additional Penn State pep rallies also will be in tents close to the football stadiums. The pep rallies and their locations are:

All pep rally tents open three hours prior to kickoff and are free to Penn State alumni and Nittany Lion fans. No reservations are needed. The away game pep rallies are sponsored in part by the Alumni Association's business partner Bank of America. For more info on away game pep rallies, visit the Alumni Association's Web site at www.alumni.psu.edu/events/pep or call 800-546-LION.

Penn State Alumni Association Affiliates With The Princeton Club

University Park, Pa. (July 26, 2007)—In April 1904, a baseball game between Penn State and Princeton resulted in the birth of the Nittany Lion mascot. A century later, that competitive spirit has morphed into one of collaboration and collegiality, as the Penn State Alumni Association has affiliated with the Princeton Club of New York.

"Through this new affiliation, Alumni Association members and University faculty and staff will be eligible to join the Princeton Club of New York as associate members," said Roger Williams, executive director of the Penn State Alumni Association. "For Penn Staters who live in or near the city, or those who travel there from time to time, this affiliation provides a 'home away from home' in midtown Manhattan."

Located at 15 West 43rd Street, the Princeton Club is minutes away from Grand Central Station, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue shopping, and the Theatre District.

The facility offers 50 hotel rooms at reasonable rates for members as well as a fully equipped fitness center, a 10,000-volume library, and business center. Catering, conference, and meeting facilities are available as well. The Princeton Club also offers a robust series of cultural, social, networking, and educational programs.

Members and guests have access to a lounge, a free WiFi network, casual and formal dining, and complimentary hors d'oeuvres in the Tiger Bar & Grill. In addition, members have access to more than 110 private clubs worldwide.

Penn State Alumni Association members, University faculty and staff wishing to join the Princeton Club of New York City can do so by going to www.princetonclub.com. They must submit an application, to be approved by the club's membership committee. Membership rates vary, based on proximity to New York City and career field. Those who work at an educational institution or as clergy, for instance, are eligible for discounted membership fees.

The relationship between Penn State and Princeton goes back to the late 19th Century, when Penn State played various Ivy League schools-then the bastion of "big-time" college sports. From 1896 through 1900, Penn State played Princeton in football, losing all five games without scoring a single point.

But it was on the Princeton baseball diamond that the Nittany Lion mascot was born. On April 20, 1904, road-weary Penn State faced formidable Princeton—the final game of the season on the eastern leg of the season. During a morning tour of campus for the Penn State team, a couple of tour guides couldn't resist a pre-game boast.

According to "The Nittany Lion: An Illustrated Tale," by Jackie R. Esposito and Steve L. Herb, Penn State third baseman "Joe" Mason recalled it this way: "As you students know, sophomores are generally pretty cocky chaps, and when these two escorted us into their beautiful gymnasium, they stopped us in front of a splendid mounted figure of a Bengal tiger. One chap spoke up 'See our emblem, the Princeton Tiger, the fiercest beast of them all.' An idea came to me, and I replied, 'Well, up at Penn State we have Mount Nittany right on our campus, where rules the Nittany Mountain Lion, who has never been beaten in fair fight. So, Princeton Tiger, look out!"

Penn State went on that day to beat Princeton, 8-1. Before he graduated in 1907, Joe Mason would transform his spur-of-the-moment boast into the Nittany Lion mascot, which became one of the nation's most recognized and respected symbols of school spirit.

Now, a century later, Lions can mingle harmoniously with Tigers in the comfort of their beautiful midtown Manhattan den.

Alumni Association Updates Board of Trustees On Strategic Initiatives in Support of Alumni, University

YORK, Pa. (July 13, 2007)—The Penn State Alumni Association reported on its strategic goals, accomplishments, membership growth and continued service to the University in a presentation to the Penn State Board of Trustees today (July 13).

Alumni Association outgoing President Lewis H. Gold, a 1959 Penn State liberal arts graduate, outlined the Alumni Association's agenda and results of the 2006-07 academic year. Topping the list of accomplishments was The Penn Stater being named the best university magazine in the country. The bi-monthly magazine for members of the Alumni Association won the coveted 2007 Robert Sibley Magazine of the Year Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Penn State was the first public university to win the Sibley since 1967.

"The Sibley is the highest honor bestowed on The Penn Stater this year, but it is not by far the only award," Gold said in his report. "Our flagship magazine has won 40 other awards this year alone."

Another major accomplishment was the growth in student membership through the Blue & White Society, the student contingent of the Alumni Association. Blue & White Society membership has grown exponentially in the last year, up by more than 2,600 students or 34 percent to 10,126. This growth has been fueled in part by the expansion of active Blue & White Societies to six additional Penn State campuses—Altoona, Berks, Dickinson, Fayette, Hazelton and Hershey—bringing the total of active Blue & White Societies to 13 beyond University Park.

"This is the third consecutive year that membership in the Blue & White Society has experienced explosive growth, more than doubling the membership from two years ago," said Gold

Established in 1870, the Alumni Association strives to connect alumni to the University and to each other, provide valuable benefits to members and support the University's mission of teaching, research and service. For more information about the Alumni Association, visit www.alumni.psu.edu.

The Penn Stater Magazine to Be Honored as "Best in Nation"; First Public University to Win Coveted Sibley Award Since 1967

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (June 26, 2007)-The Penn Stater magazine has been chosen as the best university magazine in the country, winning the 2007 Robert Sibley Magazine of the Year award. The Penn Stater will be recognized at a July 8 ceremony in Chicago.

The panel of expert judges assembled by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), including editors of Newsweek magazine, selected Penn State's magazine to win the 2007 Sibley-the Grand Gold Medal-from among 129 magazine entries. The Penn Stater is the first public university to win the Sibley since 1967 and only the sixth in the 63-year history of the award. Recent award winners have included Harvard, Stanford and Brown.

The Penn Stater magazine has won its share of awards-37 since the beginning of the calendar year alone-but the Sibley is the pinnacle. "We think this is just about the coolest news," said Tina Hay, editor of The Penn Stater. "A lot of credit goes to the magazine staff-and to Roger Williams and Lew Gold for their editorial and financial support of the magazine." Williams, executive director of the Alumni Association, and Alumni Association President Lewis H. Gold are the magazine's publishers.

Published six times each year and mailed to more than 159,000 Penn State Alumni Association members, The Penn Stater features thought-provoking articles with characteristic depth, balance, integrity and humor as it covers Penn State news, recounts 150 years of Penn State history and traditions, profiles the University's academic research and achievements, highlights the lives of remarkable Penn Staters and keeps alumni connected to the University and each other.

"We couldn't be more thrilled," said Williams. "As an Alumni Association, we can be said to be producing, as determined by peer review, the finest magazine of its kind in America. All credit goes to Tina Hay and an exceptional magazine staff, as well as a supportive Alumni Council and University administration, all of whom enable The Penn Stater to be The Penn Stater."

In 2007, CASE received 3,163 entries in 40 award categories from 701 higher education institutions, independent schools, and nonprofits around the world. Judges gave 319 bronze, silver, and gold awards. Only 12 institutions received the top honor-the grand gold award.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., CASE is the largest international association of educational institutions, serving more than 3,300 universities, colleges, schools, and related organizations in 54 countries.

The Penn Stater magazine is a benefit of membership in the Penn State Alumni Association. Established in 1870, the Penn State Alumni Association strives to connect alumni to the University and to each other, provide valuable benefits to members and support the University's mission of teaching, research and service. The Alumni Association organizes hundreds of annual events and programs designed to inform, involve and inspire Penn State alumni. For more information on the Alumni Association, go to www.alumni.psu.edu.

New Vice President Elected Unanimously by Penn State Alumni Association's Governing Board

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (April 26, 2007) -The Penn State Alumni Association's Alumni Council voted unanimously at its spring meeting on April 20 to elect Barry M. Simpson '69, of Harrisburg, Pa., as the incoming vice president of the governing body. Simpson will become vice president on July 1, 2007, and, according to the bylaws of the Alumni Association, will become the 76th president of the Alumni Association two years later on July 1, 2009.

Simpson has been an active alumni volunteer with the Penn State Alumni Association since he was first elected by Penn State alumni in July 2003. He is currently serving his second elected term on Alumni Council. Simpson has served on the Executive Board for the past two years and has chaired the Membership Committee, helping chart an increase of nearly 3,000 members last year while dealing with numerous issues and opportunities related to membership growth. Simpson previously served on the Budget & Finance Committee.

Professionally, Simpson is the executive director of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, in Harrisburg, Pa., a post he assumed in 1999. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the 29,000-member professional association. Prior to leading the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Simpson was an attorney/shareholder for nine years with the Pittsburgh law firm of Ecker, Rome, Simpson & DeAngelis, P.C. He was also a partner for 16 years in Brennan, Robins & Daley, a Pittsburgh law firm where he managed the daily business operations of the firm and the legal and administrative staffs.

Simpson received his juris doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1972 and a bachelor's degree from Penn State where he majored in marketing management. He is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association and was its president in 1998, the Dauphin County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Association of Trial Lawyers, the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, and the National Association of Bar Executives. Simpson is a life member of the Penn State Alumni Association and a member of the Nittany Lion Club.

Alumni Council is an all-volunteer governing body that guides and directs policy for the Penn State Alumni Association. The Alumni Council determines strategies and programs to be carried out by the Alumni Association staff and is also responsible for electing the Alumni Association president and vice president every two years. According to the bylaws that outline the leadership succession plan of the Alumni Council, Simpson will serve as vice president for two years (July 2007-July 2009), as president for two years (2009-2011), and as immediate past president for two years (2011-2013). For more information about the Alumni Association's Alumni Council governing board, visit www.alumni.psu.edu/groups/council/

The Penn State Alumni Association is the largest dues-paying alumni association in the world with more than 159,000 members. Established in 1870, the Alumni Association's mission is to connect alumni to the University and to each other, to provide valuable benefits to members and to support the University's mission of teaching, research and service.

Alumni Association to Give $300,000 to Penn State College of Medicine

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (April 24, 2007) -The Penn State Alumni Association will make a $300,000 gift to the Penn State College of Medicine's “Match Day” program, a day when fourth-year medical students learn into which residency program they are accepted.

The Alumni Association's $300,000 contribution comes from its Margin of Excellence Fund, created in 2000 as a permanent endowment to support a major gift every year to the University. This $300,000 endowment will be used by the Penn State Hershey Medical Center and its College of Medicine to support events that engage medical students and alumni during that important day, including the annual “Match Day” Dinner.

“The Penn State College of Medicine trains more than 500 medical students each year. This ‘Match Day’ is one of the most important days for graduating medical students as they find out their future residency program. It is a natural fit that as these medical students graduate into the ranks of Penn State alumni, the Alumni Association will be there supporting them,” said Lewis H. Gold '59, president of the Alumni Association. "I'd like to thank our Margin of Excellence Committee composed of Alumni Council volunteers and chaired by Vice President David C. Han '88, '05g, who recommended the gift from among four proposals."

This year, the Margin of Excellence Committee focused exclusively on the Penn State Hershey Medical Center, in an effort to help complete its fund-raising campaign, which is part of the University's "Investing in People" initiative. This fund-raising initiative for Penn State Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine went over its $135 million goal last month with a $25 million gift from Highmark, Inc.

"Match Day is one of the highlights of a medical student's experience at the Penn State College of Medicine," said Harold L. Paz, Penn State's senior vice president for health affairs, dean of the Penn State College of Medicine, and chief executive officer of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. "We are extraordinarily pleased to be the recipient of such a generous gift from the Alumni Association and know that the funds will allow us to expand our support for this meaningful day for our students."

Since the initial gift from the Margin of Excellence Fund in 2001, the Alumni Association has donated $1.9 million to the University from its "Margin of Excellence" fund. Recent Margin of Excellence gifts have gone to establishing endowments for the First-Year Enrichment Program for the Morgan Athletic Support Center (2006), Education Abroad Scholarships (2005), Student Discovery Undergraduate Research program (2004), and a Trustee Scholarship (2003). Other "Margin of Excellence" gifts have been used to help build the Blue Band practice facility (2002), endow undergraduate scholarships for Commonwealth campuses (2001) and contribute to new lighting for the Mall at University Park (2001). All told, the Alumni Association has contributed more than $12 million to Penn State since 1988.

With more than 159,000 members, the Penn State Alumni Association is the largest dues-paying alumni association in the world. Established in 1870, the Alumni Association strives to connect alumni to the University and to each other, provide valuable benefits to members and support the University's mission of teaching, research and service. The Penn State Alumni Association organizes hundreds of annual events and programs designed to inform, involve and inspire Penn State alumni. For more information on the Alumni Association, go to www.alumni.psu.edu.

Representative Stairs Chosen to Receive "Friend of Penn State" Legislative Award

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (March 6, 2007)—State Rep. Jess M. Stairs, Republican chair of the House Education Committee, has been chosen by the Penn State Alumni Association to receive the annual "Friend of Penn State" legislative award in a ceremony scheduled for June 7.

Stairs is the third legislator to receive the "Friend of Penn State" award, which recognizes current state legislators for the significant role they have played in the continued improvement of Penn State. The legislative award was presented for the first time last year to state Sen. Jake Corman, R-34th District, and former state Rep. Lynn Herman, R-77th District.

"Jess Stairs has been a strong advocate, both publicly and behind the scenes, for increasing Penn State's annual appropriation," said Leslie N. Firth, chair of the Grassroots Network Committee of Alumni Council, which makes the annual selection. "As chair of the House education committee, he has worked tirelessly to uphold Penn State's academic and fiscal integrity."

A Penn State alumnus, Stairs (R-59th District) represents parts of Fayette and Westmoreland counties and has served in the House since 1977. He is a board member of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), which administers state grant and loan programs. He is also a member of the House Consumer Affairs Committee.

In the 2003-04 House session, Stairs chaired the Commission on Rural Education (CORE) to investigate the unique challenges faced by rural schools. Through hearings held across the state, CORE compiled data on the demographics of rural Pennsylvania; reviewed the availability, affordability, and quality of school readiness programs and services; evaluated the impact of transportation on access to rural schools; and compiled and analyzed data on rural students' performances.

During the 2001-02 House session, Stairs chaired the Keystone Commission on Education for Employment in the 21st Century, which recommended using the expertise of businesses to design job training and vocational education courses in high schools and higher education facilities. The Education Committee is working on legislation to enact some of the commission's recommendations.

A dairy farmer and former teacher, Stairs earned a bachelor's degree in agriculture in 1964 and a master's degree in education in 1966 from Penn State. Stairs and his wife, Joan, live in Acme, Pa. More information on Rep. Stairs can be found on his Web site at www.jessstairs.com.

As the world's largest dues-paying alumni association with more than 159,000 members, the Penn State Alumni Association connects alumni to the University and to each other, provides valuable benefits to members and supports the University's mission of teaching, research and service. The Penn State Alumni Association oversees hundreds of annual programs and events designed to inform, involve and inspire Penn State alumni. For more information on the Alumni Association, go to www.alumni.psu.edu.