Penn State Behrend has come a long way since rumors of its closing in 1951 when enrollment dropped to only 64 students amidst men being drafted into service for the Korean War. This came just three years after Behrend first opened its doors in 1948 to a class of 126 men and 20 women, supported by a dozen faculty and six staff members.

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It was 1963 when total enrollment reached 360 students. Campus leaders predicted a growth to 800 students by 1980. Between 1966 and 1972, alongside the opening of Perry, Niagara and Lawrence residence halls, enrollment surpassed predictions and reached a population of 1,500 students. In January of 1973, Behrend became the first Penn State location outside of University Park to be awarded college status, thus allowing students to earn a full four-year degree on top of the previously offered associate degrees. The first students to enroll in what was then called the Behrend Center could only complete their first year at the Center before the University reorganized itself in 1959, establishing the Behrend Center as the Behrend Campus of Penn State. Along with new buildings and a respectable enrollment of 2,500 students in 1985, Behrend announced the induction of its first graduate program. By 2006, enrollment totaled over 4,000 students, and 60,000 square feet of classrooms and labs were introduced to the campus. Current standings prove the last 70 years have been working in favor of Behrend, as the total enrollment is now greater than 5,000 students, with more than 33,000 alumni, as well as more than 50 buildings spread throughout the 854 acre campus.

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So how did all this come to be?

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In 1948, Penn State University received the nearly 400 acre Glenhill Estate as a donation by Mary Behrend in memory of her husband Ernst, co-founder of the Hammermill Paper Company. It was October 30, 1948 when the Glenhill Farm was officially dedicated as a Penn State facility. The anniversary of this date is commemorated as Behrend Founder’s Day, a day which was first Behrend’s birthday.  

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In preparation for the arrival of the first class of students, the summer of 1948 was spent making changes to the estate. The first floor of the Behrend barn, renamed the Turnbull Building, was renovated into three classrooms and three laboratories. The Carriage House became the chemistry lab and the family drawing room became the library. It was not until 1963 that the Otto Behrend Science Building (OBS), named after the late son of Mary Behrend, was completed, allowing the physics lab to have more adequate quarters. The cafeteria, originally located in the Farmhouse, was moved to the lower level of Turnbull, only to be relocated once again in 1968 after the completion of the Reed Union Building. The lower level of Turnbull was then transformed into the office for humanities and social sciences. Furthermore, the second floor of the farmhouse became a dormitory for the 20 enrolled women. T. Reed Ferguson was appointed head of The Behrend Center.

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Some may find it hard to believe that in 1948, tuition was a mear 50 dollars per semester, plus a “general course fee” of 20 dollars. The following year, tuition was set at 60 dollars total, although resident students paid 200 dollars per semester for board. “The total estimated cost for an in-state resident student, including incidental fees, expenses for clothing, and for entertainment was $900 for a two-semester year,” reported Benjamin Lane in his 1998 book “Behrend Remembered, A Half Century of Penn State in Erie,” written for the 50 birthday of Behrend.

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One of the earliest student activities pioneered at the campus was the newspaper named the “Nittany Cub.” The first issue was published on Tuesday, October 20, 1948, and has continued with regular publication, aside from a few minor interruptions, to this day. The first edition carried advertisements which students sold to local businesses to finance the cost of production. The lead story informed students of the formal ceremony of dedication which was held on campus the following Saturday. By the second week of October, a number of other student activities had formed.

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Students and faculty gathered in the student lounge the night before Halloween to decorate for the first of eight Behrend dances held that year, named the “Staters’ Strut.” In November of the first year, Ferguson announced plans to construct a full-sized ski slope on the hill behind the OBS building. Eventually, an intramural sports board was formed and activities multiplied. Tournaments in softball, archery and golf, among others, were arranged. Other groups included the Dramatic Club, the Behrend Band, the Dance Club and more.

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Penn State Behrend has transformed into a highly respected branch campus over the years with addition of programs, buildings and overall opportunities for students. The countless changes throughout the years have not yet come to a halt, supported by the addition of Trippe Hall in 2018 and the pending new recreational center to replace Erie Hall in 2022. To read more about the first 50 years of the Behrend campus, check out Benjamin Lane’s book “Behrend Remembered, A Half Century of Penn State in Erie.” For more information on recent history, talk to Behrend librarian Jane Ingold.