The Capital Times
Air force base to campus: history of PSH
By Herbert Smith
Staff Reporter
hjsl3s@psu.edu
Penn State University's branch
in Middletown has been open
since 1967. However, the land
the school sits on has a rich his
tory dating back nearly a century.
Part of the land became an
The first class of PSH graduated in 1968. The class included 11
social science majors and one humanities major. All of the graduates
were from Middletown and nearby communities.
XGI honors veterans: past, present and future
By Kelly Nagurny
Assistant Editor
kxnl63@psu.edu
Veterans, students, faculty, staff
and community members recent
ly gathered at PSH on Veterans
Day to honor members of the
military who serve and have
served the country. The ceremo
ny was sponsored and organized
by Chi Gamma lota (XGI), PSH's
veteran fraternity.
The crowd looked on respect
fully as XGI President Chris
Kramm and guest speaker
Colonel Steven M. Graham
spoke about the history and
importance of Veterans Day.
"Today we are gathered here to
focus on service-to remember all
who have served to protect our
freedom. As a former soldier, I
understand the importance of
freedom and the sacrifice that
must be made to maintain it,"
said Kramm. "This is why I feel it
army base during the Spanish-
American War and in 1917, land
was broken on the Army Air
Corps field, which later became
Olmsted Air Force Base. During
World War I, the land served as a
training facility. In 1960, the
Olmsted building, a 189,000
square foot facility, was built and
served as an administrative
is important to take time to rec
ognize our nation's military veter
ans. They secured our freedom
in the past, just as those current
ly serving in the Armed Forces
protect it today."
Col. Graham, a senior military
officer currently studying at the
U.S. Army War College in
Carlisle, was the featured speak
er of the ceremony. Graham
spoke about the importance of
showing gratitude to those who
serve, have served and will serv
ice in the U.S. armed services.
These servicepeople, he said,
volunteer to serve the country
with honor and courage. "They
have sought neither fortune nor
fame. A simple love of country
and liberty compelled them to
serve this great nation of ours,"
said Graham.
Veterans Day was originally
known at Armistice Day and sig
nified a celebration of world
peace and the end of World War
building. The Swatara building
served as the infirmary for the
base, while the Mechanical
Building served as the machine
shop, where parts for aircraft
were made and repaired.
Meanwhile, aircrafts were
repaired in the Capital Business
Park. The former student hous
ing buildings, known as Meade
Heights, originally housed mar
ried officers. Two resident halls,
named Church and Wrisberg
after two pilots killed in 1960 in a
plane crash in York County,
served as dormitories for the sol
diers. After Penn State took over
the land, the two halls served as
housing for the students until
Meade Heights was renovated.
Church Hall was later renovated
and became the Institute for
State and Regional Affairs and
the centers for Survey Research,
Economic Research and
Training, and others. Nine other
buildings also stood on the cam
pus that no longer do.
The base also served in an
emergency evacuation process
for the President of the United
States during the Cold War. In
case of a nuclear attack, a heli
copter would have left Olmsted
and flown to Washington to pick
up the president and then flown
him to a secret underground
location.
Across Rt. 230 from the current
campus sits Harrisburg
International Airport. The airport
I. In 1954, Congress renamed
the day Veterans Day, although
the purpose remained the same.
Over 120 service members are
currently enrolled as students at
PSH and many members of the
faculty and staff are veterans,
said Kramm. "By hosting a cere
mony at PSH, we provide an
opportunity for them to be recog
nized and to recognize their
comrades," he said.
Veterans Day is also a time to
honor those who have lost their
lives while serving and the fami
lies of the victims, said Graham.
According to Graham, over
425,000 Americans have been
killed in combat situations.
"Behind each of these deaths
lies an American family in mourn
ing."
Today, said Graham, veterans
continue to contribute to their
communities even after they
have served. They serve as
emergency medical surgeons,
News
was also part of Olmsted; troops
were trained there and of course,
military aircrafts could land there.
When the base closed, the air
port could have been destroyed.
However, the airport's long run
way made it ideal for commercial
flights and so the HIA was born.
The Olmsted Air Force base
and the Olmsted building are
both named for First Lieutenant
Robert Sanford Olmsted.
Olmsted served in the
Engineering section of the
Balloon and Airship Division of
the Army Air Service. He also
served in the Army as a balloon
pilot. Olmsted was killed in
Nistlerode, Holland on
September 23, 1923. He was
participating in the 12th Gordon
Bennett International Balloon
Race when his balloon was
struck by lightning. Olmsted Field
was named in his honor on
October 20, 1923.
In the 19605, as the United
States fell deeper into the
Vietnam War, many bases were
closed so the extra funding could
be used for the war effort. In
1964, former Secretary of
Defense Robert McNamara
announced that Olmsted Air
Force Base was one of the
bases on the list to be closed.
Middletown depended on the
base economically and its clos
ing promised to put a strain on
the town. Former Gov. William
Scranton approached Penn
pilots, police officers and fire
fighters. "...it is not just job skills
they bring to our communities.
They also bring their commit
ment, their work ethic, their
sense of fair play, and their will
ingness to act as members of a
team.
According to Kramm, XGI is the
oldest fraternity at Penn State
Harrisburg and began in 1968.
The fraternity is composed of
veterans, activity duty military
members, reserves, members of
the National Guard and ROTC.
XGl's main purpose is to aid
service members in making the
transition between service and
college. It also participates in
many community and social
activities. For more information
on XGI, contact Chris Kramm at
ctkl33@psu.edu.
"To all our veterans, we have a
simple yet heartfelt message--
thank you--all of you, for your
service," said Graham.
The side of campus that is used today for offices originally housed
PSH's dining hall, residence halls and student center.
State about possibly opening a
campus on the available land.
Penn State agreed and pur
chased the 215 acre property for
$l. The first class at Penn State
Harrisburg arrived in 1967, and
consisted of 12 students and
seven faculty members, all of
whom lived in on-campus hous
ing.
During the Hurricane Agnes
flood in June 1972, the campus
helped victims of the flood by
setting up trailers in the current
library parking lot for those who
lost their homes. The trailers
remained for over a month until
the citizens found alternate hous
ing. Penn State also assisted
Col. Steven Graham recently spoke at PSH about Veterans Day as
part of an XGI ceremony.
Photos courtesy of PSH Library Special Collections
during the Three Mile Island
Disaster in 1979. Besides being
used as an evacuation site, hear
ings on the accident were held in
the Capital Union Building.
PSH has a nice mixture of new
and old buildings that dot its vast
landscape. While the land hasn't
been a base for nearly 40 years
and most of the buildings that
remain from that time have new
names, the Army's print on this
campus remains. It just takes a
closer look to see it.
For more information on the his
tory of Penn State Harrisburg,
visit the library's special collec
tions room, which contains many
historical items of interest.
Photo by Kelly Nagurny/Capital Times