The history of Penn State Wilkes-
Barre is a history full of firsts:
1916 — A coramunity group, work-
ing through the Chamber of Com-
merce and Rotary Club, asks Penn
State to come to this area. Classes
are held in what is now Coughlin
High School on Washington Street.
150 students enroll in courses on
surveying, reinforced concrete,
mechanics and advanced mathe-
matics.
1922 — Three-year courses are
added in mechanical, electrical,
civil and mining engineering, creat-
ing the only Engineering Extension
School in the region.
1947 — Day classes are added to
the schedule. The name is modified
to the Wyoming Valley Day Techni-
cal Institute, the-first of its type to
be opened by the Pennsylvania
State College.
1950 — Classes move to the Guth-
rie Building in Wilkes-Barre now
the headquarters for Inter-Metro
Industries.)
1953 — Penn State’s first two-year
program designed to lead to an
Associate Degree in Engineering is
offered at the Wilkes-Barre center.
5
1957 — The first woman student,
Immaculata Comitz of Sugar Notch,
enrolls for engineering courses;
Surveying Technology ‘is added to
the list of Associate Degree pro-
grams.
1964 Hayfield House, the
former residence of Mr. and Mrs.
John N. Conyngham II, is given to
the University by Mr. and Mrs.
Richard Robinson to be developed
into a permanent campus.
1967 — More than 100 community
leaders are on hand for the ground-
breaking for a new classroom build-
ing on the Hayfield property May
24.
1968 — First classes are held in
Hayfield House of the newly named
Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus.
1973 — Groundbreaking was held
October 16 for a science center to
include an auditorium, laboratories
and much needed classroom space.
1975 The first of its kind
gi
ERED ae
W
Luzerne County Community College
and the production of ‘“Magee,” an
original play produced by English
professor Walter Royall; WPSI, the
first campus radio station, signed
on the air at 89.1 on the FM dial.
The student-run station was used for
training Mass Communications-
Broadcasting majors.
1979 — Members of the Soviet
National Wrestling Team visit the
campus as part of tour of the United
States; an exhibit of Leonardo Da
Vinci's inventions is on display in
Hayfield House, including a 15th
Century printing press patterned
after the original Gutenberg press.
1980 — An associate degree in
Telecommunications Technology is
offered for the first time in the state
of Pennsylvania. Harold Groff is
named to head the program which
has served as the prototype for
programs nationwide; George
Bierly retired as director of the
campus and is honored in a cere-
mony to rename the Science Center
Auditorium in his honor.
1981 — Dr. James H. Ryan, the
former Dean of Continuing Educa-
tion at Indiana State University,
South Bend, is named campus exec-
utive officer; a campus alumni con-
stituent society is formed; a new
campus-wide academic advising
center is opened.
1982 — Continued expansion of
course offerings brings the addi-
tional of a two-year associate
degree program in Business Admin-
istration; the need for more space
prompts the addition of the first of
four modular classroom buildings,
located. adjacent to the Science
Center.
1983 — Dr. Bryce Jordan succeeds
Dr. John Oswald as president of
Penn State University.
1984 — A classroom building is
converted into a permanent library;
an annex is added on to the Car-
riage House building to provide a
food service area, lounges and a
bookstores.
1985 — Funds for a gym-multi-
purpose building are released by the
state and planning begins. :
1986 — Enrollment tops 1000;
architect designs are made for the
gym; and a campaign begins to
raise funds for a new Center of
Technology.
Penn State Wilkes-Barre is celebrating its 70th anniversary
in a big way with a series of special ‘‘Celebration 70"
billboards located around the Wyoming Valley. Shown in
front of the new Penn State Wilkes-Barre billboard on North
River Street in Wilkes-Barre are, from left, Helen Patella,
Anniversary Events Chairwoman; Madeline Motzki, Celebra-
tion 70 co-chairwoman; Dr. James H. Ryan, Penn State
Wilkes-Barre Campus Executive Officer; and Sylvia Huda-
®
*
First courses
Advisory board
By REP. FRANK COSLETT
Special to The Dallas Post
Here is a summary of important
events that occurred on Capitol Hill
last week from Rep. Frank Coslett,
120th Legislative District.
DRIVING OFFENSES - By a 15-0
vote, the House Transportation
Committee this week passed legisla-
tion which would increase penalties
for ‘hit and run’ driving offenses in
the Commonwealth. The bill is spon-
sored by Rep. Dennis M. O’Brien
(R-Phila.) and would establish four
sets of penalties for hit and run
offenders. The penalties are based
on the extent of the victim’s inju-
ries. Currently, hit and run’ penal-
ties are third degree misdemeanor
violations punishable by up to one
year in prison and up to $2,500 in
fines. O’Brien’s measure would
create more severe penalties for the
crime, ending in a possible 90-day
jail term and a fine of up to $10,000
if a driver fails to stop and that
action results in the victim not
receiving immediatley medical
The Dallas School District was
i ° Breakfast °
Be ree the. acholy building it is in, we evacuate all the Daily ni" Specials
administration building.
At approximately 12:30 p.m.,
Susan Farr, administrative secre-
tary, received a call from a young
female of Jr. High age, stating,
“There is a bomb in your school,”
and then hung up. A few minutes
later the caller phoned again
saying, ‘“Boom’’ and hung up once
more. /
A search of all the district’s
schools was made and students
were allowed to return to classes.
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“When we receive a bomb threat
and the caller doesn’t identify what
schools as a precautionary mea-
sure,” said school superintendent
Gerald Wyecallis.
Police have no suspects in the
case.
attention.
DRIVER’S EDUCATION - In
order to receive a junior driver’s
license in Pennsylvania, a 16 or 17
year old resident would be required
to pass a driver’s education course
under legislation approved by the
House Transportation Committion
this week. Sponsored by Rep. Lynn
B. Herman (R-Center), the measure
now moves to the full House for
consideration. Herman told the
committee that the leading cause of
death among teenagers is automo-
bile accidents and that teens with-
out driver’s education averaged 13
percent more accident claims than
youths with the training. He said the
training could be completed in high
school or at a private driver train-
ing school. “If this bill is enacted
it could result in the
saving of hundreds of lives on our
roads each year,” Herman said.
(Rep. Frank Coslett serves the
120th Legislative District which
encompasses parts of the Back
Mountain area. His column appears
weekly in The Dallas Post.)
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