A Century of Forest Resources Education at Penn State: Serving Our Forests, Waters, Wildlife, and Wood Industries

Forestry education in Pennsylvania has a long, proud tradition, having begun earlier than in most other states. By 1897, twenty land-grant colleges, including Penn State, had introduced the subject of forestry, typically in botany courses. Professional forestry education in Pennsylvania originated in 1903, when the Pennsylvania State Forest Academy was founded at Mont Alto, and expanded in 1907 when the baccalaureate degree program started at the Pennsylvania State College. To mark the 100th anniversary of the School of Forest Resources in 2007, A Century of Forest Resources Education at Penn State reviews progress in the School’s academic programs and facilities and examines the accomplishments of some of our more prominent graduates and faculty. The events that led up to the founding are described first, featuring several pioneering men and their sole female peer. The principal developments of the initial fifty years then provide background for the ensuing expansion of the faculty, facilities, administrative organization, and graduates of the last five decades. Fascinating little-known tidbits–such as students hanging officials in effigy, an interloping bear in a classroom, administrative battles, and a tale of the original Nittany Lion–are interspersed among descriptive factual data.