Penn State Abington
Encyclopedia
Penn State Abington is a commonwealth campus
of the Pennsylvania State University
. Located approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) north of Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, United States
in the Abington
section of Abington Township
, it is set in 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) wooded, which include a duck pond and stands of hardwood trees. The 3,250 undergraduate students are taught by a full-time faculty staff of 107 professors, with the average class size being 24 students. Students participate in a wide variety of activities and many types of intramural and intercollegiate sports.
Several degree options are available at Penn State Abington. Students may complete the first two years of any of 160 Penn State baccalaureate programs at the Abington campus, and then change assignment to the University Park
campus of Penn State to complete their degree. Two associate degree programs, 16 baccalaureate degree programs, and continuing education programs designed for adult students are also available. Graduate degree programs are not offered at Penn State Abington. The athletics program has been accepted into a three-year provisional NCAA Division III status.
, a banker who had financed the Union during the Civil War
, and The Chestnut Street Female Seminary, a Philadelphia school for girls between the ages of 12 through 18 that opened in 1850. With increasing enrollment, The Chestnut Street Female Seminary needed to find a campus that could accommodate the larger student body.
which he named Ogontz, in honor of a Sandusky Indian Chief from Ohio
named Ogontz. Cooke had spent much time with Chief Ogontz during his childhood, and admired Ogontz greatly. In 1883, Cooke suffered financial hardship and needed a way to pay off his debts. Jay Cooke persuaded The Chestnut Street Female Seminary of Philadelphia to lease his mansion Ogontz. The Chestnut Street Female Seminary was renamed The Ogontz School for Girls after the 1883 move to Cooke's mansion and estate.
graduate Abby Sutherland arrived at the school to take a job as an English teacher. This would begin a long association with The Ogontz School for Girls for Abby Sutherland. Eventually, Sutherland would go on to become head mistress, president, and owner of the school. In 1912, Headmistress Abby Sutherland bought The Ogontz School for Girls.
In 1916 the school's new owner Abby Sutherland began looking for a larger location for The Ogontz School for Girls. She sold the school's property in Cheltenham Township, and bought 54 acres (218,530.4 m²) of land in what Sutherland called the "beautiful park section in the hills of Rydal", and moved the school to Abington. At the time of the move, only the main building, known today as the Sutherland Building, had been completed. Soon after the move, the Rydal School, known today as the Rydal Building, was added to accommodate additional elementary grades.
It was at this time that The Ogontz School for Girls most famous student, Amelia Earhart
, attended the school. Earhart never graduated however, leaving after two years at the school to enlist as a nurse's aide at Spadina Military Hospital in Toronto
, Canada
.
In 1932, Ogontz was chartered as a junior college
. From 1932 until the school's closing, a girl could now attend kindergarten
through junior college at The Ogontz School for Girls.
, an artist to whom Jay Cooke had advanced money in 1873. That painting is still on display today at Penn State Abington.
At the presentation ceremony to Penn State, Sutherland remarked, "Guard here the spirit of the best in your dreams of education." Sutherland continued to live on the grounds of The Penn State Ogontz Campus until her death in 1961. The Abby A. Sutherland Scholarship is given to deserving students each year in her honor.
In 1995, Penn State Ogontz was renamed Abington-Ogontz to emphasize its relationship with the surrounding community. On July 1, 1997, the Penn State Ogontz campus became a Penn State college that may grant baccalaureate degrees, and was renamed Penn State Abington. The Ogontz name lives on in the Chief Ogontz Award given by the Student Government Association to a faculty or staff member in recognition of outstanding contributions to student life.
Penn State Abington features a large library, modern laboratories, and computer facilities. Recreational areas include tennis courts, basketball courts, and baseball and soccer fields. There are no residence halls on campus. The major buildings on campus include the Sutherland Building, the Woodland Building, and the Lares Building. Other buildings on campus include Springhouse, the Rydal Building, the Conference Center, the Clovery Building, the Physical Education Building, and the Hillcrest Building.
The Sutherland Building was built in 1915, and was the original main building for The Ogontz School for Girls. Today it is mainly a classroom building, and features a lecture hall, academic offices, a post office, and a tutoring facility. Two interesting features of the Sutherland Building are an indoor swimming pool which is now used for storage that is located right near the lecture hall and a solarium. The inclusion of the solarium was a design decision influenced by Jay Cooke's mansion Ogontz.
The Woodland Building was constructed after the campus became part of the Pennsylvania State University. This building features classrooms and a lecture hall, laboratories, a computer lab, academic offices, the Academic Advising Center, and a library with a collection of nearly 60000 volumes. Penn State Abington's library is available for use to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The Lares Union Building was originally built in 1923 as the personal residence of Abby Sutherland. This is the student union building on campus, and facilities include a cafeteria, bookstore, banquet rooms used for student programs, student organization and government offices, the Office of Intercultural Affairs, and the Career Development Center. The Lares Union Building underwent major renovations between 1998-2002. Renovations included a modernized dining area, a larger bookstore, and banquet rooms overlooking the duck pond. Further renovations provided a computer lab on the lower floor with a student lounge across the hall.
Pennsylvania State University Commonwealth Campus
The Pennsylvania State University is a geographically dispersed university system with campuses located throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
of the Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. Located approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) north of Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the Abington
Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Abington Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 55,310 in as of the 2010 census.Abington Township is one of Montgomery County's oldest communities dating back to before 1700 and being incorporated in 1704. It is home to some of the county's...
section of Abington Township
Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Abington Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 55,310 in as of the 2010 census.Abington Township is one of Montgomery County's oldest communities dating back to before 1700 and being incorporated in 1704. It is home to some of the county's...
, it is set in 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) wooded, which include a duck pond and stands of hardwood trees. The 3,250 undergraduate students are taught by a full-time faculty staff of 107 professors, with the average class size being 24 students. Students participate in a wide variety of activities and many types of intramural and intercollegiate sports.
Several degree options are available at Penn State Abington. Students may complete the first two years of any of 160 Penn State baccalaureate programs at the Abington campus, and then change assignment to the University Park
University Park, Pennsylvania
University Park, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the location of the flagship campus of the Pennsylvania State University....
campus of Penn State to complete their degree. Two associate degree programs, 16 baccalaureate degree programs, and continuing education programs designed for adult students are also available. Graduate degree programs are not offered at Penn State Abington. The athletics program has been accepted into a three-year provisional NCAA Division III status.
History
The Penn State Abington campus was not originally a Penn State campus. The origins of the Abington campus begin with Jay CookeJay Cooke
Jay Cooke was an American financier. Cooke and his firm Jay Cooke & Company were most notable for their role in financing the Union's war effort during the American Civil War...
, a banker who had financed the Union during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and The Chestnut Street Female Seminary, a Philadelphia school for girls between the ages of 12 through 18 that opened in 1850. With increasing enrollment, The Chestnut Street Female Seminary needed to find a campus that could accommodate the larger student body.
Jay Cooke
In 1863, Cooke had constructed a lavish mansion in Cheltenham Township, PennsylvaniaCheltenham Township, Pennsylvania
Cheltenham Township is a home rule municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Although it retains the word "Township" in its official name, it has been governed by a home rule charter since 1977 and is therefore not subject to the Pennsylvania Township Code. The population was...
which he named Ogontz, in honor of a Sandusky Indian Chief from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
named Ogontz. Cooke had spent much time with Chief Ogontz during his childhood, and admired Ogontz greatly. In 1883, Cooke suffered financial hardship and needed a way to pay off his debts. Jay Cooke persuaded The Chestnut Street Female Seminary of Philadelphia to lease his mansion Ogontz. The Chestnut Street Female Seminary was renamed The Ogontz School for Girls after the 1883 move to Cooke's mansion and estate.
Abby Sutherland
In 1902, Radcliffe CollegeRadcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
graduate Abby Sutherland arrived at the school to take a job as an English teacher. This would begin a long association with The Ogontz School for Girls for Abby Sutherland. Eventually, Sutherland would go on to become head mistress, president, and owner of the school. In 1912, Headmistress Abby Sutherland bought The Ogontz School for Girls.
In 1916 the school's new owner Abby Sutherland began looking for a larger location for The Ogontz School for Girls. She sold the school's property in Cheltenham Township, and bought 54 acres (218,530.4 m²) of land in what Sutherland called the "beautiful park section in the hills of Rydal", and moved the school to Abington. At the time of the move, only the main building, known today as the Sutherland Building, had been completed. Soon after the move, the Rydal School, known today as the Rydal Building, was added to accommodate additional elementary grades.
It was at this time that The Ogontz School for Girls most famous student, Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
, attended the school. Earhart never graduated however, leaving after two years at the school to enlist as a nurse's aide at Spadina Military Hospital in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
. From 1932 until the school's closing, a girl could now attend kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through junior college at The Ogontz School for Girls.
Penn State Ogontz
As years passed and attitudes changed, the need for the school became in doubt. In 1950 school owner Abby Sutherland gave the property and all facilities to the Pennsylvania State University, including a painting by Thomas MoranThomas Moran
Thomas Moran from Bolton, England was an American painter and printmaker of the Hudson River School in New York whose work often featured the Rocky Mountains. Moran and his family took residence in New York where he obtained work as an artist...
, an artist to whom Jay Cooke had advanced money in 1873. That painting is still on display today at Penn State Abington.
At the presentation ceremony to Penn State, Sutherland remarked, "Guard here the spirit of the best in your dreams of education." Sutherland continued to live on the grounds of The Penn State Ogontz Campus until her death in 1961. The Abby A. Sutherland Scholarship is given to deserving students each year in her honor.
In 1995, Penn State Ogontz was renamed Abington-Ogontz to emphasize its relationship with the surrounding community. On July 1, 1997, the Penn State Ogontz campus became a Penn State college that may grant baccalaureate degrees, and was renamed Penn State Abington. The Ogontz name lives on in the Chief Ogontz Award given by the Student Government Association to a faculty or staff member in recognition of outstanding contributions to student life.
Facilities
The Sutherland Building was built in 1915, and was the original main building for The Ogontz School for Girls. Today it is mainly a classroom building, and features a lecture hall, academic offices, a post office, and a tutoring facility. Two interesting features of the Sutherland Building are an indoor swimming pool which is now used for storage that is located right near the lecture hall and a solarium. The inclusion of the solarium was a design decision influenced by Jay Cooke's mansion Ogontz.
The Woodland Building was constructed after the campus became part of the Pennsylvania State University. This building features classrooms and a lecture hall, laboratories, a computer lab, academic offices, the Academic Advising Center, and a library with a collection of nearly 60000 volumes. Penn State Abington's library is available for use to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
External links
- Penn State Undergraduate Degree Programs Bulletin (The Blue Book). Retrieved March 19, 2006.