Pittsburg State University
Encyclopedia
Pittsburg State University, also called Pitt State or PSU, is a public university
with approximately 7,100 students (5,900 undergraduates and 1,200 graduate students) located in Pittsburg, Kansas
, United States
. A large percentage of the student population consists of residents within the Pittsburg region; the gender proportion is relatively equal. Almost 89% of the students are Americans. Pitt State also has an 19:1 student-to-faculty ratio. It is a member of the Kansas Board of Regents
. Currently, it has an endowment of around $40,000,000. The student newspaper of Pittsburg State University is the Collegio.
) In 1913, it became a full-fledged four-year institution as Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg. In 1959, its name was changed again to Kansas State College of Pittsburg. It became Pittsburg State University on April 21, 1977.
PSU also operates a satellite campus in the Kansas City Metro Area, the Kansas City Metro Center Campus, where they offer varying master's degrees in education.
The Kelce College of Business is accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). In addition, research institutes are located on campus such as the Business & Technology Institute and the Kansas Polymer Research Center, housed in the newly-completed Tyler Research Center.
, Pitt State is ranked #87 among Best Midwestern Universities - Master's category http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/univmas/ummidwest/tier3/t3univmas_mw_brief.php. The US News also ranked PSU students 4th among Midwest Universities - Master's category in the least amount of debt carried after graduation, based on the 2004 class. Furthermore, in 2010 PSU's Master's in Business Administration program was ranked by the Princeton Review as one of the top 15 in the nation in the categories of Marketing and Accounting. The results were determined by a nationwide survey that questioned thousands of students about their academic experiences.
The average grade point average and ACT
score for an admitted freshman was 3.30 and 21, respectively according to Princeton Review. According to College Board, 91% of applicants are accepted into Pittsburg State University.
(CARRD) is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting individuals who have reading difficulties/dyslexia become competent readers through research, assessment, and intervention strategies.
Men's Sports
Women's Sports
. Since that time, the program has produced the most wins in NCAA Division II history. It has been National Champions on three occasions; 1957, 1961 and 1991. During the 2004 season the Gorillas finished 14-1, losing 31-36 to Valdosta State University
in the NCAA Division II National Football Championship
. Pittsburg State has won, outright or shared, a total of 27 conference championships during the 96-year history of its intercollegiate program, including 13 conference titles in the last 19 seasons under Coach Chuck Broyles
PSU reached the Division II National Championship game in 2004, 1995, and 1992. Its games with fellow MIAA Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State University
are played at Arrowhead Stadium
in Kansas City, Missouri
in the Fall Classic at Arrowhead
. 26,695 attended the 2002 game—the most of any Division II game.
.
Come and join the fray!
Pass that ball around for a touchdown
And we'll win this game today!
Fight! Fight! Fight! for the glory and fame
Because our spirit is so great!
And when this game is over
We'll shout the whole world over:
Pittsburg State!
Twelve months later, on March 6, 1908, classes were dismissed for the entire day in honor of the first Apple Day (officially titled Commemoration Day). During an afternoon program in the assembly room of the Central School building, the students once again fined the faculty a barrel of apples. Thus began the unique, annual, tradition at Pittsburg State of the teachers bringing apples for their students.
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
with approximately 7,100 students (5,900 undergraduates and 1,200 graduate students) located in Pittsburg, Kansas
Pittsburg, Kansas
Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, in southeastern Kansas, United States. It is the most populous city in Crawford County and in southeastern Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,233.-History:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A large percentage of the student population consists of residents within the Pittsburg region; the gender proportion is relatively equal. Almost 89% of the students are Americans. Pitt State also has an 19:1 student-to-faculty ratio. It is a member of the Kansas Board of Regents
Kansas Board of Regents
The Kansas Board of Regents is a body consisting of nine members which governs six state universities in the U.S. state of Kansas. In addition to these six universities, it also supervises and coordinates nineteen community colleges, five technical colleges, six technical schools and a municipal...
. Currently, it has an endowment of around $40,000,000. The student newspaper of Pittsburg State University is the Collegio.
History
Pittsburg State University was founded in 1903 as the Auxiliary Manual Training Normal School, originally a branch of the State Normal School of Emporia (now Emporia State UniversityEmporia State University
Emporia State University is a university in the city of Emporia in Lyon County, Kansas, just east of the Flint Hills.- History :...
) In 1913, it became a full-fledged four-year institution as Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg. In 1959, its name was changed again to Kansas State College of Pittsburg. It became Pittsburg State University on April 21, 1977.
Campus
Located in the southeast Kansas, the 223 acre (0.90244978 km²) campus http://www.pittstate.edu/buildings/ is also the home of the $30 million Kansas Technology Center, a state-of-the-art technology program in the largest academic building in Kansas.PSU also operates a satellite campus in the Kansas City Metro Area, the Kansas City Metro Center Campus, where they offer varying master's degrees in education.
Academic
PSU is organized into the following schools and colleges:- College of Arts and Science
- Kelce College of Business
- College of Education
- College of Technology
The Kelce College of Business is accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). In addition, research institutes are located on campus such as the Business & Technology Institute and the Kansas Polymer Research Center, housed in the newly-completed Tyler Research Center.
Ranking
According to U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
, Pitt State is ranked #87 among Best Midwestern Universities - Master's category http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/univmas/ummidwest/tier3/t3univmas_mw_brief.php. The US News also ranked PSU students 4th among Midwest Universities - Master's category in the least amount of debt carried after graduation, based on the 2004 class. Furthermore, in 2010 PSU's Master's in Business Administration program was ranked by the Princeton Review as one of the top 15 in the nation in the categories of Marketing and Accounting. The results were determined by a nationwide survey that questioned thousands of students about their academic experiences.
Admissions
In order to be accepted into PSU, one must score 21 or higher on the ACT, be in the top 1/3 of one's class, complete the pre-college curriculum with at least a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (out-of-state residents must have at least a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale), or have 24 or more transferable college credit hours with at least a 2.0/4.0 cumulative grade point average.The average grade point average and ACT
ACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...
score for an admitted freshman was 3.30 and 21, respectively according to Princeton Review. According to College Board, 91% of applicants are accepted into Pittsburg State University.
The Center for the Assessment and Remediation of Reading Difficulties
The Center for the Assessment and Remediation of Reading DifficultiesCenter for the assessment and remediation of reading difficulties
The Center for the Assessment and Remediation of Reading Difficulties is a university-based program at Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas...
(CARRD) is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting individuals who have reading difficulties/dyslexia become competent readers through research, assessment, and intervention strategies.
Pitt C.A.R.E.S.
Students at Pitt C.A.R.E.S. (Campus Advisement, Registration, and Enrollment Services) get to know other students by participating in small group activities, meet with their advisor, and enroll in their classes for the upcoming semester. Pitt C.A.R.E.S. is offered in the summer and is required for all freshmen.Athletics
The school competes in Division II of the NCAA It has been a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) since 1989. The University currently fields teams in 11 sports, including:Men's Sports
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- Track & Field
Women's Sports
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- Track & Field
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
Football
The Pitt State football program began in 1908 under head coach Albert McLelandAlbert McLeland
Albert McLeland was an American football coach in the United States.-Coaching career:Coach Albert McLeland was the first head football coach for the Pittsburg State Gorillas located in Pittsburg, Kansas and he held that position for the 1908 season. His coaching record at Pitt State was 2 wins, 2...
. Since that time, the program has produced the most wins in NCAA Division II history. It has been National Champions on three occasions; 1957, 1961 and 1991. During the 2004 season the Gorillas finished 14-1, losing 31-36 to Valdosta State University
Valdosta State University
Valdosta State University, also referred to as VSU, or Valdosta State, is an American public university and is one of the two regional universities in the University System of Georgia. Valdosta State is located on a campus at the heart of the city of Valdosta...
in the NCAA Division II National Football Championship
NCAA Division II national football championship
The NCAA Division II National Football Championship began in 1973. Prior to 1973, four regional bowl games were played in order to provide postseason action for what was then called the NCAA College Division and a poll determined the final champion....
. Pittsburg State has won, outright or shared, a total of 27 conference championships during the 96-year history of its intercollegiate program, including 13 conference titles in the last 19 seasons under Coach Chuck Broyles
Chuck Broyles
Charles Leroy "Chuck" Broyles is a former American football player and coach in the United States. He served as the head football coach at Pittsburg State University from 1990 to 2009, compiling a record of 198–47–2 in 20 seasons...
PSU reached the Division II National Championship game in 2004, 1995, and 1992. Its games with fellow MIAA Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State University
Northwest Missouri State University
Northwest Missouri State University is a state university in Maryville, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as a teachers college, it offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. The campus, based on the design for Forest Park at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, is the official Missouri State Arboretum....
are played at Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
in the Fall Classic at Arrowhead
Fall Classic at Arrowhead
The Fall Classic at Arrowhead is football game at Arrowhead Stadium that has been in Kansas City, Missouri since 2002 between football rivals Northwest Missouri Bearcats football and the Pittsburg State University football teams.-Overview:...
. 26,695 attended the 2002 game—the most of any Division II game.
Cheer
The Pittsburg State University Spirit Squad, coached by Linda Graham, won the 2001 UCA National College Championships in Orlando, FloridaOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
Traditions
Pitt State's mascot is the Gus the Gorilla and the school colors are crimson and gold. In 1903 the school adopted the color crimson, and gold was added in 1920.The Gorillas
PSU is the only university in the United States to feature a gorilla as a mascot. The concept of the mascot was conceived in 1920, and officially adopted on January 15, 1925. Current mascot, Gus, was designed in 1985 by L. Michael Hailey.Fight song
Pittsburg State team, fight for your college!Come and join the fray!
Pass that ball around for a touchdown
And we'll win this game today!
Fight! Fight! Fight! for the glory and fame
Because our spirit is so great!
And when this game is over
We'll shout the whole world over:
Pittsburg State!
Apple Day
Back in 1907, a small delegation from the Pittsburg area lobbied the state legislature to give the newly established university an appropriation that would pay for the construction of the school’s first building. But one of the delegate members, Pittsburg mayor Clarence Price, apparently broke the rules by not exiting the floor before the session began (in some versions of the story, it was the namesake of Russ Hall, R.S. Russ, who performed the gaffe). The legislators good-naturedly fined the Pittsburg delegation a barrel of apples before awarding them the appropriation. And when the men returned to Pittsburg, the students were so amused by the story that they decided university administrators and faculty who had missed work and class in order to lobby in Topeka should have to pay the same fine. In those days students were penalized for truancy. Because members of the faculty left their classrooms in order to attend the legislative session in Topeka, the students reasoned that faculty members should be penalized for their absence.Twelve months later, on March 6, 1908, classes were dismissed for the entire day in honor of the first Apple Day (officially titled Commemoration Day). During an afternoon program in the assembly room of the Central School building, the students once again fined the faculty a barrel of apples. Thus began the unique, annual, tradition at Pittsburg State of the teachers bringing apples for their students.
University presidents
- Russell S. Russ (1903–1911)
- George E. Myers (1911–1913)
- William A. Brandenburg (1913–1940)
- O. P. Dellinger (1940–1941)
- Rees H. Hughes (1941–1957)
- Leonard H. Axe (1957–1965)
- George F. Budd (1965–1977)
- James Appleberry (1977–1983)
- Donald W. Wilson (1983–1995)
- John R. Darling (1995–1999)
- Tom W. Bryant (1999–2009)
- Steve A. Scott (2009–Present)
Notable alumni
- Gary BuseyGary BuseyWilliam Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
, film actor (Attended, did not graduate) - Eldon DanenhauerEldon DanenhauerEldon Danenhauer was a college and professional American football offensive tackle. He played collegiately at the Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, and professionally in the American Football League with the Denver Broncos from 1960 through 1965. He was an AFL All-Star in 1962 and...
, Offensive tackle for the Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Ralph EarhartRalph EarhartRalph Earhart is a former halfback in the National Football League.-Career:Earhart was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the thirty-second round of the 1948 NFL Draft and played two seasons with the team. He played at the collegiate level at Texas Tech University and Pittsburg State...
, former NFL halfback, Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... - Dennis FranchioneDennis FranchioneDennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
, former head football coach of Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
(and former coach of Pittsburg State) - Eugene Maxwell FrankEugene Maxwell FrankEugene Maxwell Frank was an American Bishop of the Methodist and United Methodist Churches, elected in 1956. He was notable for his passion for racial equality in the Church and beyond...
, a BishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist ChurchThe United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley... - Kendall GammonKendall GammonKendall Robert Gammon is a retired American football player who played multiple positions for the Kansas City Chiefs...
, former NFL longsnapper, Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
(currently employed by Pittsburg State) - Don GutteridgeDon GutteridgeDonald Joseph Gutteridge was an American second and third baseman, coach and manager in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates, and later managed the Chicago White Sox in 1969-1970...
, Major League Baseball player and Manager - Sherm LollarSherm LollarJohn Sherman Lollar was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , St. Louis Browns , and the Chicago White Sox...
, Major League Baseball player - Jennifer KnappJennifer KnappJennifer Lynn Knapp is an American-Australian folk rock, and formerly contemporary Christian musician. She is best known for her first single "Undo Me" from her debut album Kansas , and the song "A Little More" from her Grammy Award-nominated album Lay It Down . The Way I Am , was also nominated...
, Grammy-nominated Christian music artist, sold over 1 million albums - Ronald Moore, former NFL running back, 1992 Harlon Hill TrophyHarlon Hill TrophyThe Harlon Hill Trophy is an award in American college football given to the individual selected as the most valuable player in NCAA Division II. The award is named for former University of North Alabama and National Football League player Harlon Hill...
winner - Brian MoormanBrian MoormanBrian Donald Moorman is an American football punter who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played collegiately at Pittsburg State.Moorman is a two-time Pro Bowl selection for...
, NFL punter, Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Jim PressJim PressJames E. Press is the former Deputy CEO of Chrysler Group LLC serving in that capacity from June to December 2009.Previously, Mr. Press served as Co-President of Chrysler LLC, President of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. and Daimler AG. He served as President of Sales & Marketing Operations of...
, ChryslerChryslerChrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
Vice Chairman and President - H. Lee Scott, former Wal-MartWal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
President and CEO - James TateJames Tate (writer)James Tate is an American poet whose work has earned him the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. He is a professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters...
, writer who won the 1992 Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
for poetry. - Duane D. ThiessenDuane D. ThiessenDuane D. Thiessen is a Lieutenant General in the United States Marine Corps, and is currently commanding the United States Marine Corps Forces Pacific, having assumed command on September 2, 2010.-Biography:...
, Major General USMC - Jay W. HoodJay W. HoodJay W. Hood is a United States Army Major General. He is the current Chief Of Staff of the United States Central Command. His previous assignments include Commander of First Army, Division East, Fort George G...
, Major General US Army, Commander 1st US Army East, Ft. Meade MD, Former Commanding General JTF Guantanamo Bay Cuba