Penn College to Dedicate Main Entrance
Published 09.17.1999
Greater access to campus and lasting evidence of the partnerships involved in its creation will be offered by Pennsylvania College of Technology's new main entrance, scheduled for dedication on Friday, Sept. 24.
The 11 a.m. ceremony will cap the yearlong "Diamond 10" anniversary celebration of 85 years of education at the Main Campus and a 10-year affiliation with The Pennsylvania State University.
Throughout those years, entry to the College was poorly defined and roundabout, at best, and there was little hint along Maynard Street that an educational gem lay beyond. The $3.9 million gateway changes all that, putting an attractive new face on the key north-south corridor and literally opening up the campus to the Greater Williamsport community.
The entrance itself features a series of capstoned pillars, linked by black fencing and designed to subtly mirror the red-trimmed Bush Campus Center to its immediate west. Banners representing each of the eight schools within Penn College adorn the lightposts along the entrance road to the heart of campus.
The entrance project was funded, in part, through a portion of a $1 million contribution from an anonymous donor, remnants of a bond issue, money earned through higher enrollment, and a five-year pledge from the Williamsport-Lycoming Foundation.
Also to be dedicated during the Friday morning ceremony is the "Commemorative Walkway," formed from inscribed bricks purchased by graduates, College employees and other donors.
Dr. Davie Jane Gilmour, College president, and Dr. Robert E. Dunham, chairman of the College Board of Directors, will offer remarks. Recognition will be accorded those whose efforts culminated in the dedication, including officials from the College, Penn State, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Lycoming County, the City of Williamsport and the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, as well as contractors and architects involved in the project.
Penn College Food Services is offering a special Celebration Luncheon following the ceremony and, at 9 p.m., Student Activities will hold a fireworks and laser show to uniquely signal the end of the Diamond 10 observance.