A look at Penn State residence life through the decades
A group of students in a residential room inside Penn State's main building in the early 1900s.Credit: Penn State University Archives - Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
By Jessica Hallman
Did you know that Penn State’s main building (the original Old Main) served, in part, as a residence hall for students until the early 1920s? In fact, the main building was the only on-campus housing available to students from the time The Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania enrolled its first students in 1859 until the Ladies' Cottage was completed in 1889.
The photo gallery below highlights some of the earliest scenes of residence life at Penn State, as well as snapshots from throughout the decades.
Two students inside a residential room in the main building in the early 1900s.Credit: Penn State University Archives - Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
These students made creative use of space in a residential room in the main building at Penn State in the early 1900s.Credit: Penn State University Archives - Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
The caption on the back of this undated photo reads “Four co-eds get together for an informal jam session on records in McElwain Hall, one of the newer residence halls on the campus.” McElwain Hall was built in 1949.Credit: Penn State University Archives - Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
A student catches up on the news inside an on-campus room at Mont Alto in 1949.Credit: Penn State University Archives. All Rights Reserved.
Students pose in a residential room at Penn State Behrend in this undated photo.Credit: Penn State University Archives. All Rights Reserved.
Students relax in a residential room in this undated photo.Credit: Penn State University Archives. All Rights Reserved.
A student studies in his on-campus room in this picture from the 1976 LaVie.Credit: Penn State University Archives - 1976 LaVie. All Rights Reserved.
Students hanging out in an on-campus room at Penn State, as pictured in the 1981 LaVie.Credit: Penn State University Archives - 1981 LaVie. All Rights Reserved.
These students put their feet up to study in their on-campus room in the mid 1980s. Credit: Penn State University Archives - 1985 LaVie. All Rights Reserved.
A student hits the books in a residential room in this undated photo.Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
Students in a residential room in the mid-1990s. Credit: Penn State University Archives - 1994 LaVie. All Rights Reserved.
Two students inside a residential room in the main building in the early 1900s.Credit: Penn State University Archives - Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
These students made creative use of space in a residential room in the main building at Penn State in the early 1900s.Credit: Penn State University Archives - Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
The caption on the back of this undated photo reads “Four co-eds get together for an informal jam session on records in McElwain Hall, one of the newer residence halls on the campus.” McElwain Hall was built in 1949.Credit: Penn State University Archives - Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
A student catches up on the news inside an on-campus room at Mont Alto in 1949.Credit: Penn State University Archives. All Rights Reserved.
Students pose in a residential room at Penn State Behrend in this undated photo.Credit: Penn State University Archives. All Rights Reserved.
Students relax in a residential room in this undated photo.Credit: Penn State University Archives. All Rights Reserved.
A student studies in his on-campus room in this picture from the 1976 LaVie.Credit: Penn State University Archives - 1976 LaVie. All Rights Reserved.
Students hanging out in an on-campus room at Penn State, as pictured in the 1981 LaVie.Credit: Penn State University Archives - 1981 LaVie. All Rights Reserved.
These students put their feet up to study in their on-campus room in the mid 1980s. Credit: Penn State University Archives - 1985 LaVie. All Rights Reserved.
A student hits the books in a residential room in this undated photo.Credit: Eberly Family Special Collections / Penn State. Creative Commons
Students in a residential room in the mid-1990s. Credit: Penn State University Archives - 1994 LaVie. All Rights Reserved.