Dear Old State: Penn State’s first classes held Feb. 16, 1859
This iconic image of the unfinished, original Old Main in 1859 is one of the few photographs surviving from that era. Founded in 1855 as an agricultural college, Penn State initially required manual labor of all its students. Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
By Jessica Hallman
It was on this day 167 years ago — Feb. 16, 1859 — that the first classes were held at the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania, the original name of what is now Penn State. The institution was chartered by the commonwealth in 1855 as a college of agricultural science to apply scientific principles to farming.
The term ran from February until December, allowing students the opportunity to study all phases of planting, cultivating and harvesting crops. As part of their studies, all students were required to perform manual labor on campus. They also completed coursework in subjects such as botany, zoology, philosophy and arithmetic.
The image below, published in the 1909 edition of the La Vie yearbook, shows a student’s schedule in 1859.
This image, published in the 1909 edition of the La Vie yearbook, shows a student’s schedule in 1859. Credit: Penn State University Archives (1909 La Vie) / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
Since then, Penn State has continually and widely expanded its academic offerings to meet student and workforce demands, with more than 275 undergraduate majors and more than 300 graduate and professional programs today.
The gallery below gives a glimpse into some classes in the earliest years and decades at Penn State.
The first women students were enrolled in 1871. Here, students learn in the cooking laboratory in the Women's Building, circa 1900. Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
While chemistry courses were taught since the institution’s inception, Penn State’s chemistry program, led by George Gilbert Pond, was formed in 1888. Here, students attend a class in the amphitheater of the Chemistry Annex, or more commonly known at the time as the “Bull Pen," in an undated photo. The building was destroyed by fire in 1937.Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
Students immerse in the arts during a freehand drawing course in 1893, as shown in this throwback picture published in the 1955 edition of LaVie yearbook. Credit: Penn State University Archives (1955 LaVie) / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
Co-eds paint outdoors in 1894.Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
The caption of this picture, published as a throwback in the 1955 edition of La Vie yearbook marking 100 years since Penn State's founding, reads: "Political economy class in 1894 was concerned with interstate commerce."Credit: Penn State University Archives (1955 La Vie) / Penn State. Creative Commons
A class inside the Chemical and Physical Laboratory, later renamed Walker Laboratory, circa 1894.Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
The caption of this throwback photo in the 1955 issue of La Vie reads: "Equipped with surveying instruments, engineers posed for this picture in front of the old Engineering Building in 1895."Credit: Penn State University Archives (1955 La Vie) / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
The caption of this throwback picture in the 1955 La Vie reads: "Gymnasium drill was required for all freshmen and sophomores in 1914."Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
The first women students were enrolled in 1871. Here, students learn in the cooking laboratory in the Women's Building, circa 1900. Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
While chemistry courses were taught since the institution’s inception, Penn State’s chemistry program, led by George Gilbert Pond, was formed in 1888. Here, students attend a class in the amphitheater of the Chemistry Annex, or more commonly known at the time as the “Bull Pen," in an undated photo. The building was destroyed by fire in 1937.Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
Students immerse in the arts during a freehand drawing course in 1893, as shown in this throwback picture published in the 1955 edition of LaVie yearbook. Credit: Penn State University Archives (1955 LaVie) / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
Co-eds paint outdoors in 1894.Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
The caption of this picture, published as a throwback in the 1955 edition of La Vie yearbook marking 100 years since Penn State's founding, reads: "Political economy class in 1894 was concerned with interstate commerce."Credit: Penn State University Archives (1955 La Vie) / Penn State. Creative Commons
A class inside the Chemical and Physical Laboratory, later renamed Walker Laboratory, circa 1894.Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
The caption of this throwback photo in the 1955 issue of La Vie reads: "Equipped with surveying instruments, engineers posed for this picture in front of the old Engineering Building in 1895."Credit: Penn State University Archives (1955 La Vie) / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
The caption of this throwback picture in the 1955 La Vie reads: "Gymnasium drill was required for all freshmen and sophomores in 1914."Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.