Debora Cheney
Larry and Ellen Foster Communications
Librarian and head,
News and Microforms Library
Years Ago. The Historical Digital Collegian Database
The Historical Digital Collegian database, now covering 100 years (1887-1987), allows us to re-visit and re-remember Penn State history through the eyes of the student newspaper.
Our “Alma Mater—A State Song”
“Without a college song there can be no real nucleus for sentiment, there can be no natural outlet for refined feeling, for loyalty, for enthusiasm, for devotion to alma mater.”—Fred Lewis Pattee, “A State Song,” The Free Lance, April 1901
In April 1901, with “considerable hesitation,” Fred Lewis Pattee--poet, literary critic, novelist, minister, lyricist, and English Department professor for more than 35 years—“suggested” the words to Alma Mater in Penn State’s first student newspaper The Free Lance (view article from April, 1901, p.5). From this beginning, two new “State” traditions were born--one reverent, the other irreverent. Both traditions, frequently reported, editorialized, and commented upon in the pages of the campus newspaper reflect the history of a University as it changed from State to Penn State, from the College to the University—and cemented Alma Mater’s place in campus history and tradition.
“For the glory of old State …Raise the song, raise the song”
Dr. Pattee’s Alma Mater wasn’t the first suggested “State Song.” Slogan: P.S.C. by I. Thornton Osmond, first published in the January 1888 issue of Free Lance under the heading: “A State Song,” likely deserves this honor. In the November 1901 issue of Free Lance, following Dr. Pattee’s suggestion for Alma Mater as the “State song,” the Free Lance editor argued: “State College will soon have a number of good songs which will make a valuable addition to her literature.” Despite Slogan’s rousing chorus—“State, State, State, Boom; State, State, State, Boom” [reprinted in Nov. 1901 Free Lance issue]--and the use of “Cauveire’s ‘lead me on,’ first made prominent at State by the class of ’95 who insisted on singing it on the commencement platform,” Alma Mater, as seen through the pages of the campus newspaper, began to establish itself as the school song and to earn a place in campus life. For example, within two years of Dr. Pattee’s “suggestion,” Alma Mater, with the first stanza reprinted, was sung as the “College Song” during the 1903 Convocation (Free Lance Convocation issue, 1903) and continues to be reported as part of campus events (as varied as graduation and convocation ceremonies to football games) regularly in Daily Collegian and Collegian issues through 1987.
In 1975, Alma Mater, like the University it honors, also changed to accommodate a growing female student population. At the recommendation of the Alumni Association the language of Alma Mater was revised to replace a reference to “boyhood’s gate” (changing the words to “childhood’s gate”) and “into men” (changing the words to “dear Old State”) –a change originally recommended by Dr. Pattee, as reported by a Collegian features writer. Dr. Pattee lived to see the change in the composition of Penn State’s student body and recognize the need for this change in the lyrics in of his college song. The change was “codified” in a message to Penn State students from President John W. Oswald published in the Daily Collegian. (view article from 12/10/1975 issue)
We Don’t Know the Words to that Song
“It is not always necessary,” argued the editor in the November 1901 Free Lance, “to await a victory of some kind in order to vent our feelings in song.” Yet, almost from its beginnings, few students know (or will admit to knowing) the words of even the first verse of Alma Mater. As early as 1903, despite “genuine appreciation of it on the part of the student body” and despite general recognition of the “real excellence of the verses, and the dignity and the beauty of the thought” editorials argued that “scarcely a ‘man’ knows the … the first verse” and the editor reported students were “mutilating” the words to Alma Mater during evening “sings” on the steps of the Main.
In a front page story, the October 1, 1940 The Daily Collegian reported that a survey of upperclassman in a Speech 200 class revealed that only 12% could write down the first and last verses of Alma Mater. (view article from 10/1/1940, front page) Few, even then, considered this a situation to arouse outrage or that Alma Mater should be replaced with a more recognizable and memorable song. The tradition of Alma Mater was such, editorialists argued, that “it is hard beat the fact that the alumni of ’00 [1900] can sing it as well as the boys of ’40 [1940].” Over the years, University officials sought a variety of ways to teach (or provide) students with the words to Alma Mater—with the words played out on the Beaver Stadium scoreboard at the North Carolina game likely having the most disastrous effect. (view article from 11/13/1980 p. 24)
Two Alma Mater’s: A Penn State Tradition
The singing of Alma Mater continues as a Penn State tradition--sung (reverently) at formal and club events, and sung with spirit (ir-reverently) at sporting events and other informal events. Although “sings” on the steps of Old Main have largely disappeared, and students are more likely to be seen “venting” their feeling in songs playing on their IPods, the two Alma Maters—the one we know and that we don’t know—have both become Penn State traditions—fondly remembered by students and alumni and recorded in the pages of the campus newspaper.
Perhaps you will remember the words to Alma Mater, but possibly you may not. In either case, Alma Mater “rings again and again after every athletic victory…, is the parting song of very graduating class, …. instills love for alma mater into Freshman hearts, ….and renews in every heart the memories of the old days…”--just as Dr. Fred Lewis Pattee, wished it.
A full list of digital projects and related initiatives developed within the University Libraries can be found at http://apps.libraries.psu.edu/digital/index.cfm
For more information on the Historical Digital Collegian, please contact Debora Cheney, Larry and Ellen Foster Communications Librarian, and head of the News and Microforms Library, at 814-863 1345.