Cream of the Crop

Joe Milking

Brooklyn-born and raised, Joe Paterno probably hadn’t seen many cows before he arrived in Happy Valley in 1950. He almost certainly hadn’t had many chances to milk one.

We’re not entirely sure of the origins of this shot*, which our colleague, Marc Kauffman, art director at The Penn Stater magazine, found a few months back during one of his occasional deep digs into the University Library photo archives. Continue reading

Michael Robinson, Leading With the Future In Mind

MRob

 

More than a decade after graduating, Michael Robinson’s impact at Penn State is still being felt. Given his words and actions, it probably always will be.

The latest example can be seen this Friday night, when Robinson ’04, ’06 returns to campus to host the inaugural Blue-White Benefit at Pegula Ice Arena, which he hopes turns into an annual event. All proceeds will benefit Robinson’s foundation, Excel to Excellence, which focuses on education, character development, and fitness for young people.

The event starts at 5:00 p.m. with a VIP dinner, followed by a cocktail social at 6:30 p.m. You can go online for ticket and sponsorship information, or to make a general donation to the foundation.

As with much of Robinson’s life, Penn State plays a pivotal role in his foundation, Continue reading

Tamba Hali Heads Home

TAMBA

Tamba Hali left war-torn Liberia when he was 10 years old. The time since has been pretty good for Hali, who went from an All-American during his time at Penn State to an NFL Pro Bowler with the Kansas City Chiefs, but he was never able to return home. He told The Guardian in 2013 that while he wanted to visit, unrest in the country had made it difficult.

Over the weekend, Hali finally got his chance. Continue reading

A Moment in Time: Hugo Bezdek

Hugo Bezdek NYPL.jpg

The New York Public Library earlier this year made nearly 200,000 public-domain items available online, including thousands of classic photos. Included in that trove was this nearly century-old gem of one Hugo Francis Bezdek, who spent the majority of his Hall of Fame career at Penn State. Arguably the Nittany Lions’ first great football coach, Bezdek led Penn State to a 65-30-11 record from 1918 to 1929; he also managed in Major League Baseball and the early days of the NFL. If this image is any indication, intensity was his hallmark.

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