Speeches

Pugh Family Homestead Ceremony

I’m Graham Spanier, president of Penn State, and I am delighted to be here today. I’d like to add my welcome to Alan and Cindy Pugh, the current owners of Pugh Farm, and their children Joanna, Daniel and Galen. I’d also like to thank the other Pugh family members in attendance for joining us to celebrate the preservation of the 72-acre homestead where Evan Pugh was born.

This is a fitting tribute for a man who pioneered democratic education in this country and contributed to the important field of agricultural science.

At a time when most colleges in the United States were either privately owned or church-related, Evan Pugh envisioned a public education.

At a time when college curriculum was comprised of philosophy, ancient languages, rhetoric, and other “classical” subjects, he saw the need for utilitarian subjects that would fuel the agricultural and economic growth of our emerging nation.

At a time when apprenticeships and on-the-job training were the norm, he believed that the high-level scientific and theoretical knowledge needed was best learned in the classroom.

So at age 31, Evan Pugh accepted the presidency of the new Farmers’ High School with the idea of implementing his vision of an “industrial college.” 

And visionary it was. What began with just 69 students in an unfinished building in Central Pennsylvania has grown into one of the most comprehensive universities in the nation.

With more than 90,000 students, 24 campuses, 139 research, extension, and affiliate locations, a World Campus, and the largest outreach effort in higher education, Penn State touches nearly two million Pennsylvania households each year--that’s one in every two households in the state. 

Penn State also plays a vital role in the economic health of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In fact, the collective statewide impact of Penn State’s activities is more than $8 billion annually, with an induced impact of an additional $9 billion.

And it all started here. Not bad for a youngster from Oxford.

While this ceremony honors the memory and accomplishments of President Pugh, it also serves to protect and preserve farmland in East Nottingham Township.

According to the Brookings Institute, agriculture is the largest industry in Pennsylvania, producing over $45 billion annually and providing approximately 1 in 6 jobs in agriculture and related business. Yet, it is getting more challenging to keep the land profitable through farming. As a result, Pennsylvania has seen a dramatic conversion of acreage from fields and open space to developed land.

Your efforts to preserve Pugh Farm and over 1,900 acres of farmland in East Nottingham Township are laudable and will ensure that future generations will be able to continue this area’s farmland tradition. We are grateful to the Pugh Family, East Nottingham Township’s Open Space Committee, the Board of Supervisors, and the residents of East Nottingham for supporting this preservation effort.

Now, I’d like to invite Alan and Cindy to join us so we can present the ceremonial check.

On behalf of Penn State, I want to thank you for honoring the memory of President Pugh in this manner.

Thank you all for coming.