George W. Atherton

George W. Atherton
Atherton pictured in La Vie 1908, Penn State yearbook
7th President of the Pennsylvania State University
In office 1882–1906
Preceded by	James Y. McKee
Succeeded by	James A. Beaver
Personal details
Born	(1837-06-20)June 20, 1837 Boxford, Massachusetts
Died	July 26, 1906(1906-07-26) (aged 69) State College, Pennsylvania
Spouse(s)	Frances W. Atherton
Alma mater	Yale University

George Washington Atherton (June 20, 1837 – July 26, 1906) was president of the Pennsylvania State University from 1882 until his death in 1906. He earned a degree from Yale in 1863 and taught at universities such as the University of Illinois and Rutgers before accepting the position of president at Penn State. There, he was faced with the challenge of transforming the school from an unrecognized agricultural college into a respected land-grant college. During his tenure, the school's graduating class increased from seven in 1882 to 86 in 1906. He is buried on the campus of Penn State, near Old Main, on Pollock Road which cuts directly through the campus.

Atherton was born in 1837 in Massachusetts, and at the age of 12, his father died. He worked on a farm and in a cotton mill to support his mother and fought on the Union side in the Civil War, reaching the rank of captain before being released for health problems. He graduated from Yale in 1863.

Atherton began his teaching career at The Albany Academy in Albany, New York. He became a faculty member at the University of Illinois, and later worked as a political science professor at Rutgers. While at Rutgers, he was initiated as an honorary member of Delta Upsilon fraternity by the Rutgers Chapter. His 24-year tenure at Penn State began in 1882. During the early 1900s, Atherton's health began to deteriorate, and he died on July 26, 1906. He was acclaimed as a visionary by Benjamin Gill, the dean of the School of Language and Literature, for seeing "from the first not the college that was, but the college that was to be". While Penn State's reputation was still not outstanding, Atherton had succeeded in rescuing the school from negligence by the state government and converted it into an institution of technical education.