On the evening of Sept. 10, Perry Smith, a 1948 Penn State graduate, was driven to a house he had not seen in more than 60 years.

Smith was in State College attending the 2010 Penn State Black Alumni Reunion. When he arrived at 119 N. Barnard St., he hardly recognized the place that, when he lived there, was called Lincoln Hall.

Lincoln Hall was actually a boarding home for black male Penn State students from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. It served as an unofficial black dormitory and early sanctuary for its residents. Lincoln Hall could house about six to eight students at a time (which was up to half of the black students on campus during that time), and became the center of black life at Penn State.

While the very few black female students could stay in the dorms during this period (the first black coed arrived in 1929), the men were not allowed to stay on campus and were referred either to Lincoln Hall, or to the homes of a few white families who rented to black students.

Smith, a retired electrical engineer who lives near Boston, recalls that there was actually a small “Lincoln Hall” sign that hung on the porch.

The home was operated by Harry and Rosa Gifford, their children, Emanuel and Bessie, and Emanuel’s wife. The family was employed as cooks at local white fraternity houses, including Phi Gamma Delta and Theta Chi. The Giffords, and other black cooks, assisted many early black students through employment, meals, sometimes even by lending them money.

In addition to Smith, some of the alumni from Lincoln Hall include:

Barney Ewell, Penn State track star and Olympic gold medalist (three total medals, still the most of any Penn Stater)
Wally Triplett, Penn State’s first black varsity football player, and a former NFL player
Roger K. Williams, vice president for academic affairs at Morgan State University.
Harold Dixon, a Howard University physician. •Ernest Lowe, a Boston University physician.
Rufus Williams, student activist and father of Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams.
James H. Robinson, former associate dean and director of student affairs at Jefferson Medical College.
Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity founders (Penn State Chapter). At least three of the charter members of Alpha Phi Alpha lived at Lincoln Hall during the formation of the chapter.
Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity founders (Penn State Chapter). At least three of the charter members of Kappa Alpha Psi lived at Lincoln Hall during the formation of the chapter.

The Penn State Black History Project is still working to verify other students of note who lived in Lincoln Hall. We are also excited about receiving the assistance of State College Mayor Elizabeth Goreham, in exploring the possibilities of erecting a historical marker at the location. If ultimately approved, this may be the first historical marker associated with black Penn Staters in State College. It’s almost certain that none of the people who walk by the house, or even live there, know the significance of the building. A historical marker could help change that.

The building has been owned by the SC Sun Corp. since the early 1970s, and is still being used for student housing.

For more information on Lincoln Hall, its residents, and the black history of Penn State, go to www.blackhistory.psu.edu. Darryl B. Daisey, a 1983 Penn State graduate, compiled “Penn State University African American Chronicles,” the first comprehensive account of the black experience at Penn State.

CDT Story - State College boarding house has place in Penn State's black history