Emanuel “Giffy” Gifford’s former Boarding Home designated as Historic Site

Emanuel 'Giffy' Gifford

The State College Borough Historic Resources Commission has designated the boarding home formerly run by Emanuel T. Gifford and his family as a State College Historic Site. A dedication ceremony will be held and a historical marker will be erected in April 20, 2012, during Blue White weekend. Because Emanuel “Giffy” Gifford was the long time chef for Theta Chi Fraternity from 1930’s – 1960’s,"Giffy" died on March 19, 1970, the fraternity has been asked to participate in the ceremony.  If you are interested in participating please click here to let us know and we will put you in contact with the right people .

“Lincoln Hall,” a boarding home for Black male students from the late 1930s to the early 1950s, served as an unofficial Black dormitory and early sanctuary for its residents.   Located at 119 North Barnard Street, State College, Lincoln Hall was operated by Harry & Rosa Gifford, their two children – Emanuel and Bessie, and Emanuel’s wife. The family had moved from Mississippi and Louisiana to take employment as cooks at local fraternity houses, including Phi Gamma Delta and Theta Chi.  The Gifford's and other Black cooks assisted many Black students by employing them to work for their meals.  In addition, they were supportive of the students in many ways and when needed would even lend them money.

Lincoln Hall could house about 6 – 8 students at a time (which represented up to half the colored students on campus during the late 1930s), and became the center of Black life at Penn State.  While the few Black female students could stay in the dorms during this period, the males were referred to either Lincoln Hall, or to the homes of a few white families that rented to Black students.  Born out of an unofficial segregated housing rule that ran until about 1946, Lincoln Hall is credited for nurturing, supporting and encouraging an early generation of Black students in the isolated State College environment.  Some alumni of Lincoln Hall are listed below the photo.

Lincoln Hall

• Barney Ewell – Penn State track star and Olympic Gold Medalist
• Wally Triplett – Penn State football star and future NFL player
• Roger K. Williams – Vice President Academic Affairs at Morgan State University
• Harold Dixon – Howard University physician
• Ernest Lowe – Boston University physician
• Perry Smith – Electrical Engineer
• 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 3 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 3 of the charter members of Kappa Alpha Psi lived at Lincoln Hall during the formation of the chapter

Sources: Perry Smith (‘48),  Wally Triplett (’49), 1930 US Census and World War I & II Draft Registration.