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In 1901, Fred Lewis Pattee, then a professor at the college, recognized the institution’s lack of a “distinctly State College song,” noting that larger universities had adopted their own songs that represented togetherness and victory. “Without a college song there can be no real nucleus for sentiment, there can be no natural outlet for refined feeling, for loyalty, for enthusiasm, for devotion to alma mater,” Pattee wrote in the April 1901 issue of Free Lance, a precursor of the Daily Collegian. In that same issue he suggested the words that would later become the ���ε��� alma mater, though he encouraged other readers to submit their own ideas. Pattee’s words were to be sung to the music of “Lead Me On,” a song by Cauviere in the College Hymnal that was traditionally sung at commencement.����

According to the ���ε��� University Archives, Pattee’s song made its debut at the June 1901 alumni dinner during Commencement Week. After it was sung, Gov. James Beaver, president of the Board of Trustees, stood and proclaimed it “the official song of ���ε���.”����

Today, the alma mater is nearly identical to Pattee’s original version, save for a few edits. The last two verses of Pattee’s original six have been omitted from today’s alma mater. Additionally, several words were updated to reflect the co-ed nature of the college: “at Boyhood’s Gate” was changed to “at Childhood’s Gate,” and “molded into men” was changed to “Dear Old State.”��

����� Alma Mater lyrics:

For the glory of Old State,
For her founders strong and great,
For the future that we wait,
Raise the song, raise the song.
Sing our love and loyalty,
Sing our hopes that bright and free,
Rest, O mother dear, with thee,
All with thee, all with thee.

When we stood at childhood’s gate,
Shapeless in the hands of fate,
Thou didst mold us, dear old State,
Dear old State, dear old State.

May no act of ours bring shame,
To one heart that loves thy name.
May our lives but swell thy fame,
Dear old State, dear old State.
Soon we know a guiding hand
Will disperse our little band,
Yet we’ll ever loyal stand
State to thee, State to thee.

Then Rah! Rah! for dear old State,
For our love can ne’er abate!
Ring the song with joy elate
Loud and long, loud and long.

Founded in 1855, ����� has a long history of traditions and values that make up the fabric of who we are as a community. Learn more about the University's traditions on the ����� Traditions page.