All-Sports Museum to Open ‘I Am a Penn Stater: Nittany Lions in World War II’ Exhibit

The Penn State All-Sports Museum is located on the southwest side of Beaver Stadium

The Penn State All-Sports Museum will soon open a new exhibit focused on the service of Nittany Lion athletes during World War II.

I Am a Penn Stater: Nittany Lions in World War II, which recounts the contributions of Penn State lettermen and Women’s Recreation Association athletes, is timed to coincide with 80th anniversary of U.S. involvement in the war.

“Utilizing a variety of photography, letters, diaries, and artifacts, I Am a Penn Stater offers visitors a firsthand understanding of the service provided by more than 1,200 former Nittany Lions who entered the military and American Red Cross,” Penn State Athletics said in a release.

The exhibit will feature experiences of various Penn Staters, such as those of Emma Jane Foster, a State College native who served as a civilian nurse with the Flying Tigers in China, and wrestler Frank A. Gleason, who served with the Office of Strategic Services and was portrayed by Jimmy Stewart in the 1960 film “The Mountain Road.” Men’s basketball player Jack Reichenbach, who flew bombers for the US Fifteenth Air Force over Europe, and wrestler Clair L. Hess, who jumped with the 101st Airborne Division on D-Day, are among those who will have their stories featured, as well.

It will also recognize the 27 former lettermen who lost their lives during the war, including soccer star Donald Megrail, Navy Cross recipient W. Garfield Thomas, boxer James W. Wright and more.

The title of the exhibit comes from a letter written by 1941 Penn State graduate and track letterman Sergeant Max S. Peters. As he went through his list of democratic beliefs and reasons for fighting, he instead felt it was simpler to say “I Am a Penn Stater” since he believed the phrase encapsulated everything he believed.

Visitors can find the exhibit on the second floor of the museum. It will run from June 10, 2022, through June 1, 2025.

The All-Sports Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m..