Lee Stout, Town&Gown

Lair of the Lion, a History of Beaver Stadium “hit the streets” this past August, much to the delight of Penn State football fans and to the co-authors as well. Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering Harry H. West and I have worked on this book since 2013 and it seems like it’s been a long time…

Back in 1961, I was entering high school and it was the time of the Civil War Centennial. As a history buff, I read whatever I could about the conflict. But one book hit me as none had before. MacKinlay Kantor’s If the South Had Won the Civil War was “alternate” or “counterfactual history.” Such…

In June, the Beta Theta Pi controversy prompted me to write about the challenges of being a fraternity member or leader. Recently, the fate of the house itself has become a topic of controversy as well. The land the house sits on is under a long-term lease from the university, which requires the building to…

Fraternities have been a contentious topic on campus this year. But the death of Beta Theta Pi pledge Timothy Piazza and the indictment of 18 Beta members on charges related to that tragic incident brought the academic year to a shattering end. As a result, there seems to be an official posture that suggests Greek…