A new book chronicles more than a quarter-century of State College municipal history through the insight and perspective of a longtime Borough Council member.
Tom Daubert, who has been borough historian since 2018, will hold a book signing event for “Reflections of 25 Years of the Borough of State College Government: 1996-2023” from 3 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, at The Squirrel and Acorn Bookshop, 103 S. Allen St.
Daubert, a chemical engineering professor at Penn State for four decades, served on Borough Council for six terms totaling 24 years starting in 1992 and ending in 2017, including six years as council president.
His new book, which he describes as a monograph and notes covers a little more than the 25 years in the title, details borough government history starting in State College’s centennial year of 1996.
It picks up from a book written by former Mayor Arnold Addison, “Issues and Personalities in the First 100 Years of State College Government.” Daubert said Addison asked him to consider writing a follow-up at some point, and he initially began work on it in 2019, but put it off when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“The major thing is the actions and the activities of the borough government,” Daubert said in early June. “This is not about State College as a community; it’s the government of State College that we’re talking about.”
State College Borough Council President Evan Myers, who appointed Daubert as the first borough historian in 2018, called it “a masterwork of State College government’s evolution since 1996 when we had the centennial celebration” and cited Daubert’s credentials as a longtime community servant.
“He highlights people, policies, decisions that have shaped the borough into what it is today,” Myers said. “I think it shows why Tom should be considered Mr. State College.”
The book summarizes the centennial and the “mementos” that came from it, including the bronze Centennial Pigs sculpture in McAllister Alley and the time capsule that is to be unearthed and opened in 2046.
It identifies and comments on the major elected and appointed officials since 1996; authorities, boards and commissions and their duties; and all of the borough awards presented over that time with information about each of the winners.
The book dives into three major public building projects: the current Schlow Centre Region Library, the neighboring State College Municipal Building and the Public Works Service Maintenance Facility.
“The library would not be the present library if the borough wouldn’t have contributed part of the land to build the library because no one else wanted to contribute anything to that,” Daubert said of the current Schlow location, which opened in 2005. “We did that and we have a wonderful library now.”
He added that he and former Borough Manager Peter Marshall co-chaired the Building Committee for the Municipal Building, which opened in 2001.
“So I was in this building while it was still a skeleton,” Daubert said. “I think it is a wonderful building, much better than we thought it was going to be while it was going up.”
“Reflections” includes interviews with past and present borough leaders and what he called “very active citizens,” as well.
Myers said the book demonstrates Daubert’s deep knowledge about State College.
“I can think of no one alive who knows our town better than Tom,” Myers said.
Copies will be available for purchase at the book signing on Wednesday. It is also available for purchase online.
