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Perspective: Leaders at Penn State

B Stephen Carpenter II, the Michael J. and Aimee Rusinko Kakos Dean in the College of Arts and Architecture, reflects on his passion for working with clay as an opportunity to imagine new possibilities with the resources we have.

Nittany Lion Shrine Through the Ages

A photo that is split down the middle. On the left, you can see a black and white photo of Joseph Garratti roughing out the shape of the Lion Shrine. On the right, you see a color photo of the Lion Shrine at University Park.

More than just a campus landmark, the Nittany Lion Shrine is an emotional touchpoint for Penn Staters everywhere.

A black-and-white photo of the paper maché lion with 1910 written on the side. There are six male students standing behind it, and a large sign with an 'S' on it.

(University Park, 1910) Although difficult to imagine, for most of Penn State's history, there has been no Lion Shrine as we know it today. While there was spirit and pride, there was not yet a sculpture to capture it. One of the earliest iterations of the Nittany Lion was actually made from paper mâché.

The Indiana limestone block for the Nittany Lion Shrine is unloaded off of the truck and onto a wooden platform.

(University Park, 1942) A 13-ton block of Indiana limestone, which would later become the Nittany Lion Shrine, was loaded off the back of a flatbed truck onto a wooden platform.

A black and white photo of two in-progress lion shrines sitting up on a covered wooden platform.

(University Park, 1942) Artist Heinz Warneke used a plaster model of the Nittany Lion Shrine to help him carve the limestone for the permanent sculpture.

Joseph Garratti chisels out a rough shape of the Lion Shrine. There is a second lion shrine behind him, and we see only the head. The one he is working on is less defined.

(University Park, 1942) Joseph Garratti, Heinz Warneke's assistant, roughs out the shape of the Lion Shrine.

A color photo of Heinz Warneke kneeling in the dirt, working on the Nittany lion shrine sculpture. The shrine is facing the camera.

(University Park, 1942) Artist Heinz Warneke working on the base of the Nittany Lion Statue. He worked for four months in front of the public and students on campus. (Credit: L.S. Rhodes)

A black and white photo of the back of the Nittany Lion Shrine with

(University Park, 1944) While beloved, the statue has known its share of controversy. The Nittany Lion Shrine's first recorded damage happened in 1944, when an unknown individual or group wrote "Hepcat" on its side, referencing a dated term that reflected the hipster-esque subculture that existed among the '40s jazz scene.

A group of 12 male students sit on and around the Nittany Lion Shrine at night.

(University Park) Beginning in the late 1960s, guarding the Nittany Lion Shrine became a time-honored tradition during homecoming weekend to protect the landmark from rival universities. Today, Lion Ambassadors and accompanying ROTC volunteers continue the tradition at a lively celebration following the homecoming parade.

A black and white photo of two men (barely seen) standing next to the Lion Shrine. In front are 10 smaller replicas of the shrine.

(University Park, 1968) The first ten Nittany Lion Shrine replicas were created at a one-quarter scale to place around the state at other campuses. These were made for Mont Alto, Hazelton, Schuylkill, DuBois, Altoona, Wilkes-Barre, Greater Allegheny, York, Abington, and Behrend.

A black and white photo of the shrine's sculptor, Heinz Warneke, repairing the Lion's ear.

(University Park) In November 1978, Heinz Warneke, then 83, returned to his beloved statue to make repairs to the right ear.

Nittany Lion Mascot Norm Constantine leans up against the Lion Shrine in his mascot costume while holding the headpiece in his arm.

(University Park, 1979) The Nittany Lion as Penn State's mascot originated with Harrison D. "Joe" Mason all the way back in 1907. Since Penn State lacked a mascot, Mason fabricated the Nittany Lion, the "fiercest beast of them all," who could overcome even Princeton's Bengal tiger. Here, Norm Constantine, who was the Nittany Lion Mascot from 1978 to 1980, poses in costume next to the statue.

The Nittany Lion mascot stands with its arms stretched wide, throwing snow. Behind it, you can see the lion shrine and evergreen trees covered in snow.

The Nittany Lion mascot shows its pride in rain, shine, snow, and sleet!

A color photo of the Lion Shrine. The whole side profile of the statue is in view, on an incline of cut stones.

(University Park) The Nittany Lion Shrine area was renovated, as a gift from the class of 2012, to improve accessibility, adding lighting, a sidewalk, and large decorative stones.

A photo of a sculptor, donned in a straw hat, gingerly reaching out his hand to touch the left ear of the Lion Shrine.

(University Park, 2022) Curtis McCartney, a stone sculptor with McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory, examines the recently repaired left ear of the Nittany Lion Shrine.

A white, stone lion shrine looks directly at the camera. It sits atop stones in front of a green lawn and students in the foreground.

Nittany Lion Shrine replicas watch over all of Penn State's campuses throughout Pennsylvania. Penn State Beaver's shrine sits near the center of campus, situated on 105 wooded acres just 40 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh.

Some rocks pop through the foreground with green plants, the Nittany Lion Shrine looks over those rocks and down at the camera. Behind the lion, there is a blue sky and clouds and lush trees.

Nittany Lion Shrine replicas watch over all of Penn State's campuses throughout Pennsylvania. A 690-thousand-dollar trail improvement project expanded access to Penn State Behrend's Wintergreen Gorge, which offers 14 miles of hiking and biking trails.

A snowman sits in front of a snow-covered Nittany Lion Shrine, with more snow on the ground, evergreens in the background, and a school building.

Nittany Lion Shrine replicas watch over all of Penn State's campuses throughout Pennsylvania. After a snowstorm in Clearfield County, the Nittany Lion Shrine at Penn State DuBois made a friend!

In the right corner, the Nittany Lion shrine faces away from the camera and towards the left. Students pat the front of the statue, and there is a Penn State Lehigh Valley building visible in the background.

Nittany Lion Shrine replicas watch over all of Penn State's campuses throughout Pennsylvania. Back in 2009, the eight-ton Nittany Lion statue was moved to transition from Penn State Lehigh Valley's old campus in Fogelsville, to the new campus in Center Valley.

There are boulders in the foreground, the Nittany Lion Shrine in the mid-ground, and lush trees, blue skies, and mountains in the background.

Nittany Lion Shrine replicas watch over all of Penn State's campuses throughout Pennsylvania. The view of the surrounding West Mountain range can be seen from anywhere on Penn State Scranton's campus but is most visible from the Nittany Lion Shrine area, overlooking the Multipurpose Building, and from the floor-to-ceiling windows in The View Cafe in the Study Learning Center.

In the foreground are some golden, yellow, and orange mums, surrounding the Nittany Lion Shrine.

Nittany Lion Shrine replicas watch over all of Penn State's campuses throughout Pennsylvania. Penn State Shenango's Lion Shrine is beautifully decorated with mums every fall.

On the left, there is the side profile of the Nittany Lion Shrine. A man, on his knee, is holding out a ring box to a woman who grasps her face in emotion. In the background are the green and pink flowering trees of spring.

University Park's Nittany Lion Shrine, one of the most photographed locations in the entire state, is a popular spot for student and alumni proposals. (Credit: R.Frank Photography)

A wide photo of the Nittany Lion Shrine area. There is a woman in the foreground taking a photo of six students sitting around the Lion in their navy caps and gowns for graduation.

Today, Nittany Lion Shrine replicas watch over all of Penn State's campuses throughout Pennsylvania. This one in University Park is one of the most photographed places in the entire state!