Pennsylvania College of Technology History Trail
—1914 · Centennial · 2014 —
Constructed in 1939
The Bardo Gymnasium, originally built as part of Williamsport High School, is named in honor of an administrator at Williamsport Area Community College, a forerunner of Penn College.
The gym hosts intercollegiate and intramural sports as well as physical education classes and special events. Wildcat basketball, volleyball, and wrestling teams host home events at Bardo Gym.
A Proud Past
From 1914-41, a postsecondary vocational technical program that grew to become Penn College was conducted within the Williamsport Area School District. The program was officially named Williamsport Technical Institute in 1941. It continued to operate within Williamsport High School facilities even after the technical institute became a community college in 1965.
Inside the Bardo Gymnasium (GYM)
· Physical fitness
· Personal training
· Career fair
Lewis H. Bardo
Lewis H. Bardo served as the dean of applied arts and sciences at Williamsport Area Community College until his death in 1967. He began his career in the toolmaking industry before becoming a vocational instructor, then coordinator of Williamsport Technical Institute; when the institute became a community college in 1965, he became its first dean.
[Marker timeline images, from left to right]
· Commencement ceremonies were held in Bardo Gymnasium before the College purchased and rejuvenated the Community Arts Center in downtown Williamsport.
· The Wildcat - an athletic mascot established at the time of the first WACC basketball game in 1966 - continues to represent Penn College.
[School's centennial timeline]
1914 - Williamsport Area School District Adult Education
1941 - Williamsport Technical Institute
1965 - Williamsport Area Community College
1989 - Pennsylvania College of Technology
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