State College Historic Site

This circa 1910 structure was a rooming house for African American male students at the Pennsylvania State College from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as Lincoln Hall, it was the center for black life at that time

The six- to eight-student boarding house was owned and operated by Harry and Rosa Gifford, their children Bessie and Emanuel, and the latter's wife, Agnes. The family had moved north from Mississippi to become fraternity house cooks.

Because of an unofficial campus policy, which ended in 1946, African American men could only choose to live in Lincoln Hall or as roomers in a few private homes. Of the handful of black female students, the choice was between dorms and private homes.

At times, the Lincoln Hall population made up half of Penn State's African American student enrollment.

(The interior photo above shows a 1949 fall welcome gathering — around initiators Emanuel and Agnes Gifford — for roomers and classmates.)

Lincoln Hall roomers of note included: Wallace "Wally" Triplett III, Penn State's first African American varsity football player and a National Football League player; Henry "Barney" Ewell, All-American track star and Olympic gold medalist; James H. Robinson, Associate Dean and Director of Student Affairs, Jefferson Medical College; Roger



Kenton Williams, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Morgan State University.

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