May 22, 2025 3 min read

It is with great sadness to read in the May 14 edition of this newspaper about Penn State’s plan to likely close our local Fayette Campus as well as six other campuses throughout the state.

This plan will devastate each of these communities, but I can only comment on Fayette Campus, which I attended from 1974 to 1976. In 1976, I transferred to the main campus to complete my teaching degree. I felt the education I had received at Fayette Campus was worthwhile.

College was different then. One credit cost $36. The academic year consisted of three trimesters. Tuition for three trimesters was $1,296 for a total of 36 credits. The federal minimum wage was $2/hour. Going to a branch campus has its advantages. You can commute to class, live at home, work, and save for the remaining two years when the student had to pay for room, board and tuition.

Fayette campus offered a variety of majors, allowing students to complete many courses before transferring to University Park or another university to complete an additional two years. Students could earn a two-year associate’s degree in many areas, work a full-time job and attend evening classes. When I attended Fayette campus, there were many older students, even senior citizens looking to learn something new. Isn’t that what a lifelong learner means? That was then when we had a steady stream of baby boomers.

I realize that the population has decreased since then, but it is still heartbreaking to think that the philanthropist and financial contributor Robert Eberly and his descendants helped to improve the campus and sustain higher education with their dedication and support. I remember the hard work of professors Dr. Dennis Brestensky and Dr. Albert Skomra who envisioned what Fayette Campus could be. Fifty years later, the campus is an example of Penn State Pride.

A person’s education is precious; no one can take it away from you. It is a part of you. It can help you escape a bad situation or rise above poverty by preparing you for a good paying job. It opens the door to opportunity. It helps you make wise choices at the polls. It helps to preserve democracy.

Uniontown was once a prosperous town. Closing the campus is just another blow to an economically disadvantaged area. Uniontown could have been a college town. Instead, Morgantown is a college town. More businesses are opening there.

I think Penn State is going about these closures haphazardly. Have these decision makers visited these affected towns? What will the closures do to these towns? What will the future bring?

More people will relocate, talent will leave the area, and the streets of Uniontown weep.

Angela Lambo of Uniontown is a retired social studies teacher in the Laurel Highlands School District.