Wiestling Hall as it appears today on the Mont Alto campus. The building has served as a dormitory, dining hall, classroom, administrative headquarters and possibly home to two ghosts.
A close up of the 1907 image purported to show a human figure wearing a semi-military uniform with a badge on his cap that is reflecting the sunlight. Col. Wiestling died in 1891, 12 years before the forest academy's establishment.
The Class of 1908 at what was then known as the Pennsylvania State Forest Academy in Mont Alto shot its formal class photo in front of Wiestling Hall. The building, constructed in 1807, once served as a manor for Col. George Wiestling, one of the area's wealthiest iron masters. When this 1907 photo was developed, there appears to be an image of a human figure standing in the background (click on photo album to see close-up image), as if observing the men on horseback.
Somjit Barat, associate professor of marketing at Penn State Mont Alto, has recently been named coordinator of International and Intercultural Programs. In his new role, Barat will head Mont Alto’s newly established International and Intercultural Programs Office (IIPO) and lead the campus in the development and coordination of multicultural events.
Lingering signs of autumn are evident as a few persistent leaves cling to a beech tree on the Old Main lawn. Colder temperatures have arrived on the University Park campus as the last weeks of fall semester 2013 tick away and hints of the coming winter emerge. Visit http://www.campusweatherservice.com/ for current conditions and extended forecasts from the Penn State Campus Weather Service.
