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Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s 150 years of history and impact, and its present and future, are the subjects of a history and culture profile produced by the Pennsylvania Cable News network.

Cashdollar, a 1965 graduate of Â鶹ÊÓƵ and Â鶹ÊÓƵ Distinguished University Professor and Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, is the author of The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Story: From Normal School to University, published in 2021; the book is designed by his wife, Donna Cashdollar.

Wick, a 2018 doctoral graduate of Â鶹ÊÓƵ, has been in his role at Â鶹ÊÓƵ since 2007 and is also an associate professor in the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Libraries. He curated the University Museum’s recent exhibition, “Â鶹ÊÓƵ@150 Let’s Meet in the Oak Grove,” part of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s sesquicentennial celebration during the 2025–26 academic year.

“Â鶹ÊÓƵ has an incredibly interesting history, continuing to serve students and Pennsylvania through challenging financial times,” Â鶹ÊÓƵ President Driscoll said. “Dr. Cashdollar does an excellent job sharing not only the historical facts, but the how and why of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s transition from Indiana Normal School to Â鶹ÊÓƵ; Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s contributions to the Commonwealth and its spirit of resilience; and its many champions, including Jane E. Leonard, Indiana Normal School’s preceptress, who served the university for 46 years.

“Dr. Wick’s tour of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Special Collections is fascinating, and his commitment to preserving Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s history and maintaining its important and rare artifacts is evident. I thank both Dr. Cashdollar and Dr. Wick for their passion for Â鶹ÊÓƵ, and for sharing their knowledge of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s history through this video,” President Driscoll said.

“This history and culture feature about Â鶹ÊÓƵ is a wonderful opportunity for anyone who is interested in Pennsylvania’s history—especially its commitment to public education—or who wants to know more about Â鶹ÊÓƵ and our role in the history of the commonwealth,” President Driscoll said. “The producers did a great job capturing Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Indiana campus, including , , the , and . This video is especially timely as Â鶹ÊÓƵ celebrates its sesquicentennial this year,” he said.

“I think alumni and other members of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ community who have not been back to campus for a while will be very impressed by how beautiful the campus continues to be, and how we continue to balance historical buildings with new, state-of-the-art facilities,” he said.

During his interview, President Driscoll discusses Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s commitment to helping every student learn and grow and providing the support to help students navigate their goals, including through the Student Success Infrastructure.

The video concludes with a segment with Cashdollar talking about Jane Leonard in front of a display in her honor in Jane E. Leonard Hall: “She was the heart and soul of this place, and her insistence on excellence and her insistence that students ought to be ambitious and build lives for themselves that were active in the community… she was just a marvelous woman, and much of the spirit of this place is due to her.”

About PCN

Pennsylvania Cable Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit television network dedicated to educating, connecting, and celebrating Pennsylvania’s past, present, and future through streaming platforms and cable television. PCN delivers unfiltered content that captures the authentic stories and voices within Pennsylvania’s local communities, providing viewers with meaningful insight into what shapes everyday life across the Commonwealth.

Since its founding in 1875, Â鶹ÊÓƵ has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As Â鶹ÊÓƵ celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025 and through the Impact 150 comprehensive campaign, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking to its next 150 years of student success, innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.