After 30 years of service in State College Borough government, Mayor Arnold Addison announced Friday morning he will seek re-election to a fourth term.

"In all of the eight elections in which I have participated, there have always been new challenges for people in local government to meet the ever-changing needs of our public," said Addison, 72, who was first elected to State College Borough Council in 1960.

He served on the council for eighteen years -- two years as council president -- before being elected mayor in 1978.

The mayor said his decision to seek a fourth term is based upon encouragement from friends and people in the community, and his interest in developing mayoral service in the community to the greatest extent.

"As I look to the future and the challenges that involve our sister municipalities in this region, (as well as) the University, we must pledge to maintain a unfailing communication capability," Addison said. "Communication can never be effective without some understanding."

The mayor, a registered Republican, pinpointed as a key future goal the continuation of studying, appreciating and involving the community in programs that encourage a greater appreciation of diversity in the area.

He said State College will be looking toward increasing minorities, expanding its international community, and concentrating on all other groups in the borough that have special needs, such as senior citizens and the handicapped.

Addison said he thinks his role as the mayor has been to "jell" with the council but not necessarily agree with them on all decisions.

For example, he said that though he favored the council's decision to repeal an ordinance eliminating parking requirements for new buildings downtown, he does not favor in-lieu parking -- a policy which allows developers to place into a central fund monies that would eventually be used to construct a new parking garage.

Borough Councilwoman Ruth Lavin, completing her first term on the council this year, said she is enthusiastic about Addison's decision to seek re-election.

"I'm extremely pleased," Lavin, also a Republican, said. "Mayor Addison is a very popular man who has been very positive and productive for our community in his role as mayor."

She added that she had worked on several of Addison's campaigns before she became a council member.

Addison said his major effort during the last four years has been related to the "town-gown" effort on diversity and interpersonal relations within the community. He said that in addition to addressing minority needs, he meets with student leadership on a monthly basis.

Sherri Rutolo, president of the Organization for Town Independent Students, said the mayor helped start two programs to improve the relationship between the town and the University. The first is the Borough Leadership Task Force, composed of student leaders from a number of organizations.

Rutolo said the task force meets once a month before the first council meeting of the month.

"We discuss ways we can better the relationship between students and the State College government," she said.

The second program the mayor coordinated is the Mayors' Community Action Network, which includes representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, Affirmative Action, the Centre Region Council of Governments and the State College Area School District.

Addison began the network "to promote communication between organizations in town and on campus," Rutolo said."He likes everyone to touch base with each other."

Rutolo said Addison is well respected among student leaders, adding that the mayor's status as a former University instructor makes him familiar with student concerns.

While at Penn State, he held a joint appointment as personnel director of the Applied Research Laboratory and professor of industrial relations in the College of Engineering. Addison retired as a professor emeritus in 1978.

"I'm in this business because I have a desire for public service, I feel I do a reasonably good job, I enjoy doing it, I have the time to do it . . . and I suppose I should mention my wife doesn't want me around the house," Addison said.