Paterno gift will help Eisenhower grow

The Eisenhower Chapel, with its red bricks and spire in the sky, is set to expand.

At a news conference Friday, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno and his wife Sue announced they will donate $3.5 million to fund numerous faculty positions, scholarships and building projects at the University.

The Paternos directed a large chunk of the money, $1 million, to fund a new interfaith spiritual center, according to a news release. University President Graham Spanier said the center will be an addition to the Eisenhower Chapel, which is used by about 30 student religious organizations, according to the release.

Erected in 1956 and added to in 1976, the chapel was built entirely with private funds and includes an all-faith chapel, a meditation chapel, a memorial lounge and several other rooms and staff offices, according to the website of the Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs.

The chapel, located between Pattee and the Arts Building, needs to be expanded, Sue Paterno said.

"I think the chapel needs to be bigger to serve the needs of the students," she said.

Kenneth Clarke, the center's director, said the idea to expand the chapel has evolved over several years. He explained that the announcement Friday was the first definite step toward a projected $8 to $10 million expansion of the chapel.

The current chapel cannot accommodate all the religious groups and activities on campus, said the Rev. Carl Synan, director and campus pastor for United Campus Ministry.

"We don't have enough room at the chapel for all of our activities," he said. "And we don't have enough space at the chapel for all the weddings to take place."

Tuvia Abramson, executive director of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, cited a lack of meeting and worship room in the chapel.

"The building we have now does not answer our needs," he said. "There's not enough space."

Clarke, Synan and Abramson all expressed gratitude toward the Paternos.

"They see that a spiritual center on campus is a very valuable need," Abramson said. "I think it's an exceptional gift from an exceptional family."

The timetable for construction will be established following additional fund-raising for the facility, which will be supported solely by private funds as part of the University's capital campaign. The campaign is a drive for an increase in private donations to the University, according to a news release.