Trustee continues family legacy at University

Homecoming is more than a chance for Ted Junker to reunite with his old friends and see a good football game. For Junker, it gives him a chance to see his three daughters and sons-in-law.

"At Homecoming, we have our own family reunion," said Junker, a 1960 graduate of the University and president of the University Board of Trustees.

Junker, who met his wife at the University and married her before graduation, said his family jokes that his daughters followed tradition when they each married men they met while attending the University.

"That was the criteria," he joked. "They weren't allowed to come to the house unless they had a Penn State degree."

Aside from meeting his wife during Spring Week when his fraternity and her sorority worked together, Junker said his fraternity, Sigma Chi, has given him some of the best memories and experiences from his undergraduate years.

The strong memories and good education he got from the University is one of reasons he stays involved through the board, alumni organizations and development campaigns.

"I really felt I had something to give back to the University and if I could, then I think (I) should," he said. "I think (it's a great) opportunity to serve Penn State and to continue to move the University forward as one of the best public universities in the nation."

His involvement has not diminished even as he has moved from State College to Pittsburgh to Erie in his banking career, from which he retired about a year ago.

"I'm loving (retirement) except that Penn State takes as much of your time as you are willing to give," said Junker, the former vice chairman of PNC Bank.

Despite the fact that he was supposed to be on vacation in Florida with his wife, Junker returned to his home state of Pennsylvania for an 11-day stretch of meetings and appointments.

Among other commitments, he will be attending a meeting about the Penn State Geisinger Health System, traveling to Erie for a capital campaign development meeting, attending an alumni function and traveling to Hershey for his first board meeting as president.

The board is a 32-person governing body that oversees the University's overall mission and direction. The board does not manage the day-to-day affairs of the University.

Junker, who was first elected to the board in 1986 and served for two years as its vice president, was elected president of the board in January. Hiring, supporting and getting out of the way of the University president is the main function of the trustees, he said.

"It's a challenge," he said. "It's a huge university. It's a land-grant university -- there's a three-legged stool there (between teaching, research and service)."