The Nittany Lion

Nittany Lion Shrine Vandalism—

The Nittany Lion Shrine isn’t just a popular photo spot on campus; it’s also sadly been a popular target for vandalism dating back to its earliest years. Some of the vandalism could be labeled game-related pranks that got out of hand, but some has been out-and-out criminal property damage. Some of the cases have been solved and some have not.

The first reported instance of an intentional assault on the Shrine, per the Daily Collegian, was in 1944 when the then-trendy slang word “hepcat” was painted on the side of the lion by unknown persons, and black paint was brushed onto its face, paws and tail. This reportedly occurred at some point following Penn State’s 1-point, 28-27, home loss to West Virginia on Oct. 28, 1944. No doubt visiting fans or students were suspected at the time, but there was no proof. There was also an earlier, largely forgotten, report in the Collegian from November 1943 saying there was a “chip” missing from the nose of the Lion Shrine thanks to unknown culprits. All of this was just the beginning.

From the files of Lion Shrine pranks comes the often-re-told story of the time Sue Paterno allegedly tried to fire-up the Penn State fanbase during the struggles of Joe’s first year at the helm in 1966. The Paterno era had opened 4-3 and some people felt the fans were too low key at the games (men still wore suits and fedoras to games in this timeframe) and the team really needed a little “12th-Man” support, if you will. The story, which may contain both truth and a little fiction, alleges that Sue and a friend (or friends?) concocted a plan to pour some orange paint on the Shrine prior to the November 5th Syracuse game. Assuming the plan worked, Penn State fans would get angry at the “vandals”, blame Syracuse fans, and then cheer wildly for PSU as it won the game. Reportedly, some Syracuse students arrived later and also painted the Lion Shrine orange, and they would get the last laugh when the Orangemen beat the Nittany Lions 12-10 in front of 45-thousand folks at Beaver Stadium. Joe’s first season ended 5-5, but things turned around the following year without any additional artistic assistance. The 1966 incident is what led to the tradition of “Guarding the Lion” on the Friday night before the Homecoming game which commonly involves ROTC cadets. Although, the Syracuse game was not the Homecoming game in 1966; Homecoming was actually a week earlier vs. California.

Vandalism on the sculpture took an ugly turn around November 16, 1978, when the right ear of the Lion Shrine was broken off by someone using a hammer or sledgehammer. It was the most serious damage to the statue since it was created in 1942. The letters “SU” were also marked on the statue pointing a finger at Syracuse people for the damage. But the Syracuse game (a 45-15 PSU win) was nearly a month prior, and the proximity to the upcoming Pitt game (it was the weekend before that game) suggested to some that Panther faithful could be the ones responsible, and there were accusations. There was added tension at the PSU-Pitt game which was on national TV the Friday after Thanksgiving. Penn State was undefeated and ranked #1 for the first time in its history, and the New York Times reported after the PSU 17-10 victory that both Joe Paterno and quarterback Chuck Fusina had received death threats in the mail leading up to the game. Nothing connecting anyone to the damage could ever be proved, and this case has never been solved. Repairs would be made in 1979, and the original sculptor Heinz Warneke, then 83 years old, returned to campus to oversee the carving of a new ear and its attachment to the Shrine. Newspapers at the time reported that Warneke “cried when he first saw the damage”. This incident marked the first time that there would be serious public discussion of moving the statue indoors for greater safety. The damage to the right ear in ‘78 has also resulted in necessary follow-up ear repairs in 1994, 2003, and 2018. (In 2013, the base that supports the Shrine was substantially modified and re-furbished).