The athletic symbol of The Pennsylvania State University is the North American Mountian Lion.  This large cat which once roamed central Pennsylvania and the University Park campus became extinct in the late 1800s.

Penn State is located in the Nittany Valley near Mount Nittany in the Nittany mountain range.  The name is said to be derived from Indian words meaning "protective barrier against the elements."

The Nittany Lion Shrine, the work of sculptor Heinz Warneke, was the Class' of 1940 gift to the University.