2011 by Robert J. Watson, PhD

Slippery Rock University opened its doors on March 26, 1889, as Slippery Rock State Normal School. Nearly 125 years later, SRU is known around the US and in many foreign countries for many reasons.

Slippery Rock University: the Legend behind the Name—the culmination of 40 years of research—is the fascinating story of the evolution of this popular western Pennsylvania college. Robert Watson’s work began in a doctoral research class he was taking at Pitt University in 1972. When he realized his great-grandfather was one of the founders of the Slippery Rock school, his research took on a new dimension. The result is 460 pages of history packed with 813 photographs and pieces of documentation.

SRU’s current president, Robert M. Smith, is quoted in the Foreword: “…all of us first step into the stream of history when we arrive and step out again when we leave; but the stream flowed before us and will continue to flow after us. Rarely is anyone privileged to step in at the headwaters of an institution’s history and remain through the entire journey down the stream. We are present only in our time and place. To understand our time and place and to appreciate what adventures might unfold downstream, we should be students of what occurred upstream. And if we are fortunate, we will have a guide that interprets our lessons in ways that enhance our understanding and appreciate for our heritage and gives insight to our future.” Nothing better describes this book, its importance, and its purpose. This beautiful book is a must for history buffs, SRU alumni, current SRU students, and those who love the college and the small Pennsylvania town surrounding it.
460 pages, 9 x 11½ hardbound with dust cover