Raise the Song: The History of Penn State

A fine example of unabashed boosterism, Raise the Song draws on a wide variety of archival material—from artwork and stills to news footage—combined with narration and interviews with administrators and faculty to trace Pennsylvania State University's history from its founding as Farmers' High School in 1855 to the present day. The documentary emphasizes Penn State's importance, not only as one of the country's first land-grant institutions, but also its significance for being open to women and working-class students—offering a truly “public” alternative to existing colleges with their “classical” curricula catering to elites. The first presidents are eulogized with mini-biographies testifying to their central role in Penn State's early success, after which the film looks at the rapid expansion beginning in the 1950s under Milton Eisenhower and his successors, including the establishment of the Hershey Medical School. Of course, the football program and legendary coach Joe Paterno (one of the interviewees) receive attention as well. Along the way, director Patrick Mansell inserts amusing bits into the narrative—like the story of how the athletic teams switched from their original colors (pink-and-black) and mascot (mule) to the famed blue and white and the lion. Raise the Song will appeal mostly to Penn State alums, but the film also should have wider appeal since it tells an important story in the history of American education. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)