Edinboro University history

In 1861, the Edinboro Academy affiliated with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to become the second State Normal School in Pennsylvania, known as the Northwest State Normal School.

Three fires severely damaged the commercial section of town in the early 1900's.

Purchased from the original stockholders by the state in 1914, the school was renamed Edinboro State Normal School.

By 1927, the advancement of academic programs to include liberal arts study required the school to rename itself Edinboro State Teachers College.

The 1960's brought dramatic growth and development to Edinboro.

Bruce Baumgartner, (born August 31, 1962, Haledon, New Jersey, United States), American wrestler who won four Olympic medals and was one of the most successful American superheavyweights of all time.

Such growth prompted the construction of a new sewage plant, completed in 1970.

A trolley station was subsequently built by the railway company which later served as the Borough Municipal Building until the construction of the new building in 1975.

The 1980 census placed the Borough first in population among all Boroughs in Erie County, with a total population of 6,324 an increase of 30%. The Borough continued to experience growth in the business districts, in housing, and in the University.

Instead, he attended Indiana State University (B.A., 1982), where he won 86 of 87 matches during his last two years and won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship in 1982.

Twenty-three years later, in 1983, Pennsylvania established the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, of which Edinboro is part.

Baumgartner followed his NCAA championship with a gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

At the 1986 world championships in Hungary, Baumgartner defeated the top Soviet wrestler, David Gobedjishvili, becoming the first American to win the world amateur heavyweight title.

The Borough's population peaked at 7,736 in the 1990 census.

At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, however, Baumgartner defeated his nemesis Gobedjishvili to win the gold, becoming the first American wrestler to win three Olympic medals.

He later coached at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania before becoming the school’s interim athletic director in 1997; he was made permanent athletic director the following year.

Further upgrades to the sewer system were made in the 2000's as additional capacity was created to allow for increased flows from Washington Township.

Christine A Ogren, The American State Normal School: An "Instrument of Great Good" (New York: Palgrave Macmillan), 2005.

Billings Park on Lakeside received a new playground in 2016, funded in part by the generous donations of the community.

2018 was also the first of multiple years of downtown improvement grants from ECGRA, which brought a new life to the look of downtown Edinboro.