Centennial
Today, the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry (it was later renamed to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 1964) celebrates the anniversary of receiving its charter on December 31, 1919. The charter legitimized the College’s existence as a front-running school of optometry alongside institutions in Illinois, New England, Ohio State, and Southern California, as one of the oldest optometry schools in the country.
The charter - photographed below - proudly states that the goal of the College is “to establish and maintain a College of Optometry; to provide educational facilities for those desirous of becoming proficient in the science of optometry; to place at the disposal of those interested the privilege of attending lectures and scientific demonstrations in the development of the theory of or practice of the science; to foster and encourage the study of the science of optometry; to maintain a central organization to disseminate the latest information and results of all scientific research work and developments in optometry among those learned in the science, and to promote its general development.”
The charter then lists the names of the Board of Trustees, the very first name, none other than Dr. Albert Fitch, the founder of the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry (PSCO) in its original form.
Surrounding the charter itself, are the names of more than 300 charter members.
The University’s Pennsylvania College of Optometry has been molding professionals for a century. We are proud to uphold our original charter - hanging near the President's Suite - which states the purposes and objectives of our establishment, remaining consistent with the curriculum we have in place today. We look forward to the next century of producing leaders in the optometric profession.
