Among the largest works of their kind on any campus, Penn State’s Land-Grant Frescoes, painted by noted American muralist Henry Varnum Poor, grace the upper walls of Old Main’s lobby and pay tribute to the establishment of the University and the evolution of its land-grant mission of teaching, research, and service. Covering more than 1,300 square feet, the frescoes are a treasured masterpiece of American art history.
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- A gift of the class of 1932, the north wall fresco was begun on April 5, 1940, and completed and signed by Poor and his assistant—his daughter Anne—on June 18th.
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- Fund-raising efforts by students before and after World War II brought back Poor to continue his vision on the east and west walls of the balcony, which were completed June 1, 1949.