Penn State Athletics Announces Fourth 8-Figure Gift to Beaver Stadium Project

Penn State Athletics has announced a new eight-figure donation to support ongoing renovations at Beaver Stadium, the fourth such gift announced by the university in the past month.

Ira Lubert, a longtime Penn State board member and former board chairman, and his wife Pam Estadt donated $10 million, according to a statement released Thursday. In return, the renovated entrance planned for Beaver Stadium will be named the Lubert Family Welcome Center.

Lubert is a former Penn State wrestler and National Wrestling Hall of Fame member who graduated in 1973 from the College of Health and Human Development.

“Coming to Penn State set me on a path that has led to professional success and personal fulfillment, and I am honored that the Lubert Family Welcome Center will provide a new and exciting first impression for future Penn Staters as they discover all that the University offers,” Lubert said in a statement.

According to the release, the new Penn State Welcome Center is intended to be “the gateway for fans on Penn State football game days” as well as the starting point for prospective visiting students. It will also be a “hub of year-round activities for the campus and community.”

Lubert’s donation comes on top of a $25 million gift from the Misitano family, which included naming rights to the future West Tower, a 59,000-square-foot event space. Penn State Athletics also announced two anonymous $10 million gifts. That brings the total publicly raised for the $700 million project to $55 million.

“As a former student-athlete, Ira Lubert represented Penn State Athletics and the university with distinction throughout his life and career, and his accomplishments reflect the type of excellence that competition at the highest level can foster,” athletic director Pat Kraft said in a statement. “We are honored that he and Pam have chosen to make this transformative investment in a project that will help all Penn Staters thrive.”