History of Keystone
Outstanding students. Loyal alumni. Dedicated faculty and staff. Without a doubt, those qualities have been the hallmark of Keystone College since 1868. Together, we have worked to build Keystone into all that is has become and all that it will be in the days, months, and years which lie ahead.
History of Keystone Presidents
Keystone's long line of leaders have been committed to growth and excellence since it was first founded as an academy in 1868.
We look to the past in order to appreciate the present and plan for the future.
Browse our digital archives.
1868 – Keystone Academy originally chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with instruction beginning the following year in the local Baptist church in Factoryville.
1870 – Ground broken on the current site for Keystone Academy’s first building, Harris Hall, named after John Howard Harris, first president of Keystone.
1934 – Keystone Academy re-chartered as Scranton-Keystone Junior College.
1936 – First associate degree awarded to A. Llewellyn Baer.
1944 – The name of the College shortened to Keystone Junior College.
1973 – Keystone College Observatory officially dedicated and opened to the public.
1995 – The name of the College again shortened to its present name, Keystone College.
1998 – The College received formal approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to offer baccalaureate degree programs.
2000 – First baccalaureate degree, a bachelor of science in criminal justice, was awarded to Stacy Davis Bell.
2000 – Keystone College Observatory re-dedicated as the Thomas G. Cupillari ’60 Observatory in honor of the founding director.
A Baseball Great.
Baseball great Christy Mathewson attended Keystone from 1895-1898, when he excelled on the school’s baseball and football teams. Recording 373 professional pitching victories, including a National league record 37 wins in 1908, Mathewson was inducted posthumously into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, as part of the charter induction class with Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner.
We still excel in baseball.
The Keystone College baseball team has won 18 consecutive conference championships and appeared in the NCAA Division III National Championship Series, finishing as the 2016 runner-up.
2001 – The opening of the College’s newest residence hall, Boehm Hall (formerly known as the Keystone Commons).
2004 – Keystone College student-athletes begin competing at the NCAA Division III level.
2005 – 103.5 WKCV-FM, Keystone’s student-run radio station began on-air broadcasting and has since advanced with web-streaming royalty rights so the station can broadcast over the Internet and can be heard by anyone, anywhere, with an internet connection.
2006 – The College inducts its inaugural class into the Athletics Hall of Fame.
2007 – Keystone is a charter member to the President’s Climate Commitment, an innovative commitment to the environment initiated by select college presidents nationwide.
2007 – The College introduces The Gathering, an annual three-day symposium featuring lectures, workshops, performances, and discussions. People from diverse backgrounds meet to explore the creative spirit through the sciences and arts of cultures from around the world.
Keeping the Keystone Promise
Our pledge that within six months of graduating from Keystone College you will have received at least one job offer or been accepted into a transfer or graduate program.
2010 – Renovations to the exterior and interior upgrades of the Hibbard Campus Center
2011 – Keystone establishes the Howard Jennings Nature Preserve in honor of Howard Jennings, retired biology professor. A portion of the College’s beautiful Woodlands Campus will be not be developed in any way.
2012 – The Theatre in Brooks is renovated, featuring both mechanical and design updates.
2012 – Keystone’s nationally recognized efforts in environmental sustainability continue with the completion of a Rain Garden, managing storm water runoff and offering educational opportunities.
2014 – The College receives formal approval from the United States Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Department of Education offer master’s degree programs.
2015 – Keystone dedicates the Eckel Family Pavilion, an outdoor gathering place for Keystone students, faculty, staff, alumni and local residents.
Keystone College Today
Currently enrolling nearly 1,100 students, Keystone offers more than 50 degree options in liberal arts and science based programs. The College provides distinctive programs and students receive a comprehensive education with active and engaged learning opportunities that stimulate interests, improve skills, and ensure career readiness.
2016 – College awards first master’s degrees.
2016 – The Keystone College baseball team advances to the National Championship Series of the NCAA Division III College World Series.
2016 – Keystone College opens the Regional Center for Excellence in 3-D Design, a technology resource for the entrepreneurial, business, manufacturing, and educational communities.
2017 – Keystone renames the School of Arts and Sciences to the Turock School of Arts and Sciences in honor of Keystone alumni Betty J. Turock, Ph.D. ’53, David L. Turock, Ph.D. ’77, and the late Frank Turock ’52.
2017 – The College dedicates its newly remodeled and relocated radio station, WKCV 103.5 FM.
2017 – The College welcomes its first-ever Fulbright Scholar, Rahman Bhuiyan, Ph.D., for the 2017-2018 academic year.
2017 – Keystone announces a major development plan which will dramatically improve the quality of life for the College and surrounding communities. Keystone will develop a new commercial building complex featuring commercial tenants, including Steak n’ Shake, a Starbucks, Keystone’s Campus Shoppe, a health and fitness center, and a bank.
2017 – The College renames its Keystone Commons Residence Hall to Boehm Hall in honor of President Emeritus Dr. Edward G. Boehm, Jr. and former Keystone First Lady Regina E. Boehm.
2018 – Keystone announces that it will expand its athletic offerings by adding football as its newest varsity sport.
2018 – Keystone names Tracy L. Brundage, Ph.D as eleventh president.
2018 – Keystone introduces the Juvenile Justice Institute to help at-risk children cope with trauma and stress of daily life,
2018 – Keystone College celebrates its 150th Anniversary with a series of events.
2018 – Construction begins on the Keystone Commons retail complex, which includes Keystone Fitness, College Green Eatery & Market, Steak ‘n Shake, and Penn East Federal Credit Union.
2019 – For the first time since 1948, football returns to Keystone as the Giants fell to Wilkes University 23-19. The Giants would win its first game by a score of 27-16 over Morrisville State College on September 22.
2019 – To make college more affordable and accessible, Keystone College resets its tuition price.
2019 – Keystone launches its Professional Development Institute offering workforce development programs that connect education and employment and provide customized, credentialed, industry-focused coursework.
2020 – Keystone celebrates the opening of the $3.5 million Keystone Commons retail development with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
2021 – Keystone College proudly unveiled its newly constructed Fieldhouse in the fall of 2021. Constructed adjacent to the Athletic Field and Track complex, the 11,000 square foot, multi-million dollar facility serves as the College’s central hub for football, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s lacrosse.
2023 – Keystone selects John F. Pullo, Sr. ’69 as the College’s twelfth president, becoming the first alumnus to lead the institution.