Editing State College, Pennsylvania (section)

===Cold War and civil rights era===
In 1951, the [[Penn State Nittany Lions men's soccer|Penn State Nittany Lions men's soccer team]] flew to [[Iran]] following a request from [[U.S. State Department]]. The team was meant to play several exhibition matches in an attempt to "further goodwill" between the United States and Iran. The Nittany Lions lost their first match in [[Isfahan]] 2–0 in front of 5,000 spectators.<ref>{{cite web|first= Jim|last= Davidson|publisher= Onward State|date= Sep 18, 2017|title= Cold War, Happy Valley: Penn State Soccer And The Quest To Stop Communism|url= https://onwardstate.com/2017/09/18/cold-war-happy-valley-penn-state-soccer-and-the-quest-to-stop-communism/}}</ref>

On January 21st, 1965, [[Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.]] gave a speech on [[desegregation]] to an audience of about 8,000 coumminty members and students in [[Rec Hall]].<ref>{{cite web|first= Kiera|last= Ginn|date= Feb 13, 2025|url= https://www.psucollegian.com/news/campus/attendees-reflect-on-rev-martin-luther-king-jr-s-speech-at-rec-hall-60-years/article_9db1999c-e9ae-11ef-a576-179495cd8f6d.html|publisher= The Daily Collegian|title= Attendees reflect on Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech at Rec Hall 60 years ago}}</ref>

In 1970 attempts were made by university students to divest money from the [[Pennsylvania State University Applied Research Laboratory|Applied Research Laboratory]], which produces [[torpedos]]. A sit-in at Old Main led to the arrest of at least 30 people. Protests aiganst the ARL escelated in 1972 when about 2,000 protesters blocking College Avenue and North Atherton Street were met with police in [[riot gear]]. The following day more than 5,000 protesters marched to the ARL, which would temproily shut down at the request of the university and [[Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania|Lieutenant Governor]] [[Ernest Kline]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.psucollegian.com/news/campus/penn-state-alumni-highlight-heroes-from-vietnam-war-protests-in-1972/article_aefc21c0-2142-11ef-9077-4f7c6ebeeb74.html|title= Penn State alumni highlight heroes from Vietnam War protests in 1972|first= Daniela|last= White|publisher= The Daily Collegian|date= Jun 3, 2024}}</ref>

In 1973, State College adopted a home rule charter which took effect in 1976;<ref>[[Pennsylvania Code]] [http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/314/chapter41/chap41toc.html Title 314, Sec. 41.1–101 ''et seq.''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051201034742/http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/314/chapter41/chap41toc.html |date=December 1, 2005 }}</ref> since then, it has not been governed by the state's Borough Code, although it retains "Borough of State College" as its official name.

The university has a post office address in [[University Park, Pennsylvania]]. When it changed its name from Pennsylvania State College to The Pennsylvania State University in 1953, its president, [[Milton S. Eisenhower]], sought to persuade the town to change its name as well.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://libraries.psu.edu/about/collections/penn-state-university-park-campus-history-collection/penn-state-illustrated-10|title=Quest for National Recognition|date=September 15, 2016|work=Penn State University Libraries|access-date=September 21, 2018}}</ref> A referendum failed to yield a majority for any of the choices proposed as a new name, so the town remains State College.